Pailin, Cambodia Wednesday, 29 September 2010
“I want the court to limit [indictments] to just five individuals, because it has not found the real murderers.”Residents in the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin told a delegation from the UN-backed tribunal last week they do not want to see the prosecution of further cases at the court after the second one is completed.
Andrew Cayley, the international prosecutor for the court and head of the delegation, told the residents that no more than 10 people would be further prosecuted in cases No. 3 and No. 4.
The Sept. 22 trip was part of a series of fact-finding missions Cayley has taken since his inception as prosecutor at the beginning of the year.
The tribunal has successfully tried one Khmer Rouge soldier, Tuol Sleng prison chief Duch, and it is preparing to try four senior leaders—Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith.
But indictments beyond that have proved a contentious issue in the hybrid court, which includes international and national prosecutors and judges.
In Pailin, a Khmer Rouge stronghold until 1996, former cadre are not convinced the court will not expand its scope.
“I want the court to limit [indictments] to just five individuals, because it has not found the real murderers,” said Phong Pheoun, a 49-year-old former soldier in Pailin. “In fact, the Khmer Rouge were patriots. Some high-ranking Khmer Rouge did everything only to defend the nation and the people. They did not kill people.”
Horn Siha, deputy chief of '75 Village, in Sala Krao district, said tribunal investigations were a waste of time.
“If we go deeper, the story will be far from over,” he said. “It already took nine months just to try one person, so if they have to do it with 10 people, for example, how can the country move forward and develop?”
There are also sentiments here that the tribunal is already holding the wrong people.
“They are also victims of the regime,” said Mek Mak, the deputy governor of Pailin.
Khieu Samphan, the nominal head of the regime who will face trial next year for atrocity crimes, including genocide, “only performed administrative tasks, like making phone calls, during that time,” Mek Mak said. “So how can he be a murderer?”
He put the blame on Pol Pot, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who stood at the head of the Khmer Rouge and the heart of the regime known as Democratic Kampuchea.
But Cayley, the international prosecutor, said the tribunal could not try a man who was already dead.
“The investigating judges have found sufficient evidence to prove the accused committed the crimes,” he said.
9 comments:
Those former Khmer Rouge soldiers don't support the Khmer Rouge tribunal is very understandable but they don't speak for 1.7 million victims that have been killed by Khmer Rouge. They speak for themselves because they were part of the killing too.
I realy like to see Sihanouk, Hun Sen , chea Sim ,Heng Samrin and a few more in Court too.
More than 5 convicted out of less than 10 is a good bargain, but the one who should also be included is King Sihanouk. He is the No. 1 Khmer nation destroyer and should be prosecuted while he is still alive. There is no point prosecuting a dead man.
Yes I believe many Khmer's will agree that Sihanouk himself should be prosecuted. It was his own doing that led to the Nations demise.
All of the people in Pailin,
older than 50 are guilty,
they were Khmer-rouges,
they killed innocent men, women and children.
That is true, even me I am ovr 50 years old, but I was not, am not and will be not those Khmer Rouge at all. My life passed many regimes and I found much experiences. No one can persuate, convince, tease, force, tell, advise me to believe his/her goal except the ones who I realise that he is the ones.
Indictment should be go to all the involved person from the top to toe for bringing before the court in order to eliminate the fake person who leading people to the hell.
Khmer in Phnom Penh
Sihanouk is the evil one.He was/is supporting The Viet Khmer Rouge up today.This bad guy must be in trial too and put him in jail for a thousand years.
WE WANT TO SUMMON VIETNAM TO STAND TRIAL ALSO.
THEY ARE THE REAL KILLERS.
THEY ARE THE ANGKAR LEU WHO ORDER THE KILLINGS.
VIETNAM HAD RESPONSIBLE IN KILLINGS.
WE LEFT LOKE TA SIHANOUK HE HAD A BUNCH OF STORY TO TELL. ASK HIS WIFE TOO, SHE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY ALSO.
SHE IS HIS EYES AND EARS SHE KNOWS THE STORY... DID SHE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH OUR COUNTRY BLOOD BATH?
ASK HER! DO YOU THINK SHE AN INNOCENT WOMAN? IS SHE KHMER? IS SHE A VIET SPY? IS SHE CARES FOR KHMER PEOPLE? WHEN SIHANOUK MARRIED TO THE REAL KHMER WOMEN, HE WASN'T BEHAVED LIKE THAT.. BUT WHEN HE IS WITH GRADN MOTHER MONIQUE HE IS BECAME CONFUSED AND SILLY!
WE LOVE OUR FATHER..BUT FATHER HAS TO ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ALSO.
SINCERELY...
HUN SEN AND VIETNAM ASS-SO-C-ATION!!
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