AFP
Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court on Thursday upheld the indictments against four top Khmer Rouge leaders, rejecting their appeals to dismiss the case and paving the way for a major trial.
The four face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and related crimes under Cambodian laws in connection with the deaths of up to two million people between 1975 and 1979 from starvation, overwork and execution.
"Today, the pre-trial chamber [...] has confirmed and partially amended the indictments against the accused persons," the court said in a statement, referring to some minor technical changes to September's closing order, which detailed the investigating judges' conclusions.
"The pre-trial chamber has ordered the accused persons to be sent for trial and to continue to be held in provisional detention until they are brought before the trial chamber," it added.
The accused, the communist regime's most senior surviving members, are "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, former foreign minister Ieng Sary, his wife and ex-social affairs minister Ieng Thirith and former head of state Khieu Samphan.
"We expect the trial to start within the first half of this year," court spokesman Lars Olsen said.
The ailing defendants, aged between 78 and 85, have been in detention since 2007.
Asked about the state of their health, Olsen told AFP they have "normal health conditions for their age and they have regular medical check-ups."
The second trial follows the landmark July conviction of former Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the deaths of around 15,000 men, women and children.
The court - which does not have the power to impose the death penalty - handed Duch a 30-year jail term but he could walk free in 19 years given time already served. Both Duch, 68, and the prosecution have appealed the sentence.
Hearings for those appeals are scheduled to take place in the last week of March.
The tribunal, dogged by allegations of political interference, has yet to announce whether it will go ahead with two more cases against five as-yet-unnamed former Khmer Rouge cadres.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, himself a mid-level cadre before turning against the movement, has repeatedly warned that pursuing more suspects from the hardline regime could spark civil war.
Led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Marxist regime emptied cities in the late 1970s in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.
9 comments:
January 2011 Arizona USA
President Obama urges Americans to use words that heal, not wound
In Tucson to eulogize the victims of last weekend's tragic shooting, President Obama somberly called for an end to the political blame game that erupted in the wake of the tragedy and urged Americans not to use it as "one more occasion to turn on each other."
How is about Cambodia ?
Can KING or any Cambodian urge Cambodians to use words that heal, not wound ?
Contrarily, CPP has celebrated January 7.
Prince N Ranarigh already sent a letter to join HUN SEN.
Think about that if you are really Khmer.
the soup had float with juicy and reopen on time .that the way ccp treat international and profit from killing field.
top stupid KR old leaders must pay for their crime against humanity, for destruction of cambodia, for their killing fields in cambodia, etc, etc... don't let them get away for their heineous crime of genocide! let them all rot in prey sar and then cremate them with car tires like they did to pol pot! these crooks don't deserve to live when millions of lives were taken away under their stupid, dark age, stone age regime, you know! the exploited and destroyed cambodia during their reign of terror! they all can go heal is all khmer people care about now!
From Mike,
I respect all the comments above, and I personaly are very fine with Mr. Sam rainsy. here is my main concernt, Leader duty is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the way to survival or extinction, it must be thoroughly pondered and analiyzed.Leader must organized and disciplined, cause the people to be fully in accod with hime people they will die with him, they will live with him and not fear danger, that what it take for nation to survive. I am very much like you are,I always willing to share the common national interest, I do not like Youn, and Siam, I love Khmer, that why any one who preached and ignited the ideosensory of jealousy, criticism, and hatreat led to divide among Kmher its Hurt me badly. If we go to the past, the main reason that caused Khmer Empire fallent it is divission led to weakness Khmer national strength. YOUn, Siam, are the witch ghost who tooke advantage from our weakness start attack us left and right to swalow our land. please focus on one cultur(rebuild, our strong Khmer) by constructive chaleng, not any, any any form of Criticism. Criticsim is a giant ghost will suck blood from the men who call for it, men who preached it, and will ruin our nation. wasn't it?
You and me and all human are 30% right and 70 wrongs, in anythings we does. please focus on that 30 % not on that 70 %. What was Mr. Sam rainsy supperio, Hun sen supperior, or KI,Khmerization, or any Kmher achieved something talk about that agian, agian, and agian, that how people learn. Regards, Mike
1:12 am
you are not Khmer.
January 2011 Arizona USA
President Obama urges Americans to use words that heal, not wound
1:25am! IF YOU HAVE 70% WRONG THAN TRY TO IMPROVE IT FAST BEFORE YOU GO TO HELL, BOY!
IF YOUR FATHER TOLD YOU THAT, HE SOUND LIKE AH KWACH HUN XEN STUPID PhD WITH NO EDUCATION MOTHERFUCKER!
2:26 AM
Hun Sen was a Khmer Rouge commander and member of the Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime.
Hun Sen is a leader of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime.
Hun Sen was behind the terrorism on March 30, 1997 grenade attack in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
A U.S. citizen Ron Abney was injured during a grenade attack.
Source:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Senate Foreign Committee Investigation
Hun Sen attempted to assassinate Sam Rainsy (leader of opposition party) and Chea Vichea (leader of the Free Trade Union) during grenade attack on March 30, 1997 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Hun Sen is responsible for murdered Chea Vichea (leader of the Free Trade Union).
The Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime is responsible for killing 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples.
The Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime is also responsible for killing 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples and counting.
The Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime is responsible for extrajudicial execution over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party.
The Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime is responsible for murders over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
The Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime is responsible for murders 3 leaders of the Free Trade Union.
The Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime is responsible for murders 10 journalists
The Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime is responsible for murders at least 16 innocent Khmer peoples during a grenade attack on March 30, 1997 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime's leaders and members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Guek Eav aka Samak Mith Duch
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong aka Samak Mith Yaem
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka aka Samak Mith Muth
Hun Sen...
Source:
DC-CAM
Document Center of Cambodia
On October 7, 2009 Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Hor Namhong, Keat Chhon, Ouk Bunchhoeun and Sim Ka has been summoned by the U.N.-backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal court (ECCC).
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