Monday, May 09, 2011

ECCC urged to quiz new suspects

9 May 2011
AFP

The international co-prosecutor at Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia on Monday called for the unnamed suspects in a politically sensitive new Khmer Rouge case to face questioning.

In a written statement, Andrew Cayley urged the co-investigating judges to examine more crime sites and "summon and question the suspects", adding that he felt their alleged crimes "have not been fully investigated".

In its landmark first trial, the court sentenced former prison chief Kaing Guek Eav to 30 years in jail in July for overseeing the deaths of 15,000 people during the brutal 1975-1979 regime.

That case is now under appeal, while a second trial involving four of the regime's most senior surviving leaders is due to start in the middle of the year.

But the court has been tight-lipped about progress into potential third and fourth cases against another five members of the regime, whose identities remain confidential and details sketchy.


I object!

Observers say both cases are likely to be dismissed as they face strong opposition from the Cambodian government, with Prime Minister Hun Sen even saying last year these cases were "not allowed".

Late last month the court announced in a terse press release that it had concluded its initial investigations into the third case, without providing details of the crimes nor summoning the suspects, to the dismay of victims and observers.

Cayley's national counterpart Chea Leang has opposed going after more suspects from the beginning and her name was notably absent from Monday's statement.

Cayley refused to comment on the apparent rift between them but said that he had "a legal obligation" to demand further investigations.

"I am using every single legal instrument at my disposal... to ensure justice is done in this case," the Briton said.

"My view is that the victims, the witnesses and the potential suspects are entitled to know what is taking place in the courtroom."

Information first

In his list of new crime sites, Cayley disclosed numerous Khmer Rouge security centres across the country, including one in the capital Phnom Penh, as well as a forced labour site in southern Kampong Som province.

By giving victims some basic information, Cayley had "done the right thing, and this may be crucial for the credibility of the court", said Clair Duffy, from the rights group Open Society Justice Initiative.

The co-investigating judges are expected to announce next month whether they will take up Cayley's requests.

The third case is widely believed to centre around a former Khmer Rouge navy commander and an air force commander, while the fourth case is thought to involve three lower-level regime members.

Led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Marxist Khmer Rouge regime emptied cities in the late 1970s in a bid to create an agrarian utopia, killing up to two million through starvation, overwork and genocide.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Everyone including I were suffered during the KR regime, but it is over. The question is: are Khmer people suffering now and in the future? yes, not from KR but from being under ruling of CPP dictator and under Yuon's colonization.
People are losing lands, livelihood and dignity to Yuon and to CPP. In an isolated argument, this one Vietnamese person in Cambodia said to a Cambodian person: Your leader is under us. You will have no place to run , do you want that? Do you want to be disappeared and so on. If you are Khmer, I know how you feel to hear that.

Anonymous said...

To 12:34 AM , I agree with you 100%.

The question is: are Khmer people suffering now and in the future and will soon become minority on their homeland like Champa , Khmer-Krom and Lao.

Anonymous said...

All Khmer victims and the families between 1975-179 and Cambodian as a whole.

How can you expect any justice from this ECCC under Hun Sen regime who deeply related to Indochina Communist Party formed by late Ho Chi Minh in 1930.

Anonymous said...

Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten

By Ms. Rattana Keo

Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?

Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?

Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?

The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer every day.

Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?

Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?

Koh Tral was a Cambodian island, and technically and legally, remained a Cambodian island until today.

Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,

Anonymous said...

The new policy of Hun Sen regime today is to kill all Ex Khmer Rouge because they are the true Khmer patriot that can be harmful to Hun Sen regime as Vietnam slave.

Hun Sen regime sends all Ex Khmer rouge soldiers to frontline fighting with Thai army without enough weapons and foods. Hun Sen ordered the front line army do not fire back to Thai Army while they bomb Ex Khmer Rouge over 50 000 shells. These actions are representing very clear that Hun Sen is trying to clear or kill all Ex Khmer Rouge army by using Thai hands.

The true and real Khmer patriots are the enemy of Hun Sen regime. Vietnam is scare of Ex Khmer Rouge Soldiers as they have been defeat Vietnam army (Over 100 000 Vietnam soldiers have been killed by EX Khmer Rouge Army in Cambodia. That is lead to Vietnam withdraw out of Cambodia) before 1993.