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| Cambodia’s former prime minister, Pen Sovann. (Photo: AP) |
Thursday, 07 July 2011
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC
“That’s why we saw the Khmer Rouge forget the spirit of the nation, the national culture.”
Cambodia’s former prime minister, Pen Sovann, says the current number of Khmer Rouge leaders now on trial at a UN-backed court is not enough, and that more urgency should be brought to cases already underway at the tribunal.
“Today it is my view that there has been no justice found for the victims who passed away,” Pen Sovann, the first prime minister of the country under the Vietnamese-backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea, in 1981, said.
“The deceased and the survivors are waiting for the government to cooperate with the international court to find fault in the Khmer Rouge leaders and for their brutal crimes, to clearly unveil these to the people and find justice,” he said, speaking as a guest on a supplemental “Hello VOA” program Tuesday. “But I think it’s been very slow.”
“Historically, it’s been 32 years since the Khmer Rouge fell, and those who have to take responsibility have not been pushed as fast as they should have and in accordance to the desires of the people, finding fault with the Khmer Rouge, why they killed their own nation and destroyed their own national religion,” he said.
Pen Sovann said the Khmer Rouge left him with “no choice” but to set up a movement to oppose them in the 1980s, “in order to rescue the nation from living in blood and tears.”
He said local people have evidence and can act as witnesses at the court, but its work has not been conducted independently. He cited the opposition to some of the court’s work by Prime Minister Hun Sen as an example.
“I think the trials are right in seeking justice,” he said. “But it’s not possible because the government leaders intervene and don’t want a trial.”
Pen Sovann said he “completely” agreed with the trials of five unnamed suspects in two more cases at the tribunal.
Historian Ros Chantrabot told VOA Khmer the Khmer Rouge had formed in the turmoil of the times, amidst war and corruption, through the support of Vietnam and China. But what caused the mass atrocities and deaths was confusion in policy, and pride, he said.
“That’s why we saw the Khmer Rouge forget the spirit of the nation, the national culture,” he said.
9 comments:
Mr Pen Sovann you must speak more because the Khmer people are believing in you, not Hun Xen selling Khmer land to Viet.
សួស្ដី
យើងមិនចេះអ្វី នៅពេលដែលគេលើកបន្តុបអោយកាន់អំណាចសប្បាយភ្លេចខ្លួន ដឹងម្យា់់ងត្រឹមថាខ្លួនជាអ្នកខ្លាំងប៉ុណ្ណោះ។បានជាពឹងបរទេស ម្ដេចមិនពឹងសហគមអន្តរជាតិអ្នកដែលប្រាកដថាជួយយើង មិនដូច្នេះគឹតតែពីត្រេកត្រអាលនិងអំណាចទុកអោយរយះពេលពីរឆ្នាំកន្លងផុត។ដល់គេចងទើបដឹងខ្លួន។
គេមិនសំលាប់ព្រោះគេបន្តរទុកអោយនៅឈ្លះគ្នា ។
ជយោ!បក្សដ៏រុងរឿង មហាលោត មហាផ្លោះ មហាអស្ចារ្យ
បក្ខជនសាវលីងដែលបានស្ដាប់voaថ្ងៃ 5.7.11
I hope one day Mr. Pen Sovann can write a book about all of the secrets he knows about the Youn. There are many secrets we have been speculating for years and others that we don't know about because he is afraid for his life. He knows too much and some of it bothered him so much in 1981 that he eventually questioned the Youn motive and as a result was jailed in Hanoi for many years.
we cannot ignore the plight of khmer people sufferings under the injustice of the stupid KR regime! justice must be served! also, from this historic court tribunal, education on history for students who seek to understand why gov't can be so cruel to its own people and country and other ways to prevent such occurence from happening again. humanity need to understand this and study from this style of gov't! it is very important to understand history!
i think ignorance on the part of the leaders played a role in all of this as well, you know!
ignorance, pride, fear, greed, ambition, etc, etc are all a driving force!
សូមខ្មែរទាំងអស់កុំជឿតាមការនិយាយលួងលោមនិងនិយាយបោកប្រាស់របស់អាសមាជិកបក្សប្រជាជន ប៉ែន សុវ៉ាន់នេះឱយសោះ។ វាគឺជាមនុស្សសំខាន់ខ្លាំងណាស់របស់យួនហាណូយ
បើវាមិនមែនជាមនុស្សរបស់យួនទេនោះ យួនមិនទុកឱយនៅរស់នាំតែបំបង់បាយវាទេ។ យួនទុកអាក្រពើមួយក្បាលនេះនៅក្រៅទ្រុងសម្រាប់តែជួយបង្វែងដានខ្មែរតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ តាមពិតគ្នាវាដ៏ដែល។ បើពិតដូចជាសម្តីរបស់វាមែននោះ ម្លេះវាមកទាក់ទងឱយពួកប្រទេសសេរីទៅជួយរំដោះខ្មែរពីពួក ប៉ុល ពតបាត់ទៅហើយ ដូច្នេះវាជាខ្មែរយៀកម៉ិញកញ្ជៈយួនដាច់ថ្លែ។
មនុស្សមានដំបៅខ្លួន ចិត្ត គំនិត ខួរក្បាលនិង
បក្សពួកក្រហម(យួន)ដូចលោកប៉ែន សុវណ្ណ
ធ្វើឲ្យគេពិបាកនឹងជឿទុកចិត្តលោកណស់។
ការសេពគប់ខុសគឺខុសរហូត ទោះបីខិតខំ
កែខ្លួនយ៉ាងណាក៏វាជ្រះស្អាតដូចសំពត់ស
សុទ្ធដែរ។លោកប៉ែន សុវណ្ណនៅតែជាប់
មន្ទិលសង្ស័យថា គាត់នៅជាខ្ញុំយួនដដែល។
5:53pm-
Pen Sovan is only one of the boys who was lured by Vietnam to get brain-washed and to be used for Vietnam political benefit.
Pen Sovann was only 13 years old when he was kidnapped. He knew nothing about politic or history.
It is heroism of him that he still remember being Khmer and he challenged his master not to do as boss say.
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