Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Expert: Khmer Rouge Defendant May Have Alzheimer's

Ieng Thirith
August 29, 2011
VOA News
"The accused are old... the court should put them on trial soon, so the younger generation can understand the cause of the killing." Cambodia teacher, Chhek Dom
A medical expert told Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal Monday that one of its four defendants is suffering from memory loss and may have Alzheimer's disease.

The report from geriatric expert John Campbell means that Ieng Thirith, the Khmer Rouge's former social affairs minister, may be found unfit to stand trial for her role in the brutal regime blamed for up to 2 million deaths in the late 1970s.

At minimum, 79-year-old Ieng Thirith will have to undergo additional testing, likely pushing back the beginning of testimony in the landmark trial well into next year.

That is frustrating for ordinary Cambodians like teacher Chhek Dom, who attended Monday's proceedings: "I think that the accused are old, so the court should put them on trial soon, so the younger generation can understand the cause of the killing then.''


The tribunal began hearing preliminary motions in the case against the four top Khmer Rouge leaders a month ago, but defense motions and technical issues have already pushed back the likely start of the actual trial.

The others on trial are 79-year-old Khieu Samphan, the nominal Khmer Rouge head of state; 84-year-old Nuon Chea, described as the regime's chief ideologue; and Ieng Thirith's 85-year-old husband, Ieng Sary, the Khmer Rouge foreign minister.

The charges against the defendants include religious persecution, torture and genocide linked to the deaths of as many as 2 million people between 1975 and 1979.

The trial is the showcase event for the U.N.-backed tribunal, which was created to demonstrate impartial justice and foster national healing.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a fucking bitch. She deserves to suffer as the consequences of her evil past actions. What goes around will come around. That is her sentence decided by natural facts

Anonymous said...

Trial them one by one ,the process will go faster.Shouldn't let the majority of people wait for these individual.Took seven years already!Excuse,may be she don't want to be trial.Human -being are tricker than machine therefore just pretend to not fitted in trial.

Anonymous said...

Khmer as the victims of genocide between 1975-1979, We need the real Khmer ECCC not this Hanoi-US ECCC in this fake Kingdom of Cambodia.

Just look at this and judge for yourself ( Dear Khmer readers ).

This Hanoi-US ECCC keep dragging on and on to avoid full public hearing.

1. Political interference from Hun Sen and CPP.

2. Wide spread corruption in this Hainoi-US ECCC to block the process.

3. Holding the suspects beyond holding period ( overs 3 years ) so far since late 2007-2011 ( nearly 4 years ).

4. By laws the supects have rights to have their witnesses .

5. Refusing suspects 's witnesses to showing up and spkeaking out in the court room.

7. And many more dirty tricks on the way for this Hanoi-US ECCC.