Wednesday, November 23, 2011

After Three Days of Trial, Three Denials of Guilt

Former Khmer Rouge second-in-command Nuon Chea, former President Khieu Samphan and former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary (L-R) attend their trial at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, November 21, 2011. (Photo: Reuters)

Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Reporters, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“I never assisted in decisions of big questions.”
Jailed Khmer Rouge defendant Khieu Samphan offered an opening statement to the UN-backed tribunal on Wednesday, saying he wanted prosecutors to apologize for accusations made against him and denying all knowledge of the atrocities taking place while he was the nominal head of state for the regime.

Khieu Samphan is on trial for atrocity crimes at the court, alongside Nuon Chea, the regime’s Brother No. 2, and Ieng Sary, its foreign minister. Wednesday marked the third day of the first substantial hearing for the three men, in a landmark trial that will be the most complicated for the tribunal to date.

In a statement to Trial Chamber judges, Khieu Samphan said the indictment against him linking him to mass atrocities of the regime were “a guess” without evidence.

I request that sir and madam apologize to me,” he said, referring to the court’s international and national prosecutors, who allege he and the other two men engaged in joint criminal acts against the Cambodian people.


“I never assisted in decisions of big questions,” he said. “And I never knew about the horrors that Mrs. Co-Prosecutor mentioned.”

Khieu Samphan and his defense team also raised questions of the US bombardment of Cambodia that preceded the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power, and asked why the former king, Norodom Sihanouk, who called for the Cambodian people to rise against a US-backed regime, fueling the guerrilla movement, was not called before the court.

Ieng Sary, who also appeared before the court, told the court he was granted an amnesty by Sihanouk in the 1990s, and should not be on trial.

With the opening testimonies concluding, no single defendant has admitted any responsibility for the atrocities committed while they were in charge. In his testimony on Tuesday, Nuon Chea said he was defending Cambodia from Vietnamese plots to overtake it. A Vietnamese Embassy official on Wednesday denied the accusation.

The court will now move on toward the hearings of evidence, beginning Dec. 5.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kiev Samphan, Ieng Sary, Nuon Chea,
we believe you, killer, you love Cambodia, you love Cambodians, you defended Cambodia from Vietnameses
BUT YOU KILLED Khmers.
You cannot deny it, it makes you the killers.

Anonymous said...

Excellent! Comrade Kiev Samphan. you hit the bulleye remark, "why the old scumbag Sihanouk, who appealled every night through Peking Radio to Cambodian people to join Khmer Rouge, has not been called to testify. But Comrade, you are not off the hook. You are part of the problem and within the big picture. You claim that you are the defender or guardian of Cambodia against the invasion of VN /USA is misrepresented. In fact the Khemr Rouge cardes and sihanouk are a bunch of incompetent and one and half IQ in leadership and strategy planners. And that's why they don't know anything and know nothing and blame something to someone's else.
Khmer rouge and Sihanouk thought Cambodian people are easy to manipulated and not smart enough to tell the truth from the fiction story.
Now Hun Sen team are going around the country telling people that Sam Dech Dech Chho Sena Hun Sen is incredible smart and foresee future for Win-win strategy. Every piece of creation is the idea of SamDech Hun Sen and his wife set foward. Make its mark folks, when time come those people in his team will say, they don't know anything but Hun Sen know everything. They do just follow his order.

Going back to Khmer Rouge, Kiev Samphan and others said they don't know but asked Pol Pot. Sihanouk said he wasn't there and was in house arrest. Don't ask him!!! you can see the pattern of Khmer leaders behave when they run into th brickwall. No responsibility at all.

Good luck Cambodia and Buddha bless you all.

Anonymous said...

At least we all can leurn that to get a big title without power can put you in deep shit!!!!


So why you make Pol Pot used you???? Includ ShihaNouk!!!

Are you so stupid that make your Mothers shame of 1000 liftimes?????

That apply people who take oder from ah Kwacks with no respect of laws and humandignity to!!!!

Anonymous said...

Yes,

What Nuon Chea and Khieu Sam Phan had said is 100% true.

Norodom Sihanouk is the Khmer people killer's leader.

Hanoi, until today,is controlling Cambodia with their 100,000 troops and secret agents hiding everywhere, in Hun Sen's government, Armies, police, plus in parliament.

Why all Khmers are BLIND for this Viet intention of COLONIZING Cambodia?????

Anonymous said...

Vietnam's bad intention toward Cambodia will be unmasked.

We need to take this land thief, Vietnam, to the international court; otherwise Vietnam will keep creating turmoil in Cambodia.

After 1989, did Vietnam truly withdraw all of its troops back to Vietnam?

Did Vietnam comply with the 1991 Paris peace accord?

Millions of illegal and legal Vietnamese have been residing inside Cambodia, causing extreme concerns amongst Khmer people about the prospect that Cambodia may be the second Kampuchea Krom.

The killings during the Pol Pot's era were committed by the Khmer rouge, the Khmer Vietminh, etc.
Notice that Khmer Vietminh were created by Vietnam to make Khmers fight with Khmers, to make Khmers kill each others.

How about the K5, which killed hundreds of thousands of Khmer people in the 80's? This K5 scheme was totally orchestrated by Vietnam.

We need to take Vietnam to the international court about this K5 issue regarding Vietnam’s catastrophic action in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

shssss! maybe we all can learn something from the mind of the top KR leaders! listen up! got to hear both sides that we didn't know before. so listen, let the court do their job, ok!

Anonymous said...

If you said the thruth, you mopther fucker let ah Pot use you as a stupid clown!!! NO ONE apolo gize to a stupid clown id not kick on the head!!!!

Anonymous said...

some people act like wild animals, the master of choas like hyenas you see on tv! some people do learn to imitate wild animals in that scent, you know!

Anonymous said...

If you said the thruth, you moptherfucker had let ah Pol Pot used you as a stupid clown!!! NO ONE apologize to a stupid clown idio IF not kicked you on the head was more than doing good!!!!

Anonymous said...

1:00AM!we not interup the court by writting on KI! Let exercise our brain do not sleep,it may too late just like in 1975!!!!

Anonymous said...

12:42 AM,

As a Khmer I see million of illegal yuon imigrants everywhere in Cambodia as 12:42 says Hanoi, until today,is controlling Cambodia with their 100,000 troops and secret agents hiding everywhere, in Hun Sen's government, Armies, police, plus in parliament.

Why all Khmers are BLIND for this Viet intention of COLONIZING Cambodia?????

I agree with you not 100% but 1000%.

I also agree with Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan regarding to this Indochina Federation to put and swallow Lao , Cambodian under yuon annex by using Hun Sen as a political tool to achieve IndochinalFereation.

What Nuon chea and Khieu Samphan said about yuon Hanoi is very true why some Cambodian can not see or predent not see million illegal yuon immigrants every in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Communist Party of Kampuchea or Khmer Rouge.

The Communist Party of Kampuchea was a combination of 80 % of former Khmer Viet Minh and 20 % of a Paris students group was created in 1960 by 3 figures as follow:

1. Tou Samouth.
2. Nuon Chea.
3. Pol Pot.

After 1954 Geneva conference there were about 5000 of Khmer Viet Minh fighters in Cambodia .

About 1000 of these former Khmer Viet Minh went to Hanoi with Son Ngoc Minh or better known as Achar Mean including other Khmer Viet Minh like Pen Sovann.

The rest of 4000 of these former Khmer Viet Minh later joined the Communist Party of Kampuchea through Tou Samouth, Kea Mea , So Phim, Rous Yim and many other Khmer Viet Minh senior military commanders.

So that why from the beginning of the foundation of this Communist Party of Kampuchea or Khmer Rouge there were about 80 % of these former Khmer Viet Minh fighters and senior military commanders
such as Tou Smouth, Keo Meas , So Phim and Rous Yim ect…

After the fall down of Phnom Penh to Khmer Rouge or Communist Party of Kampuchea on April 17, 1975 these former Khmer Viet Minh fighters became the chiefs of villages, communes , districts and Zones like So Phim in Eastern Zone Secretary and Rous Yim in Northern Zone Secretary .

Note:

1. Tou Samouth , So Phim , Rous Yim , played important role in joining all former Khmer Viet Mint fighters into the Communist Party of Kampuchea after the Communist Party of Kampuchea was created in 1960.

2. Nuon Chea Played an important role in joining other former Khmer Issarak like Ta Mok , Ke Pok into the Communist Party of Kampuchea or Khmer Rouge after the Communist Party of Kampuchea was created in 1960.

3. The First name of the Communist Party of Kampuchea was the Kampuchea Worker’s Party and renamed to the Communist Party in 1966 after Tou Samouth was arrested and killed in 1962.

4. Between 1960-1975 Pol Pot troops had increased about 40 % or 45 % especially after 1970s.

Pol Pot solders never train in Hanoi or worked under the command of yuon Viet Minh as majority of former Khmer Viet Minh fighers in the Communist Party of Kampuchea were trained and fought side by side wit yuon Viet Minh during First Indochina War 1946-1954 against French colony in Cambodia.

The founder and the members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea or Khmer Rouge are between 1975-1979 are:

1. Pol Pot the Secretary General of Communist Party of Kampuchea.

2. Nuon Chea duputy Secretary of Communsit Party of Kampuchea.

3. Ieng Sary.

4. So Phim.

5. Son Sen.

6. Ta Mok .

Anonymous said...

Something that all Khmers need to
think twice just for comparison,
between the role of Mr.Khiev Samphan back then and King Sihamoni today.I think their role
in terms of power decision making of these two individual are similarity.All of us Cambodians seeing on uour own eyes nowadays,
what's kind of power that King
Sihamoni has?,even though the
Constitution of Cambodia has inscribed that the King had the
power such and such.But the government of Cambodia (CPP)today
is still adopt the Communist style
to lead the country.

Anonymous said...

Ieng Thirith, she is stupid. She cannot learn from her victims. Her victims are different. They had been sent to work day and night and also did not have enough food. They did that are OK. Neang Kanh Cheas Kae Neas fakes. She got enough food. Never work hard in the field. We cannot allow her to do this. She should be Komtich.
Ah Nuon Chea killed a lot of people. Every time he told to his subordinate is Komtich. His subordinate did what he told them to do. You know the word “Komtich” means? Ask ah Kiev Samphon, he got his PHD, he knows what it means. It means smashing the body in pieces. That why, they smash the body even if they are a baby. From me your great grandfather, ah Chea and mi Thirith.

Anonymous said...

It is kind of funny that Khieu Samphan in the end blames Sihanouk for having made the appeal for the ordinary Cambodians to join the KR.

Cambodian leaders and kings are a bunch of idiots, one blaming the other and no wonder Cambodia has lost so much land to her neighbours!

You sit in a car with robbers who rob the bank; you also go into the bank with them and now you claim you are not guilty since you have no intention to rob the bank, but just go in there.

Well, Khieu Samphan, you are not that stupid to think that we believe you, are you?

Pissed off

Anonymous said...

first of all i would like to appologize to ki-media for using the site to let people know Khmer Sovannaphumi- known as Pang Sokheoun, n his mistress Sokunthear Som have been reported to FBI agent n FB's adminstration for stealing n posting someone pic in their wall without the owner consent to defame them..further more they both wrongly accused that same person of created his Pang Sokheoun id, they both have been cursed, n will be brought to justice..i have been in contact with Cambodian Goverment to make sure both of them will not be able to enter cambodia without arrest for their cyber crime....i hope to see their dirty bastard asses soon in court..

Anonymous said...

7:27! THOSE MOTHERFUCKER COMUNISTS MAKE AGOOD SET UP TO NUMB YOUR BRAIN!!!! SAME CASE, EH? ENJOY THE BENEFIT OF THE CRIME AND STILL CLEAN!!!! WHAT IS A FUCKUP WORLD!!!!!

ARE WE WITHOUT PhD, BUY IT??????

Anonymous said...

7:27!!!! in some place just see the crime not report is kind of crime to! NOT even you share the loot or get money from the killer to stay quiet!

Anonymous said...

10:29AM,10:32AM,cool down !!!,just an idea,doesn't meat that I support the killers,my friends.The trials still
in action we'll see who the real crime.We all see at the end of the trial.The truth will come at the end.

Anonymous said...

yes, these so-called leaders were very incompetent, that's the right word to describe them all! "incompetent"!

some were the master of chaos, all deceiving and tricking khmer people because they want to hold on to power forever. i think that ought to change for good in cambodia with the introduction of terms limits of power for some top positions in gov't!

Anonymous said...

do they understand the terms "guilty by association"? meaning you don't have to actually commit the crime, but you supported it, you accompanied it, you tolerated it, you condoned it, you did not resigned from it, etc, you are guilty by association like the bank robber's scenerio above by mr. pissed off, really! by the way, good example, mr. pissed off!

Anonymous said...

in khmer, we say sihanouk was drown in pussy and power hunger! he only thinks about himself, forget his khmer children as he called them. it's all about himself only, you know! talk about dark age era mentality! i think cambodia should make strict law to abolish the outdated mentality or concept that's no longer fit today's society and in order to modernize and education young people to not follow that type of outdated mentality or thinking way again. thank god, cambodia does change a lot since the dark ages era, you know! i think most younger generation preferred changes, not the outdated way, you know!

Anonymous said...

Let me tell you all something - There is no sign of intelligence at all here on KI-Media, none whatsoever! ១ សសៃសក់ក៏គ្មានផង!

P. from Long Beach