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| Cambodians are seeking justice for crimes committed by Khmer Rouge leaders under their regime [Reuters] |
Three former leaders answer charges including genocide and crimes against humanity over "killing fields" massacres.
21 Nov 2011
Al Jazeera
Three former Khmer Rouge senior officials accused of orchestrating Cambodia's "killing fields" massacres have gone on trial before a UN-backed tribunal, more than three decades after some of the 20th century's worst atrocities.
Judge Nil Nonn read out the names of the three accused Khmer Rouge leaders - Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary - as he declared the trial, known as Case 002, open on Monday in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital.
All three defendants, who were in the courtroom accompanied by their lawyers, have pleaded not guilty to charges including crimes against humanity, genocide, religious persecution, homicide and torture stemming from the Khmer Rouge's brutal four-year rule between 1975 and 1979.
Nuon Chea, 85, was considered the Khmer Rouge's chief ideologist and "Brother Number Two" to Pol Pot, the group's former leader who died in Cambodia's jungles in 1998 almost two decades afte being toppled from power by a Vietnamese invasion.
Khieu Samphan, 80, is a former head of state while 86-year-old Ieng Sary served as the Khmer Rouge regime's foreign minister.
A fourth defendant, 79-year-old Ieng Thirith, Ieng Sary's wife and a former minister for social affairs, was ruled unfit to stand trial last week because she has Alzheimer's disease.
An estimated 1.7 million people died of execution, starvation, exhaustion or lack of medical care as a result of the Khmer Rouge's policies, which saw Cambodia turned into a forced labour camp as the Maoist-inspired movement attempted to create a pure agrarian socialist society.
Intellectuals, entrepreneurs and anyone considered a threat to the Khmer Rouge ideal were imprisoned, tortured and often executed.
Previous conviction
The UN-backed tribunal, which was established in 2006, has tried just one case, convicting Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, the former head of the regime's notorious S-21 prison, last July and sentencing him to 35 years in prison for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other offenses.
On Sunday, relatives of the victims wept as they chanted and burned incense near a glass case filled with skulls at Choeung Ek Genocide Center, a memorial built in a Phnom Penh field where the Khmer Rouge staged mass executions.
"I want to remind the victims and ask them to push this trial to find justice for those who were killed by the Khmer Rouges regime," 80-year-old Chum Mey, one of the only two survivors from the notorious S-21 prison, said at Sunday's ceremony.
Huy Vannak, the tribunal spokesman called the proceedings, "the most important trial in the world" because of the seniority of those involved.
"It sends a message that the trial, which survivors have been waiting more then three decades for, finally begins," he said.
6 comments:
Ah Neth Pheaktra (holding the microphone) is ah Soy Sopheap make to be. This motherfucker are nothing but CPP's puppet!
CPP = Youn's slave dog
Neth Peaktra is Kiev Khanarith dick sucker!
Genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes between since 1970s onward has cost about 5 million Cambodian lives in Cambodia.
1. US B 52 bombing between 1969-1973 caused about 1 million Cambodian lives, starvation and mass atrocities.
2. Mass killing between 1975-1979 under the name of the Kampuchea Communist Party or Khmer Rouge which haft of this Khmer Rouge between 1975-1979 were Khmer Viet Minh like: Heng Samrin, Chea Sim , So Phim , Rous Ngim and many more... .
3. K 5 plan under the order of Hanoi and implemented by Hun Sen .
Above are genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes commited by Nixon, late Ho Chi Minh ( Hanoi )and Kampuchea Communist Party between 1975-1979.
Note: Half of Khmer Rouge soldiers and military commanders were Khmer Viet Minh like Heng Samrin, Chea Sim , So Phim , Rous Ngim and many more…. .
Genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes between since 1970s onward has cost about 5 million Cambodian lives in Cambodia.
1. US B 52 bombing between 1969-1973 caused about 1 million Cambodian lives, starvation and mass atrocities.
2. Mass killing between 1975-1979 under the name of the Kampuchea Communist Party or Khmer Rouge which haft of this Khmer Rouge soldiers and militaries commanders between 1975-1979 were Khmer Viet Minh like: Heng Samrin, Chea Sim , So Phim , Rous Ngim, Keo Meas and many more... .and most of those KR soldiers and military commanders became villages chiefs, districts chiefs and Zone secretaries like So Phim in Estern Zone , Rous Ngim in Northern Zones.
3. K 5 plan under the order of Hanoi and implemented by Hun Sen .
Above are genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Nixon, late Ho Chi Minh ( Hanoi )and Kampuchea Communist Party between 1975-1979.
Note: Half of Khmer Rouge soldiers and military commanders were Khmer Viet Minh like Heng Samrin, Chea Sim , So Phim , Rous Ngim and Keo Meas and many more…. . were fomer Khmer Viet Minh who were under military command of Viet Minh soldiers who fought against French colony in Cambodia in First Indochina War ( 1946-1954 )after Geneva Peace Accord in 1954 some of this Khmer Viet Minh went to Hanoi with their commanders Achar Mean or also known as Son Ngoc Minh among those who went to Hanoi were Pen Sovann , Chansi , Chea Sot and those who stayed in Cambodia like Kea Meas , So Phim , Rous Ngim, Ya ( Nisaran ) and many more became Khmer Rouge or Kampuchea Communist Party in 1960 under the work of Tou Samouth and Pol Pot and their first and secret name was Kampuchea worker Party and changed to Kampuchea Communist Party in 1966.
The old name of CPP party during First Indochina War 1946-1954 was Khmer Issarak United Front and later changed to Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party both of this Party led by Achar Mean ( Son Ngoc Minh )so CPP was created by the Indochina Communist Party led by late Ho Chi Minh in 1930.
The Kampuchea Communist Party did not created by the Indochina Communist Party as many Cambodian and the West understand but half of the Kampuchea Communist Party or better known as Khmer Rouge between 1975-1979 half solders and seniors commanders of Khmer Rouge or Kampuchea Communist Party were Khmer Viet Minh like Heng Samrin, Chea Sim, So Phim , Rous Ngim , Keo Meas and many more.
But CPP create by the Indochina Communist Party and their old names during First Indochina War 1946-1954 when yuon Viet Minh and khmer Issarak Viet Minh fought against French colony in Cambodia were United Khmer Issark and Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party and the last one known as CPP.
Khieu Samphan said to a group of Khmer before he was arrested in late 2007 in Calamet hospital in Phnom Pen that he prefer this ECCC to form up and process at Hague , Holland in stead of inside Cambodia.
And Khieu Samphan also says he will talk it out every thing he knows because if this ECCC take place in Cambodia it will be only one way ticket for him or in ohter word he will imprison hin for live.
He can walk into this ECC but will not allowed to talk as much as he want to .
But Khieu Samphan was only a nominal leader even now VOA in English still call him on their website that Khieu Samphan is nominal leader.
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