Friday, February 03, 2012

Killer's appeal fails

03/02/2012
JONATHAN CARSON
Waikato Times (New Zealand)

Olympic rower Rob Hamill says it is a huge relief that the man who admitted to overseeing the torture and killing of his brother as the Khmer Rouge's chief prison warden has had his appeal rejected and his sentence increased to life imprisonment.

Cambodia's UN-backed genocide court today rejected the appeal by Khmer Rouge jailer Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who was jailed in 2010 for his role in running a notorious prison where thousands of inmates were killed under the regime's 1975 to 1979 reign.

Among them was Mr Hamill's brother Kerry, who was captured by the Khmer Rouge when the yacht on which he and friends were sailing strayed into Cambodian waters in August 1978.


He was interrogated and tortured for two months before being killed in prison.

Mr Hamill said he was hoping to see Duch put away ''for the rest of his living days'' as no number of years could serve as justice for his brother's death.

Duch, 67, confessed to the torture of more than 12,000 people before they were executed during his tenure as chief of the notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital.

''I didn't dare believe that he would get a life sentence. It was just too much to kind of hope for,'' Mr Hamill said.

''It's huge. The more I think about it it's very significant.''

He said there was no rush of emotion on watching the verdict announced live online, but it was a weight off his shoulders.

''This has just been such a long process. I have to say I've built up a bit of a thick skin through it all now.

''It's just a relief.''

Duch's defence lawyers claimed he was not the most responsible senior official at S-21. Duch appealed on the grounds that he was a junior official following orders.

But judges rejected his claim and increased his sentence from 35 years to life imprisonment.

Duch - the first senior Khmer Rouge official to face charges before the court - was convicted of crimes against humanity in July 2010. He appealed against the verdict in March 2011.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen should be next on trial. Duch should sentence to death.

Anonymous said...

ឆាកល្ខោនសាលាក្តីខ្មែរក្រហម០០១បាន
បញ្ចប់ទៅដោយជោគជ័យសម្រាប់រាជនិង
រដ្ឋអំណាចសព្វថ្ងៃក៍ដូចជាជោគជ័យសម្រាប់អង្គការលើដែលបានសម្លាប់ខ្មែរប្រមាណបីលាននាក់ក្នុងឆ្នាំ១៩៧៥ដល់១៩៧៩។ ជោគជ័យទី១គឺវាបានពន្យាពេលសាលាក្តីដ៏យូរ។ ​​ជោគជ័យទី២គឺមេដឹកនាំជាន់ខ្ពស់ទីមួយគេចផុតពីការកោះហៅ។​​​និងជោគ
ជ័យទី៣គឺឈ្មោះពិត(កាំងគ្ហេចអ៊ាវ)បានបន្ថែមនិងក្លែងបន្លំហៅ(ឌុច)ដូចដែលអង្គការលើវា
បានបំប៉ោងសម្លេងតាមប្រពន្ធ័ផ្សប់ផ្សាយជាតិនិងអន្តរជាតិជាច្រើនឆ្នាំមកហើយដើម្បីបំភាន់មតិសកលលោកនិងដើម្បីវាយ
ប្រហារកិត្តិនាមកិត្តិយសអ្នកណាដែលមាននាមឬត្រកូល(ឌុច) ឧទាហរណ៍ជាងគំនូរ(ឌុចស៊ីឌឹម) គ្រូភ្លេងបុរាណខ្មែរ(សុកឌុច)នៅខេត្តតា
កែវ ព្រមទាំងជីតាអ្នកនាងសេងធារី(ឌុចសោម)។ល។
ប៉ារីស៍ថ្ងៃទី៣កុម្ភៈ២០១២
អក្សរភាសាខ្មែរ

Anonymous said...

Of course the companions of the January 7, 1979 was as
executives of the organization of the Khmer Rouge(អង្គការលើ), so it had
transformed and manipulated the Khmer Rouge Tribunal 001 in theater and achive 3 great success:
1. The Khmer Rouge Tribunal much in late and took too long.
2.Number One of the hight responsable was not summoned to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
3. It changes the real name (Kaing Kek Ev)
by calling (Duch)that the organization of the Khmer Rouge(អង្គការលើ)
invented a long time ago to deceive the public and
insult the people who are called first or last name (Duch)
for example, the painter (Duch Sideum), the master of music
(Sok Duch) of the Takeov province, the grandparents of Miss Seng Theary
(Duch Som) ect ... broadcast by the global media including Radio France Internationale (RFI & FRA) and often speaking by journalists (Jean François Tan, Kouch kuntheara,Pen Bunna ...).

Paris V.February3,2012.