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| Khmer Rouge tribunal Case 004 suspect Im Chem speaks to the Post at her home in Oddar Meanchey province in 2009. Robbie Corey-Boulet |
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post
Though the crimes against humanity suspect has rarely come to work for the past few months, Im Chem yesterday denied a local media report that she had resigned as deputy commune chief, saying she would retire after commune elections on June 3.
The 70-year-old, who served as governor of Preah Netr Preah district in the Khmer Rouge’s northwest zone from 1978 to 1979, said she would end her decade-long position as deputy commune chief of Trapaing Tav in Oddar Meanchey province’s Anlong Veng district.
“I am not resigning from my position. I am retiring because I am too old, so I want to take my old age to respect to Buddha,” she said.
In February, investigators from the Khmer Rouge tribunal visited Im Chem to inform her of charges against her, including crimes against humanity and genocide, submitted to the court’s investigating judges in 2009 for Case 004.
The woman who oversaw the regime’s largest irrigation project denied the charges at the time, stating that all she did was “urge a group of women who were to plant rice”.
She continued to deny the charges yesterday and rejected any suggestion that she was going to become a Buddhist laywoman to avoid the ECCC, explaining that she would still spend part of time in the field planting rice.
After adopting the name Kansil Pram, Im Chem said she had begun visiting a nearby pagoda about once a week and could not lie to herself, kill animals, steal property, love somebody else’s spouse or drink wine.
“Even though a group of judges from the Khmer Rouge court will come to meet me again at my home, I will not talk with them, because I already denied their accusations,” she said.
Nhek Ha, Trapaing Tav commune chief, said Im Chem still came to the office when there were meetings.
“We do not care presently whether she comes to the office or not, it is up to her because she is too old,” he said.
Anlong Veng district governor Yem Phanan said though Im Chem hadn’t been attending work for the past few months, she was still listed as the deputy governor.
“After the third commune election, we will put her name down as retired,” he said.
5 comments:
Why Hun Sen has opposed strongly to Cases 003-004 and Hun Sen always says
if anyone want to investigate Cases 003-004 must pack up their belongings and leave Cambodia.
No doubt this woman was one of the killer machine during the Khmer Rouge era.
Why SAMAK MITH NEARY IM CHEM wants to pay respect to our LORD BUDDHA since she and her KHMER ROUGES Cadres wiped out all the temples and religious statues.
Wishing our KING FATHER SIHANOUK will admit who were the killing fields masters and I believe he could not admit himself as one of the FOUNDERS and MASTERS.
A Survivor of our OWN KHMER kiiling fields
This suspect is currently positioned as a deputy governor, yet she was the governor of the district during the Khmer Rouge Regime.
So are Khmer Rouge the killers of Khmer? If they are why afetr 30 years, some of them still hold the same position as 30 years?
Hun Sen was a top comander during the Pol Pot regime, today hes the world longest serving PM.
Shouldnt be be answering questions in KRT?
i don't like this KR woman! how many people did she ordered to be killed under her stupid, primitive KR regime?
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