Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Pol Pot’s nephew brings spirited debate to court

Saloth Ban

Wednesday, 25 April 201
Kristin Lynch
The Phnom Penh Post

Saloth Ban’s testimony yesterday at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal frequently sidestepped questions from the prosecution and contradicted previous statements he had made to investigators.

In an unusual beginning to the day, Saloth Ban explained that Lok Ta Dambong Dek, the Khmer guardian spirit of justice, had appeared to him in a dream and told him that the tribunal was “unjust” and that he did not need to answer questions that did not make him “happy”.

This prompted Trial Chamber president Nil Nonn to respond: “Your dream is a superstition and it cannot be used in the court of law.”

Toward the end of the day, Nil Nonn had to instruct the former Khmer Rouge secretary general of the ministry of foreign affairs to “compose” himself after he began rambling, unprovoked, about “the enemy who intends to destroy the world”.


For much of the day, senior assistant prosecutor Vincent de Wilde focused on the process of internal purges within Democratic Kampuchea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, trying to determine former Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Ieng Sary’s complicity in such matters.

In an exchange that was typical of Saloth Ban’s contradictory statements throughout the day, de Wilde asked him whether Ieng Sary convened meetings to discuss the arrests of foreign ministry staffers.

“There were no meetings,” Saloth Ban replied.

De Wilde then produced statements Saloth Ban had given to tribunal investigators in 2007 in which the witness stated that Ieng Sary had “convened meetings to discuss these issues [internal enemies]”.

In another exchange, de Wilde attempted to determine whether Ieng Sary was aware of the arrests of foreign ministry personnel.

When Saloth Ban said he did not know whether the former foreign minister was privy to such matters, de Wilde again presented previous statements Saloth Ban had given to investigators in which he said that Ieng Sary did indeed have knowledge of such arrests.

“This is what you said, and I quote, ‘When cadres and members of the staff of the foreign ministry were arrested, Ieng Sary was … aware of it, however, he never said anything about that, he himself was afraid’,” de Wilde told Saloth Ban.

“Do you confirm that is what you stated?” de Wilde followed.

“I agree to the statement,” Saloth Ban replied.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chhit Thing in khmer world Radio
tell all,that communist Sihanouk,Ho Chiminh and Mao Zédong who killed 3 456 954 innocent people khmers,

I hope Banh Kimoon,know and find the truth.

Anonymous said...

Pol Pot nephew, Peple in Malai know call him Ta Hong,

Ta Hong mentiioned about Keat Chhon,

Keat Chonn,

Keat Chonn's wife,

Keat Chon like Hor Namhong as well as Heng Samrin and Chea Sim they all were former Khmer Rouge between 1975-1979.

Keat Chonn became one of Hun Sen minister because of his wife and his wife is the niece of either Le yon or Pam Vanndong like Pen Sonvan ‘s wife in other word Keat Chhon and Pen Sovann they both have yuon wifes alike But Keat Chonn was a former Paris student and Pen Sovann was a former Khmer Viet Minh created by late Ho Chi Minh know as yuon Vient Minh during fighting French colony in Cambodian between 1940s-1950s.

Mo-jaye said...

What kind of f**kwit is this guy??!!

A spirit came to him in a dream and told him that he could answer any questions he wanted and ignore the ones he doesn't like. Who does this guy think he is and what he is there for?

Like many others of the old generation they think this is a TV show and not a trial. In any normal court this arrogant a**hole attitude would be seen as contempt of court and would put in a cell to think about it.

This is the problem that the older generation have and it's filtering down to subsequent generations. This arrogant superior attitude of a bunch of butchering clowns should be exposed for the idiots they are.

The only reason I can think that he would make such a statement is that he was making a veiled statment to indicate he would not co-operate with the court's investigation, in which case he should be thrown in jail until he decides when he is ready to.

Anonymous said...

What if his dream was true? No difference of one going to a fortune teller to ask for guidance.

Anonymous said...

Why Khmer people dont kill this guys by now. He living freely and laugh at those who;s died. Khmer where is your Patriots. Alway talking crab and shit about Vietnam and China this and that! This guys or Pol Pot Family should be taken out long time ago. That what me Hun Sen strong today. Khmer people are slow thinker and alway good at killing each others.

Anonymous said...

សូមខ្មែរអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិនៅរដ្ឋឡូហ្វែលនិងបងប្អូនខ្មែរស្នេហាជាតិនៅរដ្ឋដទៃទៀតនាំគ្នាងើបឡើងប្រឆាំងពួក អា CHEA SARUN ,នាំគ្នាប្តឹងទៅរដ្ឋាភិបាល OBAMA ,សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិកអំពីសកម្មភាពរបស់ពួកវាដែលកំពុងតែធ្វើ VIETCONG COMMUNISM POLITIC នៅក្នុងទឹកដីប្រទេសសេរី (USA) របស់យើង, បើយើងមិននាំគ្នាប្តឹងទៅរដ្ឋាភិបាលមេរិកទេនោះ, ពួកគេពិតជាមិនបានដឹងពីសកម្មភាពរបស់ពួកអាកុម្មុយនីស្តយួន HO CHI MINH ,VIETCONG នេះ ឡើយ! ដូច្នេះយើងជាកូនខ្មែរដែលចង់អោយទឹកដីរបស់យើងនៅគង់វង្សទៅថ្ងៃអនាគតនោះ យើងមិនត្រូវព្រងើយកន្តើយជាដាច់ខាត!!!!

បរាជ័យ ! ពួកអា CHEA SARUN ជនកុម្មុយនីស្ត-កញ្ជៈយួននៅស្រុកខ្មែរនិងនៅឡូហ្វែល!!!!!

បរាជ័យ! ពួកអាកញ្ជៈយួន ជនកុម្មុយនីស្តនៅ Montréal, CANADA !

ជាពិសេសអា Ambassador (USA) HEM HENG ,
អា SEAR KOSOL UN ambassador ,
អា CHEA SARUN, ( USA )
អា OU SOVANN , ( USA )
អា KIN SEAN HO , MONTREAL (CANADA)
អា SOY SOPHEAP អាកញ្ជៈយួននៅ P. PENH
ETC................................

Anonymous said...

No doubt, All the Khmer Rouge (China-KR and Viet-KR) were/are profie killers, inc. Hun Xen too.