.jpg) |
| Michiel Pestman |
‘The Contemptible Mr Beard’, aka Dutch International criminal lawyer, Michiel Pestman, reflects on his year in Cambodia, defending Brother Number Two at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
8 November 2012
By Lorenza Bacino
Radio Netherlands Worldwide
‘There’s this one-party state and this towering figure of Hun Sen who’s been in power since the Khmer Rouge regime ended in 1979. Everyone is terrified of him. He has not shied away from killing members of the opposition in the past, so it’s not a pleasant atmosphere. I’m not sure if the court infects Cambodian society or whether society infects the court - either way, it’s not a shining example for the Cambodian people and it’s unlikely to have a positive legacy’.
Michiel Pestman’s knowledge of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge atrocities were, by his own admission, confined to the 1984 film, The Killing Fields. In 2007 that began to change when he was offered the chance to defend Nuon Chea, otherwise known as Brother Number Two, at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. This joint Cambodian-UN tribunal was set up nearly a decade ago, to prosecute those responsible for the deaths of almost two million Cambodians in the 1970s.
It took till 2011 for trial 002 to get underway, and Pestman moved to the capital Phnom Penh with his family to take up the challenge. But it’s only upon his return to Amsterdam that he feels free to speak about the experience.
Hybrid court
The Cambodian regime is able to interfere with and sabotage proceedings to an exasperating degree, precisely because the tribunal is a hybrid court comprised of Cambodian and international staff and rules of procedure.
‘Within two weeks of being there I realised the trial was never going to be over within the six to nine months I’d been promised. All these trials are the same’, he says wearily. ‘They always last longer than everyone thinks and they are never as efficient as everyone promises.’
Judicial snake-pit
Since the beginning, the court has been plagued by a series of high-profile resignations, political set-backs and myriad controversies, including questions about who exactly should be prosecuted. An issue not helped by the fact that the leaders of today are barely discernible from the Khmer Rouge leaders of that time. Current leader, Prime Minister Hun Sen is a case in point. He’s dominated the political scene in Cambodia for the past three decades and his leadership has often been shrouded by controversy. Notwithstanding, Pestman insists he went with an open mind. But almost immediately, he was hit with the realisation he’d landed in a snake-pit.
He says his client was constantly prevented from speaking, witnesses were threatened and not allowed to appear in court and the clients are now so old and frail that it’s unlikely they’ll ever see the end of the trial.
‘I had no idea before I got there that it was such a repressive regime’, he says. ‘I have always lived in democracies and I have to say that even when I worked at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, it was a haven of free speech compared to what I encountered in Cambodia..’
Veiled threats
The level of government interference had a direct impact on Pestman’s ability to do his job.
‘I was so frustrated at the lack of progress in my case that I decided to speak out. I filed a criminal complaint at the local court in Phnom Penh against people in the court and in the government. But I very quickly received a letter warning me to back off. A judge in the court came up to me and told me I shouldn’t cycle to work anymore, because if I got hit by a car, how would they know it was an accident?’.
This was a worrying turn of events, as his family was living there with him during this time. But he says that as a foreigner, he felt protected.
‘Hun Sen restrained himself where I was concerned, but he has made public statements about me personally, and I’m known as ‘the contemptible Mr Beard’. Pestman explains this could be considered a very threatening use of the word contemptible as that’s how the Khmer Rouge referred to their enemies at the time.
Infectious atmosphere
In the wake of events, Pestman has decided to quit. He says he’s struggled right from the start. And although he agrees that the idea of trying people is a positive move to establish accountability and to help the victims, he says the Cambodian regime has too much influence.
‘There’s this one-party state and this towering figure of Hun Sen who’s been in power since the Khmer Rouge regime ended in 1979. Everyone is terrified of him. He has not shied away from killing members of the opposition in the past, so it’s not a pleasant atmosphere. I’m not sure if the court infects Cambodian society or whether society infects the court - either way, it’s not a shining example for the Cambodian people and it’s unlikely to have a positive legacy’.
7 comments:
The ECCC had already failed before it started its first meeting on its first day in Phnom Penh since it was set up as a hybrid court inside Cambodia. It is better to pretend to do something than to do nothing at all!
The UN and world community, for their disgraceful and shocking failure to protect the Cambodian people from the KR genocide in the 70s, felt that they had to do something in order to rectify their mistakes by setting up a supposedly independent, free, and just court in a land that has never known independence, freedom, and justice.
The UN stands with a small umbrella on top of its head during a heavy tropical rain with blowing wind and expects itself not to get wet!
The ECCC continues with full support from the international community without a rebuke to the Cambodian government to stay clear of its proceedings and stop all the interferences, intimidation and threat so the UN and world community can claim they have done something for justice even though they know their animals deserve better justice than the one they are preparing to hand over to the Cambodians. So in the end the UN will fail twice, the first time, to protect Cambodians from genocide and the second, to provide justice to the Cambodians.
Pissed Off
Why is Hun Sen so scared of justice and freedom of speech? Hun Den has been in power for over 33 years, he claimed everything we have seen now is all his development because everything was destroyed in the Sihanouk Regine. Hun Sen even claims under his regime the country is now 30% bigger then early measurement. Hun Sen even proposed to remove all border markers and plans to have Casino established at each border markers during his 5 hours speech.
Is there anything that Hun Sen is afraid of? This guy just talking shit over and over again, not much more intelligent then a kindergarten. But millions of Khmer continues to vote for him and buy his shit.
Is there something wrong with Hun Sen or do we Khmer need to go through anther genocide to remove all the dumb people?
Khmer will get justice, only til HUn sen is gone, and vietcong is gone.
For now, the old king is gone.
Two more to go: vietcong, VietHun Sen.
តាំងពីដើមរៀងមកខ្ញុំបានឃើញមេធាវីំ Miciel
Peslman បានការពារកូនក្តីរបស់គាត់បានយ៉ាង
ស្វិតស្វាយ(រាប់ពីការចាប់ផ្តើមក្នុងសំណុំរឿង០២)
តែគាត់ប្រឈមមុខរឿងថ្មីមួយថែមទៀតជាមួយ
នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តីខ្មែរហ៊ុន សែននិងដៃជើងរបស់គាត់
ត្រង់នេះសរបញ្ជាក់ឲ្យឃើញថា៖បញ្ហាដែលគាត់សំ
រេចចិត្តលាលែងនេះគឺមិនមែនជាការចុះចាញ់ទេ,
តែវាជាការបង្ហាញឲ្យឃើញពីឥទ្ធិពលអំណាច,នេះ
មកតែពីលោកMichiel Pestmanមិនទាន់ដឹងអំ
ណាចខ្មែរក្រហមធំលើសច្បាប់ប៉ុនណ្ណាៗទេ។បើអំ
ណាចមិនធំលើសច្បាប់ ពួកគេក៏មិនហ៊ានបណ្តេញ
ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋទាំងនរគ(ប្រទេស)ចេញទៅសំឡាប់
ដោយចំហរ និងប្រយោលបានដែរ។ សារុបសេចក្តី
មកលោកMichiel Pestmanធ្វើការក្នុងសំណុំ រឿង០២នេះមិនទាន់បាន២ឆ្នាំផងគាត់សុំឈប់ទៅ
ហើយ។ ប្រសិនបើយកចំណេះវិជ្ជាជីវៈរបស់លោក
មកប្រៀបនិងខ្មែរដែលរស់ក្នុងសំពៀតកុម្មុយនិស្តក្រោយពីខ្មែរបានឯករាជ្យឆ្នាំ១៩៥៤នោះឃើញ
ថាមិនបាន១ភាគ១០០០០នៃទុក្ខវេទនារបស់ខ្មែទេ
មានតែខ្មែរទេដែលដឹងរឿងខ្មែរ ដូច្នេះជាសំណូមពរ
សូមដល់តុលាការអន្តរៈជាតិសហការធ្វើយ៉ាងណា រកឲ្យឃើញការពិត ប្រយោជន៍ដើម្បីឲ្យខ្មែររស់នៅ
ក្នុងសេចក្តីថ្លៃថ្នូរដូចប្រទេសនានានៅលើលោកផង
ល.គ
Can the UN please scrap this and take the trail to ICC....
ខ្ញុំបាទសូមជូនសេចក្តីសរសើរអស់ពីដួងចិត្តចំពោះ
ភាពក្លាហានដែលលោក Michiel Pestman
មេធាវីពិតប្រាកដ បានចំណាចពេលវេលាដ៏មានប្រ
យោជនក្នុងគោលបំណងជួយដល់កូនក្ដីរបស់លោក។
ប៉ុន្ដែទីនៅទីបំផុត លោកនៅតែគ្មានលទ្ធភាព ដើម្បី
វាយបំបែក ក្រុមពួកចោរហារយឱ្យបរាជ័យ ដោយ
សារតែលោក ស្រឡាញ់ជីវិតនិងគ្រួសាររបស់លោក។
ព្រឹត្តិការណ៍ទាំងអម្បាលមាណដែលលោកបានរស់
ផ្ទាល់ជាមួយក្នុងគ្រប់កាលៈទេសៈ សបញ្ជាក់ពីភាពដ៏
ម៉ឺងម៉ាត់ស្វិតស្វាញរបស់លោក ដើម្បីការពារយុត្តិធម៌
ជូនអ្នកទោសឬប្រជាពលរដ្ឋទូទៅដែលបាននិងកំពុង
ទទួលរកទុក្ខលំបាកពីរបបផ្ដាច់ការណ៍ដ៏សហាវយង
ឃ្នងដែលមានបនហាណូយនៅបញ្ជាផ្ដល់គ្រប់មធ្យោ
បាយការពារនៅពីក្រោយ។
តាមទស្សនៈខ្ញុំដែលបានតាមដានស្ទើរតែរហូតមក អាច
សន្និដ្ឋានថា លោកជាជាមេធាវីដ៏សំណាន មានឯកទេស
និងលទ្ធភាពពិត ប៉ុន្ដែ លុះដល់លោកស្គាល់នូវសភាព
ពិត ថាសាលាក្ដីកូនកាត់គ្មានខ្នាត ខ្មែរក្រហមនៅកម្ពុជា
ថាវាគ្រាន់តែជាល្បិចរបស់រដ្ឋាភិបាលនិងចីហ្វាយ លោក
ត្រូវបង្ខំចិត្តលាលែងដំណែងមុខនាទីរបស់លោក មាន
ម័យថា លោកសុខចិត្តទទួលនូវភាពបរាជ័យ ដើម្បី
ទទយលនូវជ័យជំនះ ហេតុអ្វី បរាជ័យហើយ បែរទៅ
ជាមានជ័យជំនះ ពីព្រោះ ចម្លើយងាយស្រួលណាស់
ទាំងចៅហ្វាយយួន ទាំងក្រុមបរិវារ និង ទាំងមហា
អង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិ អង្គការស្អីណាដែលខ្លាំងពូ
កែលើលោក ក៏ត្រូវទទួលភាពអាមាសយ៉ាងក្រៃលែង
អាប់កេរឈ្មោះ ដោយម្នាក់ស្មានខុសពីជំហានដំបូងថា
យួន មិនអាចគ្រប់គ្រងលើសាលាក្ដីកូនកាត់នោះបាន។
សរុបមក យើងបានឃើញច្បាស់ហើយថា ធ្វើសង្រ្គាម
គូភាគីទាំងពីរមិនត្រូវមើលងាយសត្រូវ ថាអន់ជាងខ្លួន
ជាដាច់ខាត។វាមិនខុសពី អ្វីដែលបាននិងកើតឡើង
ក្នុងសាលាក្ដីកូនកាត់ខ្មែរក្រហម នៅកម្ពុជា គ្មានថ្ងៃ
ណា ដំណើរការកាត់ក្ដី ពួកមេខ្មែរក្រហមយៀកមិញ
និង ប៉ុលពត ប្រព្រឹត្តដល់ទីបញ្ចប់។សូមអរគុណនូវ
រាល់ទង្វើរបស់លោក មេធាវីទាំងពីរ ដែលបានរួមចំ
ណែកក្នុងសាលាក្ដីកូនកាត់គ្មានខ្នាតត្រឹមត្រូវ!លោក
ទាំងពីរបានស្គាល់ច្បាស់ និង ភ្លក្សរសជាតិយ៉ាង
ជូរចត់ពីចរិតអ្នកដឹកនាំខ្មែរ ក្រោមការគ្រប់គ្រងរបស់
យួនយៀកកុងជម្រុញពីក្រោយជាង៣០ឆ្នាំកន្លងមក៕
សូមលោកទាំងពីរសម្រេចបាននូវជោគវាសនាគ្រប់ភារ
កិច្ចក្នុងដំណើរជីវិតឆ្ពោះទៅមុខរបស់អ្នក!
CPP & Hun Sen & Viet have designed this court to earn money.
They will never allow victim to get justic becauve they themselve were Khmer Rough.
Their goal are designed to make this court failure and go bankrupt.
Delay proceeding until the accusees pass away or unfit for trail.
Noun Chea defender was right Khmer never ever get justic, if the real crime is unfolded then those in power and their Viet supporters will be prosecuted.
Post a Comment