From left: Keat Chhon, Chea Sim and Heng
Samrin, all of whom had served in different capacities under Pol Pot's
murderous DK regime and all have hitherto been spared their respective
testimony before the KR Tribunal set up ostensibly with the aim of
finding justice for a deeply wronged nation - School of Vice
The late N. Sihanouk at a meeting with KR leaders including Pol Pot sitting 3rd from left [obscured] - School of Vice
The "trial of the
century" is fast becoming the farce in our living memory with most of the
arms and legs of the offending culprit/ party and known accomplices still at
large and most incredulously allowed to actively dictate the trial's
proceedings to their own whims and political advantage. War crimes or other
crimes against humanity [committed by political regimes] tribunals that had taken place in modern
history had tended to deliver some measure of justice to their perished and
living victims by virtue of the power relations pertaining to the status of
both the defendant and the prosecution parties where the accused had only the
full force and applicability of the law to contend with without undue interferences
from the incumbent regime or powerful personalities. In this case, the suspects
[there are many, including Mr Hun Sen himself and former late monarch Sihanouk]
have been at liberty to remain beyond the reach of the court's due process.
Whether Sihanouk himself would have been willing to appear before the ECCC to
give his testimony whilst he was still alive [as he had indicated he would be]
is another question, since like the timely death of Pol Pot in April 1998 it
would appear that other players in the Cambodian drama have been prepared and
determined to keep their respective incriminating involvement well out of the
court's spot light and beyond the radar of informed public opinion. Indeed,
this notion of informed opinion is one of the principal reasons for setting up
the KRT in the first place with education and publicity through the media
being, in theory, the raison d'tre of the whole project.
From the beginning some
observers have warned of the hybrid court's ill-fated course of action in terms
of its ability to deliver on its own professed aims and ambitions. The decision
to have the court located in Phnom Penh rather than outside of Cambodia is in
itself one critical factor that compromises the working and independence of the
court with the Phnom Penh regime constantly obstructing and pressurising the
judges to pander to its own wishes and agenda. That this is being
self-evidently so is borne out by the countless resignations of foreign judges to
have been appointed over the years, whilst the faces of the regime's anointed
Cambodian judges remain something of a constant feature of the whole farce. One
can well imagine what this odious regime is capable of. But what the UN and the
world community through its donor governments are doing with respect to not
only the ECCC but the entire unwholesome political life of Cambodia is quite
reprehensible in my humble view. And to add further insult to injury the
country's long serving dictator is now calling for more financial aid to keep
the KRT afloat? Wouldn't the money [wherever it comes from] be better off spent
rescuing thousands [perhaps, hundreds of thousands] of ordinary Cambodians
drowning in the current floods? - School of
Vice
***
PPP Fri, 11 October 2013
Vong Sokheng
With just days until closing arguments at the Khmer Rouge
tribunal are slated to begin, Prime Minister Hun Sen made a direct request to
US Secretary of State John Kerry for increased funding to the cash-strapped
court, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
Speaking to reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport,
Secretary of State Kao Kim Hourn said the premier also approached UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key with
similar requests in meetings on the sidelines of this month’s ASEAN summit in
Brunei, however received no firm commitments.
“Hun Sen has requested to the US [secretary of state] about
the financial support for the Khmer Rouge tribunal, and the US [secretary of
state] said he would consider this request,” Kim Hourn said.
Meanwhile, national-side staffers at the court have gone
without pay again this month, this time directly on the heels of an emergency
loan from the UN last month that ended a weeks-long strike by paying most
workers their back salaries for June, July and August.
However, court spokesman Neth Pheaktra expressed optimism
that a solution could be found before workers resort once again to strikes.
“This is an effort for both sides to support the ECCC,”
Pheaktra said of the meeting between Ban and Hun Sen. “We strongly believe that
. . . talks between Samdech Hun Sen and the secretary-general will find a
solution to the financial problems of the national side of the court.”
According to one national side staffer, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, given the lack of results “it is obviously insane to
keep striking time and again”, but staying at the court would be little better.
“If the situation surrounding the pay does not improve in
due course, it is most likely that some interpreters will tender their resignation
and start looking for new, more secure jobs,” he added. “It appears to them
that future job prospects at the court have become less favourable and less
secure.”
18 comments:
khmer leaders are too stubborn, that's the word! i think they all need to be flexible and have world perspective. cambodia needs lots of code of conduct rules! otherwise, the leaders are shown up like animals. this is a view from a person of khmer origin.
Thank you so much School of Vice,
Picture was taken at the Communist Liberated Zone with our Beloved King SIHANOUK , IENG SARY , KHIEU SAMPHAN , HOU YUON and SALOTH SAR planning to forcibly clean out and empty PHNOM PENH .
I have been wondering in my life after surviving the KHMER ROUGE Regime that any YUON were hiding under the table while these above figure heads meeting and NONE of them pointed not point their bloody fingers to YUON and now SALOTH SAR , SIHANOUK , IENG SARY are gone but denying all the Genocides they committed.
A Survivor of our KHMER KILLING FIELDS
I thought they were so rich and had a disdain for uncle Sam's money.
Dear School of Vice and Wise,
Because this article is not so long, therefore, I will read. And of course, I decided to read because the paragraphs look so attractive, images are so puzzling, the typeface is so elegant, accent color is very cute, tremendously caught my attention. So, this lesson, got to be flavorful :)
~Jendhamuni
លោក School of Vice: ខ្ញុំសូមសរសេរ comment ចំពោះអត្ថបទនេះជាភាសារខ្មែរ ព្រោះការសរសេរភាសារអង្គ្លេសរបស់ខ្ញុំមិនសូវពូកែដូចលោក ។
ខ្ញុំសូមមានយោបល់ចំពោះការសុំជំនួយសម្រាប់
រឿងក្តីខ្មែរក្រហមរបស់ ហ៊ុនសែន ចំពោះសហ
រដ្ឋបន្តិច ។ ក្នុងនាមយើងខ្ញុំជាប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ អាមេរិកាំងសូមជំទាស់ជាដាច់ខាត ព្រោះពួកអស់
នេះមិនខ្វះលុយទេ ។ ពួកនេះក៍បានយកលុយជំ
នួយខាងផ្នែកហ្នឹងដាក់ហោប៉ៅធ្វើមានគ្រប់គ្នា ក្លាយជាសេដ្ឋីគ្រប់ ៗ ក្បាល ។ ដល់ពួកនេះមាន
លុយ មានអំណាចក្លាយជាជនខ្លាំង ពួកនេះហ៊ាន
ត្មះតិះដៀល ប្រមាថ និង និយាយបន្តុះបង្អាប់សហ
រដ្ឋអាមេរិក ដោយចំ ៗ និង ដោយបញ្ឆិត
បញ្ឆៀងទៀតផង ។
ម្យ៉ាងវិញទៀតពួកនេះធ្លាប់ស្រែលចំទាលឡើងសរសៃ ក ប៉ុន កជើង ឲពិភពលោកឮថា គេមិនត្រូវ
ការជំនួយរបស់អាមេរិកទេ ចង់កាត់ក៍កាត់ទៅ មិនខ្វះប្រទេសផ្សេងគេឲទេ ។ សូម្បីតែទំនិញក៍
អញ្ចឹងដែរ បើអាមេរិក និង សហភាពអឺុរ៉ុបមិនចង់
ទិញពីកម្ពុជាទេក៍ហីទៅ មិនខ្វះប្រទេសផ្សេង ៗ
ទៀតទិញទេ ។
ដែលពួកនេះហ៊ានអះអាង ក្អេងក្អាងដល់ម្លឹង ក៍មកពីពួកនេះវាមានលុយមិនចេះខ្វះទៅហើយ។
ដូច្នេះ យើងខ្ញុំសូមអំពាវនាវដល់អង្គការសហប្រ
ជាជាតិ សហរដ្ឋ និង សហគមអន្តរៈជាតិទាំងអស់
បញ្ឈប់ជំនួយហ្នឹងត្រឹមហ្នឹងសិន ។ ចាំមានរដ្ឋាភិ
បាលពេញច្បាប់ ត្រឹមត្រូវមួយដែលទាំងអស់គ្នា
អាចទទួលយកបានកើតឡើងសិន ចាំផ្តល់បន្ត
ទៅទៀត ។ ព្រោះពួកនេះមិនខ្វះលុយទេ ហើយ
ពួកនេះក៍មិនត្រូវការលុយពីអស់លោកដែរ សូមកុំ
ខ្ជះខ្ជាយលុយឃ្លាំងរដ្ឋរបស់អស់លោកធ្វើអ្វី វាគ្មាន
បានប្រយោជន៍អ្វីទេ ។ ជួយពួកវាហើយ ពួកវា
មិនត្រឹមតែមិនទទួលស្គាល់ទេ ថែមទាំងបែមកខាំ
វិញដូចក្រពើអញ្ចឹង ។ ពួកវាទៅជាដឹងគុណតែចិន
កុម្មុយនិស្តប៉ុណ្ណោះ ដូច្នេះ ពេលនេះឲវាទៅរកខ្ចី ឬ សុំពួកចិន និង យួនកុម្មុយនិស្តេជាអ្នកមានគុណ
របស់ពួកវាទៅ ។ យើងខ្ញុំមិនចង់ឃើញ មិនចង់
ឮ នៅពេលពួកវាបានលុយហើយពួកវាបែមកមើល
ងាយ មើលថោកម្តងទៀតទេ ។ ពេលពួកវាត្រូវ
ការ ពួកវារកឲេជួយ ដល់ពេលពួកវារឹងដៃរឹងជើង ពយកវាបែខាំវិញ ។
Dear School of Vice,
I forgot to mention one thing in this post. About paragraphs. Every paragraph here, looks almost like a perfect paragraph, except for the second one, because it has river. If you take time to observe closely, you will notice big gap, looks just like river, the term my advance graphic design professor used. And when paragraph contains big river like this, I will lose many points :))))
Sorry, please do not ban me from any of your posts. My brain does not work like normal people :)))
~Jendhamuni
តុលាការខ្មែរក្រហមជាតុលាការប៉ាហ៊ីបង្ខាតលុយបង្ហិនពេលអត់ប្រយោជន៏!!!!
មិនខុសពិតុលាការហ៊ុនសែនដែលឲ្យចោររួចខ្លួនម្ចាស់ជាប់គុកទេ!!
5:58 AM,
Totally in agreement with you!
5:58 AM,
Totally in agreement with you!
One can blame the Vietnamese all one wants, but the fact remains that all the people in the pictures were and are idiots.
Cambodians have been unfortunate people to have these idiots in the position of power!
Not only that these idiots could not/cannot lead the country, they could not/cannot work together either for the sake of their country. Idiotic leader, suffering country!
Cambodians need to start holding their usually idiotic leaders accountable for every action that is irresponsible and incompetent.
Pissed Off
Dear Mr. School of Vice,
Agree 100% with your thought and humble view! I would add that the world community is perhaps feeling guilty for having done nothing while Pol Pot and his lieutenants were killing innocent Cambodians.
Contrary to what they hope for, their action and support for this useless hybrid court will never truly wash away their guilt.
The UN and the international community have failed miserably in its duty to protect Cambodians from autogenocide, enforce the stipulations in the Paris Peace Accord and finally render true justice to the victims of the Cambodian Killing Fields.
It is too sad and quite disturbing to me that Sihanouk had chosen not to appear voluntarily at the court to tell his side of the story. Once again, his poor judgement might have something to do with the preservation of his purposeless monarchy.
Pissed Off
Dear លោក 5:58 AM,
Thank you for your well written comment.
I am glad that you and other readers mentioned this cynical and hypocritical attitude of those like Mr Hun Sen who pour scorn daily on the very people they are now appealing for financial assistance from! They are also suspending military programmes with the US and Australia still, I believe?
Mr Hun Sen and his CPP clans appear to have no sense of shame before both their own people and the world community who has been pouring millions of dollars into their pockets with huge holes in them!
God bless American tax payers...
God should also open the eyes of American taxpayers!
Pissed Off
Dear Pissed Off,
My thoughts exactly!
I think the least Sihanouk could have done, if he had really cared the slightest about the welfare of his self-declared 'beloved' long suffering people would have been to say the simple word "sorry" to them - something to my knowledge he had failed to do up until his death on foreign soil.
And that inability to own up to his own guilt and failings sums him up as a person and, maybe considered the greatest stain upon his name and legacy.
សូមអរគុណ លោក School of Vice និង អស់លោកផ្សេង ៗ ទៀត ដែលគាមទ្រយោបល់
ខ្ញុំ ។ ត្រូវហើយ ពួកក្រពើវាមានស្បែកក្រាស់
ណាស់ កាប់មួយពូថៅវាមិនទ្រុតផង ទើបវាអាច
ប្រព្រឹត្តរឿងដ៏អាម៉ាស់ទាំងអស់នេះបាន ។ ពេល
ដែលវាធ្វើឬកខែងរែងទាមទារឲផ្តាច់ជំនួយយោធា
របស់សហរដ្ឋនោះ តើមានគិតថាមានលទ្ធផល
ថ្ងៃនេះទេ ? ។ ដូច្នះហើយ ក្នុងនាមជា Taxpayers របស់សហរដ្ឋ សូមអំពាវនាវដល់
អស់លោកទាំងអស់ដែលបានរៀបរាប់ពីខាងលើ
ផ្អាកផ្តល់ឲពួកវាសិន កុំឲខាតលុយឃ្លាំងឥតប្រ
យោជន៍ទៀត ។
5:58 AM and 8:30 AM,
Totally agree with your appeal to the international community!
Pissed Off
Those are the Khmer Killers.
Soha-Krook is the Traitor!
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