Tuesday, June 23, 2008Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
The ECCC is paying for a new pair of glasses for Kaing Kek Iev, aka Duch, the former S-21 jail chief so that he can see and read documents. His old pair of glasses was too difficult for him to use. Reach Sambath, KR Tribunal spokesman, told the Rasmei Kampuchea on 21 June that KRT officials took Kaing kek Iev to see an eye doctor to get him a new pair of (reading) glasses so that it would improve his living condition, and in particular, so that he can read various documents as he is an avid reader. Kar Savuth, Duch’s lawyer, asked the KRT to change his client’s old glasses as they can no longer be used. This is a simple pair of reading glasses that does not cost too much, nor was it a pair of fancy glasses. Reach Sambath said this is part of the ECCC policy, as it must fulfill all the needs of the prisoners. The tribunal must fulfill all the prisoners’ needs, in terms of material needs, emotional needs, and intellectual needs during their legal fights in the tribunal. For example, in Duch’s case, the tribunal allows him to find out about all the historical facts, the legal facts in all the court documents provided to him so that he can be prepared during the upcoming KRT hearing.
