Opposition party president puts blame on China, Vietnam for Khmer Rouge

Women light incense during a remembrance ceremony held for victims of the Khmer Rouge during an event at the Choeung Ek killing fields on the outskirts of Phnom Penh yesterday. Pha Lina

Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

An opposition politician fingered Vietnam and China as veritable puppet masters of the Khmer Rouge yesterday, the 37th anniversary of the day the murderous regime seized power and began forcibly evacuating Phnom Penh.

Speaking at a memorial ceremony held at the Choeung Ek killing fields, acting Sam Rainsy Party president Kong Korm claimed that Vietnam and China sought dominance over Cambodia through opposing factions in the Khmer Rouge.

“Khmer Rouge is just a small ember. China and Vietnam are a big fire burning brightly. One Khmer Rouge [faction] is in China’s control and another Khmer Rouge is in Vietnam’s control,” Kong Korm alleged.

SRP Commemoration of 17 April 1975 at Choeung Ek Memorial on 17 April 2012

A city’s nightmare revisited

A barefoot Khmer Rouge cadre carries a rocket launcher down Monivong Boulevard during the fall of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975. (Courtesy Al Rockoff)

Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodians will gather today to pray for the souls of some 1.7 million of their countrymen brutally killed by the Khmer Rouge on the 37th anniversary of the day that the regime seized power and began forcibly evacuating Phnom Penh.

At the Choeung Ek killing fields, the mass grave in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district where thousands of skulls are stacked as a reminder of the scale of the regime’s atrocities, 50 monks will be joined by some 500 members of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.

Ke Sovannorth, secretary general of the SRP, said yesterday it was a time to remember the awful three years, eight months and 20 days the regime ruled the country.

“It is a historic day. We will remember and never want it to happen again, because this regime made women widows and separated children from their parents,” he said.

Comment: A day we must never forget

Confronting images: visitors contemplate pictures of a Khmer Rouge victim at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Photo by Sovan Philong

Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Ly Sok-Kheang
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post

In addressing the post-conflict situation in Cambodia, individuals, states, civil society and other stakeholders have taken into account culture, religion, politics and other contexts.

Their efforts have served the objectives of preserving memory, truth and justice.

But Thursday, April 17, 1975, which marked a tragic turning point in Cambodian history, has received less attention.

On that day, an ultra-Maoist group known as the Khmer Rouge fought its way into Phnom Penh and Lon Nol’s regime surrendered power.

Many city-dwellers expressed joy that the war would end and peace, security and nation-building would begin. This excitement was immediately replaced by extreme fear, bewilderment and shock.

The same day, the Khmer Rouge began evacuating people from cities and provincial towns to rural areas. These and other Khmer Rouge policies led to the deaths of nearly two million Cambodians.

សហគមន៍​ខ្មែរ​ឡុងប៊ិច​នឹង​ប្រារព្ធ​ធ្វើ​ពិធី​រំលឹក​ខួប​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៧ ខែ​មេសា

ទ័ព​ខ្មែរក្រហម​ម្នាក់​ឆែកពលរដ្ឋ​ស៊ីវិល​មួយរូប​ក្នុង​ក្រុងភ្នំពេញ ប៉ុន្មាន​ម៉ោង​ក្រោយ​ពី​កងកម្លាំង​ឧទ្ទាម​ដឹកនាំ​ដោយ​ប៉ុល ពត​ចូល​កាន់កាន់​រដ្ឋធានី​នៅ​ថ្ងៃទី១៧ មេសា ១៩៧៥។ (រូបថត៖ AP)

ថ្ងៃច័ន្ទ, 16 ខែមេសា 2012
ដោយ ជាង សុភីណារ័ត្ន វីអូអេ ខ្មែរ | ឡុង​ប៊ិច

របប​​ខ្មែរ​​ក្រហម​បាន​ផ្លាស់​ប្តូរ​ទីក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ​ទៅ​ជា​ទីក្រុង​ខ្មោច​និង​កែប្រែ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​ទៅ​ជា​វាល​ពិឃាត។ ​វា​មាន​រយៈ​ពេល ​ជាង​​៣០​​ឆ្នាំ​​ហើយ​​បន្ទាប់​​ពី​​របប​​ប្រល័យ​​ពូជ​​សាសន៍​​នេះ​ត្រូវ​​​បាន​​​បញ្ចប់​​ប៉ុន្តែ​​ស្លាក​​ស្នាម​​និង​​ទុក្ខ​វេទនា​​​របស់​​​សម័យ​នោះ​នៅ​តែ​មាន​រហូត​នៅ​ជាប់​នឹង​អារម្មណ៍​​ជន​រង​គ្រោះ​​និង​​អ្នក​​ដែល​​បាន​បាត់បង់​ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​របស់​ខ្លួន។​

​​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​​​ បើទោះ​បី​ជា​គេ​បាន​មក​រស់​នៅ​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​ហើយ​ក៏​ដោយ​ក៏​អារម្មណ៍​ខ្លោច​ផ្សា​​តាម​លង​ពួកគេ​ជា​និច្ច។

​សម្រាប់​សហគមន៍​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​ទីក្រុង​ឡុងប៊ិច​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៧​ខែ​មេសា​ខាង​មុខ​នេះ​ជា​ឱកាស​មួយ​ដែល​ពួកគេ​នឹង​មក​ជួប​ជុំ​គ្នា​ដើម្បី​រំលឹក​ពី​ការ​ឈឺចាប់​ទាំង​នោះ​និង​ក៏​ដើម្បី​សំឡឹង​មើល​ទៅ​អនាគ​ត​បន្ត​ទៀត​ផង​ដែរ។​

Reflections on Cambodia

Young Khmer Rouge soldiers in 1975

What the Khmer Rouge killing fields tell us about leftist utopianism.

March 12, 2012 5:00 A.M.
By Douglas B. Levene
National Review Online (USA)

In April of 1970, I, along with thousands of other college students, went on strike. We were protesting the bombing of Cambodia. It was a heady time, untroubled by any actual knowledge of Cambodia. Not that anyone knew very much about Cambodia then.

By 1975, the Communist Khmer Rouge had come to power and Cambodia dropped from sight. No foreign visitors were permitted, and no news got out. Cambodia remained hidden for years. Even after the Khmer Rouge were driven from power in 1979, Cambodia suffered another 20 years of civil war between the government in Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge guerrillas in the mountains and jungles. It is only in the last ten or so years that Cambodia has been at peace and has reentered the world. Foreign visitors, including international businessmen, now flock to Cambodia. One of the almost three million visitors to Cambodia in the past year was me.

I went to Cambodia primarily to see the ancient temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. They were built in the 12th century, when Angkor was the capital of the Khmer empire and the largest city in the world, with a population of one million. I had first read about Angkor Wat in a Buddhist-art class in 1972. By then, Angkor Wat was off limits to foreign visitors, shrouded in mystery and veiled by war. By some miracle, it and the other temples in the region were untouched by the long years of war. Several hundred years of neglect in the jungle have taken a toll, however, and in recent years many foreign universities and governments have sent experts and aid to help in the restoration of these spectacular wonders of the ancient world. To see what one of the minor temples looks like before restoration, check out the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which was filmed at a temple near Angkor Wat that has been overgrown by the surrounding jungle.

Duch to Testify Against Former Leaders

Former Khmer Rouge S-21 prison chief Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch (C) greets the court during his appeal hearing at the Court Room of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, file photo. (Photo: Reuters)

Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“His testimony is very crucial.”

Khmer Rouge chief executioner Kaing Kek Iev, alias Duch, will be a key witness to testify against the three surviving senior leaders in case 002 at the UN-assisted Cambodian tribunal for Khmer Rouge leaders.

Tribunal Judge Nil Non said in a statement issued late Tuesday that Duch will be testifying about administrative systems overseen by defendants Ieng Sary, Noun Chea and Khieu Samphan during their 1975 to 1979 rule of Cambodia. An estimated 1.7 million people died during the Democratic Kampuchea regime through overwork, starvation, disease and execution.

“Many of the documents the prosecutor used to lay charges against the accused in case 002 are based on Duch’s confession,” said Neth Pheaktra, a spokesman for the tribunal, formally known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. “His testimony is very crucial.”

Complete translation of the DK Minute regarding Sihanouk's Resignation

[Unofficial translation by Bunsou Sour; edited by Prof. David Chandler]

MINUTE OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE THE FRONT

11 March 1976

PARTICIPANTS: COMRADE SECRETARY GENERAL [Pol Pot]

COMRADE DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL [Noun Chea]

COMRADE VORN [Vorn Vet]

COMRADE KHIEU [Son Sen]

COMRADE HEM [Khieu Samphan]

COMRADE DOEUN

COMRADE TUM

COMRADE TOUCH

AGENDA: SIHANOUK'S RESIGNATION FROM HIS POST

I.             Report on the Resignation of Sihanouk

Comrade HEM reported to the Standing Committee on the resignation of Sihanouk. Sihanouk has sent two letters written in French:

·        The first letter conveys his resignation and explains the important reason for which he is resigning. In particular, he emphasizes his various health problems, which do not allow him to continue his work.

·        The second letter is a statement addressed to the people of Democratic Kampuchea informing them that he wishes to resign from his post before the 20th March 1976. During his meeting respectively with the Ambassadors of Mauritania and Senegal,  Sihanouk has also indicated that he categorically resigns. But during his meeting with the Chinese Economic Delegation he grumbled about his illnesses...

II. Angkar's Opinion

1. Reason for his Resignation.

There are two: in the long term and in the short term.

A. In the Long Term: it is the difference of "classes", the difference between the grass roots of the Revolution and his own person and family. He cannot live with us. If in the past he was able to remain with us, it was simply because of his strategy. As we no longer go along with his strategy, he can onlyremain provisionally with us. It is not the first time that Sihanouk has resigned. He did that in 1971 already.

B. In the Short Term: It is a strategic difference together with the grass roots difference. An example was the case when we dispatched our Ambassadors abroad without consulting him. The incident has no importance but he would have thought that we no longer have any need for him. Thus the wrangle over position continues. But the situation has evolved more thoroughly than before. Outside the country, Sihanouk can work with us. While inside the country he feels completely lost without any future. He is very frustrated. He lacks work, he is bored and the environment that surrounds him, in particular his wife who cries constantly, pushes him to the point that he cannot endure any longer. In the case that he decides to remain with us, that cannot last either, at the most l or 2 years. As he wishes to leave, his leaving now is the best.

Sihanouk's responsability in the Khmer Rouge regime

Then ...

And now ...

Saturday, February 18, 2012
Op-Ed by Pissed Off

Sihanouk is still partly responsible for the destruction of Cambodia by his joining with the Khmer Rouge in 1970.

He defended the KR at the UN close to the end of 1975 instead of calling for help from the UN to stop the eventual destruction of Cambodia and Cambodians.

By then he must have known for sure that many who had served under Lon Nol had been brutally killed. As a claimed father of the nation he should know better that revenge is wrong.

He only resigned after having known that the KR did not give a damn about his monarchy and what he always wants - the preservation of his monarchy and some power!

He is doing the same thing right now by cooperating totally with Hun Sen so his son can be a king of Cambodia even though the kingship is meaningless and totally powerless.

What is the point of keeping the food when it is rotten to the core and cannot be eaten?

He made an unsolicited declaration and promise that he would die in Cambodia no matter how his health turned only to break it a few weeks later.

Pissed off

Fate of Comrade Sihanouk under his protégé's DK regime

ការពិត សីហនុ ជា ខ្លា សង្គម នៅ តែស្បែក និង ឆ្អឹង អត់ចង្កូម។ រោមមាត់ ក៏ត្រូវ ដកអស់ទៀត។ ដូច្នេះ ចាំតែ ថ្ងៃស្លាប់់។

ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ បើលែង ខ្លា ចាស់នេះ ឱយ ដើរទៅ តាមផ្លូវ ក្មេងៗ ច្បាស់ ជាខ្លាច។ មនុស្សចាស់ ខ្លះ ដែលពុំស្គាល់ ថាជាខ្លាស្គម ក៏ខ្លាចដែរ។

…

យើងមិន កាប់សម្លាប់ គាត់ទេ។ តែចំពោះ ប្រជាជាតិ និង ប្រជាជន គាត់ក៏ មានទោស ធ្ងន់ ក្នុងថានៈ ជាអ្នក កាប់សម្លាប់ ប្រជាជន។

In reality, Sihanouk is a skinny tiger with only his skin left to cover his bones and he has no more fangs. His beard was pulled out. Therefore he only waits for the day he will die.

However, if this older tiger is released, then he will surely scare children along the roads. Some adults who do not know that he is merely a skinny tiger will also be scared as well.

…

We will not kill him. But, to the nation and the people, he carry a heavy charge in his position as the killer of the people.

Gentlemen,

Hou Youn was killed sometime in late 1975 and Hu Nim in May 1977. I have Hu Nim confessions (he wrote his confessions, in part, in poetic, phonoaesthetic form). Nim was implicated by previous Tuol Sleng victims. His death had nothing to do with HRH Sihanouk. Youn's death is still rather controversial. In my "chats" with Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea in 2005, both suggested he was not killed by Angkar. Both suggested that his bodyguards killed him. Of note, after his death, official documents still referred to him in friendly comradeship terms, suggesting that he was not regarded as a traitor to the revolution. You would have heard contemptible references such Ah Hu Nim, Ah Sao phim, after they were killed. These guys were "traitors" to the revolution.

Of note, HM had already resigned in March 1976, over a year before Hu Nim was arrested and killed. Talks/decision by the CPK Standing Committee/Politburo about what to do with the Prince, including killing Prince Sihanouk took place 11-13 March 1976 in the Meeting of the Committee in which Kheiu samphorn (Hem) attended and discussed about the issue (first and last pages of the Minute is attached).

Nuon Chea, when asked about Youn's death, recently stated in court that Hou Youn had "problems with his bodyguards".

Regards,

Bora Touch


http://www.box.com/s/2k7vpdu0qf46r16t9zeo

Photos Taken During Last Days of Khmer Rouge's Regime on Display

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2TzdVRQj9M

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Khmer Rouge

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Court Shows Khmer Rouge Had Clear Structure

Monday, 13 February 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

"Under Khmer Rouge leadership, individuals had to respect the collective, and private citizens had to respect the “Angkar,” or Organization."

Prosecution at the UN-backed tribunal on Monday sought to demonstrate the Khmer Rouge had a clear administrative structure in place even before they came into power, diminishing defense arguments that leaders on trial had no knowledge of atrocities as they took place.

Three top leaders—Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary—are facing charges that include genocide for their leadership of the Khmer Rouge, in the court’s second case to date.

Unlike its first trial, in which torture chief Duch admitted responsibility and asked for the forgiveness of the family members of victims, the three leaders currently before the court have consistently denied they knew of the atrocities.

Questions and Answers with Elizabeth Becker on 09 February 2012 At Bophana Center

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYhshiuUjhQ

Don't even wish!

Anonymous reader commented:

CAN YOU SEE NOW KHMERS?. You must NOT hate Khmer Rouge regime. In Khmer Rouge era, we did not loss any land, all Khmer people had lived freely on Cambodia. There were NO Viet-Youn in our country, we cleaned them, we chased them out of our country.
I wish we would go back to the regime again.

Khmer Man,
former Khmer Rouge soldier

Khmer Man,

As much as we hate to see the tragedy befalling on Borei Keila residents who have to suffer forced eviction, we DO NOT agree with your wish to return to the Khmer Rouge regime again. First and foremost, all of us have suffered tremendously under the KR regime, and the lawlessness that we are all witnessing currently is no other than the remnants left over by the KR regime itself. The use of the police force to evict innocent residents, the land-grabbing by cronies of the ruling CPP party are all tactics used by the KR during their reign of terror. Why do these tactics still survive until now? Simply because those who are in power (Hun Xen, Heng Xamrin, Chea Xim etc...) were former KR themselves, this clearly explains the underhanded tactics used nowadays.

As a former KR soldier, you may not suffered under the KR as others did, but please talk to people around you, ask them what they have to endure under the KR regime, then you will clearly understand why we DO NOT want to return the KR regime. So stop day-dreaming, one lifetime of tragedy is ENOUGH!

Sincerely,

Heng Soy

Hun Xen blames Lon Nol regime for creating the KR regime [-Stupid is as stupid claims]

29 Dec 2011
By Taing Sarada
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

Hun Xen blamed the Khmer Republic regime led by Marshall Lon Nol of bringing war to Cambodia that led to the KR killing fields.

Hun Xen reminded also that peace in Cambodia during the 70s was an unstable peace due to the US bombing and the internal Khmer Rouge movement, the Khmer White movement, the Khmer Blue movement, the Khmer Pink movement that took place.

In his speech held during the distribution of diplomas to students at the Vanda accounting institute on 28 December 2011, Hun Xen added that the major mistake following the one committed by the Lon Nol regime, is that one committed by the Democratic Kampuchea regime which inflicted genocide on the Cambodian people and it also destruction to the country. [KI-Media Note: Hun Xen fails to mention that he was part of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime also].

The KR regime which lasted between 1975 and 1979 led to 1.7 million deaths through hunger, forced labor, killing and torture etc…

In her book titled “The Bamboo Wall”, Dr. Esmeralda Luciolli of Medecins Sans Frontiere (Doctors Without Borders), showed that after the KR regime, at the beginning of the 80s, more than 200,000 Cambodians died and were injured by landmines and malaria due to the “K-5” plan instigated by the puppet People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) regime in collaboration with the invading Vietnamese government [KI-Media note: Hun Xen and the current CPP leaders were also implicated in the K-5 plan]

Former King Won't React To Allegations at Tribunal: Prince

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhlDWjxXZv0

On “Imperialism and the Khmer Rouge trials”

On “Imperialism and the Khmer Rouge trials”

20 December 2011
Letters from our readers
World Socialist Web Site

A point missed here is that the Communist Party of Cambodia had first adhered to more of a Menshevik strategy which argued that the victory of Vietnam would enable economic development that would benefit Cambodia in the long run, but that the goal of their party was not to seize power in Cambodia at this time. There was a major turnover in the Party in 1972-3 as the old line was discredited and a new party line came forward that Cambodia should carry out its own peasant revolution in national rivalry against Vietnam. It was this new faction which Saloth Sar (Pol Pot) led to power. That factional turnover within the Communist Party of Cambodia would not have occurred if the war not had been expanded from Vietnam into Cambodia. Instead the party line would have been more like the way that the Communist parties of France and Italy maintained "solidarity" with the Soviet Union after World War II but served as bourgeois labor parties in their own nations, except in Cambodia it would have been Vietnam playing the role of the USSR.

Patrick M

17 December 2011

ប្រះកូណាសេះ មិនស៊ឺក្បាលហាលកន្ទុយ នឹងការចោទប្រកាន់ ពីអតីត សមមិត្តប្រះកូណាទេ!

 ប្រះកូណាសេះ និង សមមិត្តប្រះកូណា

Norodom Sihanouk was the official head of state for the Khmer Rouge until 1976, after which he was put under house arrest

Former King Won’t React To Allegations at Tribunal: Prince

Friday, 16 December 2011
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“Anyway, he was one of the Khmer Rouge victims, too.” (sic!)

Sisowath Thomico said Friday that Norodom Sihanouk “doesn’t believe the hybrid court can bring full justice to the victims” of the regime. [KI-Media: You bet they won't because the person who called on Cambodians to join the "maquis" with the KR gets away free!!! By the way, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan said that they were victims also!!!]

The involvement of former king Norodom Sihanouk in the early days of the Khmer Rouge has been raised twice by former regime leaders before the UN-backed tribunal, but a spokesman for the former monarch says there will be no official reaction.

Ex-head of state Khieu Samphan asked the court earlier this month why Norodom Sihanouk had not been called before the court, because he led a political coalition that included the Khmer Rouge and was intent on reclaiming the throne after he was deposed in a US-backed coup in 1970. Nuon Chea, Pol Pot’s former lieutenant, told the court that Norodom Sihanouk had visited members of the Khmer Rouge for a week in 1973.

Both men are on trial alongside ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary for atrocity crimes, including genocide, in a trial that has helped shed light on the inner workings of the secretive regime.

Long Narin, a witness for the court, said in testimony that the Khmer Rouge resistance had grown “following Sihanouk’s call.”

Democratic Kampuchea’s National Anthem

(listen to MP3 attached herewith)

Glittering red blood which blankets the towns and countryside of the Kampuchean motherland!

Blood of our splendid workers and peasants!

Blood of our revolutionary youth! Blood that was transmuted into fury, anger, and vigorous struggle!

On 17 April, under the revolutionary flag!

Blood that liberated us from slavery!

Long life 17 April, the great victory! More wonderful and much more meaningful than the Angkor era!

We unite together to build up Kampuchea and a glorious society, democratic, egalitarian, and just;

Independent-master; absolutely determined to defend the country, our glorious land;

Long life! Long life! Long life new Kampuchea, democratic and gloriously prosperous; determine to raise up the revolutionary red flag to be higher; build up the country to achieve the glorious Great Leap Forward!

Independently Searching for the Truth since 1997.

MEMORY & JUSTICE

“...a society cannot know itself if it does not have an accurate memory of its own history.”

Click the control below to listen to the KR anthem:

Click here to download the anthem in MP3

Youk Chhang, Director

Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam)

66 Sihanouk Blvd.,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

t: +855 23 21 18 75

f: +855 23 21 03 58

h: +855 12 90 55 95

e: dccam@online.com.kh

www.dccam.org

www.cambodiatribunal.org

www.cambodiasri.org