Cambodian Buddhist monks walk pass the skulls on display at Choeung Ek memorial, 15 km (9 miles) south of Phnom Penh, during the 31th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge regime on April 17, 2006. It has been 31 years since the Khmer Rouge overthrew Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh and unleashed the genocide which killed an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians. REUTERS/Chor SokuntheaWednesday, April 19, 2006
By Kong Sothanarith
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by KI-Media
On Monday, during the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the takeover of Phnom Penh by the Khmer Rouge, Sam Rainsy made an appeal for an end to the impunity of the former senior leaders of the bloody regime, he wished that these leaders be turned over to justice as fast as possible. The president of the “party outside of the government” – as prime minister Hun Sen calls it – had invited 50 monks for the commemoration ceremony in Choeung Ek. The monks prayed for the soul of the victims. Three women took turn at the microphone to reminisce the lost of their loved ones under the Pol Pot regime. “I want a trial very soon, we cannot forget all that,” one of the speakers said in front of the stupa filled with the skulls of the victims. “I am terrorized facing these skulls who are looking at us, and who seem to beg us to find justice for their peace. We cannot remain idle, we must grant their wishes,” Sam Rainsy added at the end of the ceremony.
The SRP president broached the issue of interferences between the judicial system and politics. Interferences which led some to demand the setup of an extraordinary court outside the country, Sam Rainsy recalled. Negotiations between the UN and the government started 9 years ago. Sam Rainsy said he was pleased about the current trend of the tribunal in view of the latest developments in the country. “We are observing the good start in the working setup of the tribunal. The two parties are starting to cooperate, the list of UN judges was established, and Michelle Lee (UN representative, deputy director of the Office of Administration) was sent to Phnom Penh to administer. The resolution of conflicts between political parties offers a sound atmosphere and guarantees a climate of peace. We have high hope that the court proceedings will begin in 2007,” Sam Rainsy – who is currently aligned with the government positions – declared, while criticizing the partiality of the courts in the kingdom.
Besides Duch and Ta Mok, the other former Khmer Rouge cadres who could be summoned to appear, such as Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan, are regularly complaining to the news media of the degradation of their health. These responsible senior leaders still deny their share of responsibility in the massacre, claiming ignorance of the truth during the perpetration of the killings. According to Reach Sambath, spokesman for the Office of Administration, the [Cambodian] superior council of magistracy would nominate judges by this mid-year. “We estimate that, at least, between 5 and 10 people will be subject to prosecution,” he indicated.
The SRP president broached the issue of interferences between the judicial system and politics. Interferences which led some to demand the setup of an extraordinary court outside the country, Sam Rainsy recalled. Negotiations between the UN and the government started 9 years ago. Sam Rainsy said he was pleased about the current trend of the tribunal in view of the latest developments in the country. “We are observing the good start in the working setup of the tribunal. The two parties are starting to cooperate, the list of UN judges was established, and Michelle Lee (UN representative, deputy director of the Office of Administration) was sent to Phnom Penh to administer. The resolution of conflicts between political parties offers a sound atmosphere and guarantees a climate of peace. We have high hope that the court proceedings will begin in 2007,” Sam Rainsy – who is currently aligned with the government positions – declared, while criticizing the partiality of the courts in the kingdom.
Besides Duch and Ta Mok, the other former Khmer Rouge cadres who could be summoned to appear, such as Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan, are regularly complaining to the news media of the degradation of their health. These responsible senior leaders still deny their share of responsibility in the massacre, claiming ignorance of the truth during the perpetration of the killings. According to Reach Sambath, spokesman for the Office of Administration, the [Cambodian] superior council of magistracy would nominate judges by this mid-year. “We estimate that, at least, between 5 and 10 people will be subject to prosecution,” he indicated.
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