Reporter: Philippa McDonald
This is a transcript from AM
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
ELIZABETH JACKSON: There's new uncertainty this morning surrounding the much anticipated war crimes trials in Cambodia, with one of the alleged architects of the genocide likely to die before the trials commence.
The lawyer for 82-year-old Ta Mok, known as "The Butcher", says his client is in a coma in a Phnom Penh hospital.
The ABC's Philippa McDonald reports.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: It's more than 30 years since Pol Pot seized power and an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died from torture and starvation.
Yet no one has ever been brought to trial for the genocide which shocked the world.
Nine years ago Cambodia asked the United Nations to help establish trials, and last week judges were sworn in. This week, formal investigations got underway, with trials due to finally start next year.
But already there's been a major setback. Ta Mok, the former Khmer Rouge military commander, is not expected to live.
Ta Mok's lawyer, Benson Samay, spoke to the ABC from beside his client's hospital bed.
BENSON SAMAY: Ta Mok is very ill right now. He's in a coma, and don't know when he's going to be better.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Do the doctors expect him to live?
BENSON SAMAY: No. He in a coma, you see, very ill. And also he's very old, also.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Mr Samay says his client is innocent of the crimes against humanity which he's accused of.
BENSON SAMAY: H e never killed anyone during that period, because he is a military, and that time doesn't have any war.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: You say your client has been wrongly accused of genocide?
BENSON SAMAY: Yeah, he's wrongly accused.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: But many see Ta Mok's role in the genocide very differently.
Nic Dunlop is the author of The Lost Executioner, and has previously tracked down Khmer Rouge leaders in hiding.
NIC DUNLOP: He is a leader, he's known as "The Butcher", I mean, he's a particularly brutal commandant. So he is important in terms of accountability.
In terms of what we can expect for the truth for the victims of what actually occurred at that time and how the Khmer Rouge leadership actually orchestrated the killing on a nationwide scale, he's also extremely important to shed light onto that.
So a lot of people will be cheated if he were to die before a tribunal occurs.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Only two Khmer Rouge leaders have been arrested, the other, known as Comrade Duch, ran the brutal Tuol Sleng prison, a converted school where are least 21,000 Cambodians died.
In the tribunal's sights are at least three other Khmer Rouge strongmen, including the former head of state, Khieu Samphan, who was related by marriage to Pol Pot.
This week, as prosecutors began collecting their evidence, Khieu Samphan disappeared; his neighbours say he left home in the middle of the night.
This is Philippa Mc Donald reporting for Saturday AM.
The lawyer for 82-year-old Ta Mok, known as "The Butcher", says his client is in a coma in a Phnom Penh hospital.
The ABC's Philippa McDonald reports.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: It's more than 30 years since Pol Pot seized power and an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died from torture and starvation.
Yet no one has ever been brought to trial for the genocide which shocked the world.
Nine years ago Cambodia asked the United Nations to help establish trials, and last week judges were sworn in. This week, formal investigations got underway, with trials due to finally start next year.
But already there's been a major setback. Ta Mok, the former Khmer Rouge military commander, is not expected to live.
Ta Mok's lawyer, Benson Samay, spoke to the ABC from beside his client's hospital bed.
BENSON SAMAY: Ta Mok is very ill right now. He's in a coma, and don't know when he's going to be better.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Do the doctors expect him to live?
BENSON SAMAY: No. He in a coma, you see, very ill. And also he's very old, also.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Mr Samay says his client is innocent of the crimes against humanity which he's accused of.
BENSON SAMAY: H e never killed anyone during that period, because he is a military, and that time doesn't have any war.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: You say your client has been wrongly accused of genocide?
BENSON SAMAY: Yeah, he's wrongly accused.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: But many see Ta Mok's role in the genocide very differently.
Nic Dunlop is the author of The Lost Executioner, and has previously tracked down Khmer Rouge leaders in hiding.
NIC DUNLOP: He is a leader, he's known as "The Butcher", I mean, he's a particularly brutal commandant. So he is important in terms of accountability.
In terms of what we can expect for the truth for the victims of what actually occurred at that time and how the Khmer Rouge leadership actually orchestrated the killing on a nationwide scale, he's also extremely important to shed light onto that.
So a lot of people will be cheated if he were to die before a tribunal occurs.
PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Only two Khmer Rouge leaders have been arrested, the other, known as Comrade Duch, ran the brutal Tuol Sleng prison, a converted school where are least 21,000 Cambodians died.
In the tribunal's sights are at least three other Khmer Rouge strongmen, including the former head of state, Khieu Samphan, who was related by marriage to Pol Pot.
This week, as prosecutors began collecting their evidence, Khieu Samphan disappeared; his neighbours say he left home in the middle of the night.
This is Philippa Mc Donald reporting for Saturday AM.
3 comments:
what happen to a reporter of Far Eastern Economic review, Nat Taylor,he should have some document on Pol Pot, because he the one who visit Pol Pol before he dies.
To capture Khieu Samphan and Nourn Chea, just put a few hundred thousand USD reward, his body and head will be brought to trial. Hundreds of millions $$ for the KR trial, UN can afford it. To save bullet cost, slash his throat with bambo knife infront of King Sihanouk's eyes.
oh oh! look out bad boys! I sence, there are a lot of people out there wanting to make some bucks! and where are you going
to hide.You don't have any connection with Phnom Penh to get you out to Cuba. Do you?
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