These file pictures show former top members of Cambodia's notorious Khmer Rouge: former prime minister Khieu Samphan(top-L), former deputy Nuon Chea(top-R), former army chief of staff Ta Mok(bottom-L) and former foreign minister Ieng Sary(bottom-R). Ta Mok, known as "The Butcher" for his extreme brutality, died before he could be put on trial for the genocide of up to two million Cambodians.(AFP/File)Sakada Chun
Voice of America
Phnom Penh
21/07/2006
U.S. Embassy officials Friday call the death of former Khmer Rouge commander,Ta Mok a reason for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to go forward as fast as possible, to take aging former Khmer Rouge leaders to trial.
Ta Mok, a former Khmer Rouge military leader considered one of Cambodia's most brutal killers has died after being treated for many weeks at Preah Ket Mealea hospital with heart, lung, respiratory problems, spinal condition, tuberculosis, and slipping in and out of a coma. He is reported to be 80 years old. He was arrested in 1999 and was taken to a military hospital in Phnom Penh last month.
U.S. Embassy spokesman in Phnom Penh, Jeff Daigle told VOA that it is a blow to the 1.7 million people who died during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979. It is also a blow to a legal process seeking justice for these victims and their families.
Khmer Rouge Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath says that we are going forward with the Khmer Rouge Tribunal with our common goal: seek justice as fast as we can, but this justice should be done with international standards acceptable by all parties concerned.
Documentation Center of Cambodia's director Yuk Chhang says that Ta Mok's death shows a lack of responsibility in providing the rights to the defendants, and the use of local resources to treat Ta Mok.
Opposition Sam Rainsy party's vice president and senator Kong Korm says that Ta Mok and Duch or Kaing Khek Iev, are important witnesses to the Khmer Rouge's genocide, and regrets the former's death. Duch was former director of Tuol Sleng interrogation center and prison where tens of thousands of victims were murdered and tortured.
Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, died in 1998.
Other top members of the regime, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Nuon Chea live freely in Cambodia.
Ta Mok, a former Khmer Rouge military leader considered one of Cambodia's most brutal killers has died after being treated for many weeks at Preah Ket Mealea hospital with heart, lung, respiratory problems, spinal condition, tuberculosis, and slipping in and out of a coma. He is reported to be 80 years old. He was arrested in 1999 and was taken to a military hospital in Phnom Penh last month.
U.S. Embassy spokesman in Phnom Penh, Jeff Daigle told VOA that it is a blow to the 1.7 million people who died during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979. It is also a blow to a legal process seeking justice for these victims and their families.
Khmer Rouge Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath says that we are going forward with the Khmer Rouge Tribunal with our common goal: seek justice as fast as we can, but this justice should be done with international standards acceptable by all parties concerned.
Documentation Center of Cambodia's director Yuk Chhang says that Ta Mok's death shows a lack of responsibility in providing the rights to the defendants, and the use of local resources to treat Ta Mok.
Opposition Sam Rainsy party's vice president and senator Kong Korm says that Ta Mok and Duch or Kaing Khek Iev, are important witnesses to the Khmer Rouge's genocide, and regrets the former's death. Duch was former director of Tuol Sleng interrogation center and prison where tens of thousands of victims were murdered and tortured.
Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, died in 1998.
Other top members of the regime, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Nuon Chea live freely in Cambodia.
2 comments:
It is imposible to trail khmer rouge lears because there is no willing to do so from CPP. if the government's Hun Sen push hard to do what they want.it will be back fire to them and will make China goverment unhapy.so many years CPP tried realy hard to block and delay the process of trail.hoping all top khmer lears will die befor trail.why CPP want to trail top khmer rouge at the first time? this is the poliyic they play to show the world and cambodian people they are hero save people from Pol Pot killing field. but the real thing they all killer.They kill Ta Mok because they vorry.he will say something complicated to them.They trey prevent "samdach Ta"from testify but they never lisent to him what he want to cremate all victim bone at "chhaeng ak"because they want to the world and new cambodian people that they were "kong Hean"
Wait and see what will hapen next!!
Of course, we wait and see, but the best thing first need to be done is to cremate those bones with the hope that the spirit of those innocent victims(our parents, grand parents, great grand-parents, uncles, aunts, relatives, sisters, brothers, cousins, sons, daughters, grand-children, and close friends) who were killed, by any means of that regime (direct execution, starvation, famine, illness with no medical care, and died like animal)during the years of atrocity of the 70s, will move around to make the justice a true justice during this extra-ordinary tribunal, so they can find their way to peace in the heaven. My concerns are the wellbeing of survivors. We survived that regime possessing a lot of traumas buried in our mind but a lot of confusion has haunted us and make us not to trust each others and we lost all confidence and we fear of speaking. I really miss the pre-war era where we lived in peace and prosperity during the 60s.
Hope for a real justice in Cambodia.
Killing Field Survivor
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