Former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan is ready to go before Cambodia's UN-backed genocide tribunal, his wife says, as momentum builds towards prosecuting regime leaders.
The French-educated radical who was the public face of the Khmer Rouge remains free in Cambodia and has repeatedly denied responsibility for the atrocities that occurred under the 1975-79 communist regime.
But he is likely one of five suspects being investigated by the court.
Two other top figures, former jailer Duch and Nuon Chea, the most senior surviving regime leader, have already been arrested for crimes allegedly committed under Khmer Rouge rule.
"He knows himself what he did," Sour Socheat said from Pailin, the former Khmer Rouge stronghold near the Thai border in north-west Cambodia where the couple live.
"He was not involved in the deaths of people ... there is nothing for him to worry about because he did nothing wrong," she added, saying Khieu Samphan was not surprised by last Wednesday's arrest of his former neighbour Nuon Chea for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"He has said when the tribunal summons him, he will go. He has no choice."
Up to two million people died of starvation, disease and overwork or were executed by the Khmer Rouge
The regime also abolished religion, schools and currency, exiling millions to vast collective farms in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.
Its leaders maintain they had no power to order the mass deaths that marked one of the 20th century's worst bloodlettings.
"We need to find out who had power and who did not during the regime," Ms Socheat said.
"We have a Cambodian saying: When a fish is rotten, all the fish in the basket are also spoiled."
The French-educated radical who was the public face of the Khmer Rouge remains free in Cambodia and has repeatedly denied responsibility for the atrocities that occurred under the 1975-79 communist regime.
But he is likely one of five suspects being investigated by the court.
Two other top figures, former jailer Duch and Nuon Chea, the most senior surviving regime leader, have already been arrested for crimes allegedly committed under Khmer Rouge rule.
"He knows himself what he did," Sour Socheat said from Pailin, the former Khmer Rouge stronghold near the Thai border in north-west Cambodia where the couple live.
"He was not involved in the deaths of people ... there is nothing for him to worry about because he did nothing wrong," she added, saying Khieu Samphan was not surprised by last Wednesday's arrest of his former neighbour Nuon Chea for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"He has said when the tribunal summons him, he will go. He has no choice."
Up to two million people died of starvation, disease and overwork or were executed by the Khmer Rouge
The regime also abolished religion, schools and currency, exiling millions to vast collective farms in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.
Its leaders maintain they had no power to order the mass deaths that marked one of the 20th century's worst bloodlettings.
"We need to find out who had power and who did not during the regime," Ms Socheat said.
"We have a Cambodian saying: When a fish is rotten, all the fish in the basket are also spoiled."
12 comments:
Khieu Samphan is more dignified as a man than his Comrade,Sihanouk who wished he is not Khmer now.
Khieu Samphan can incriminate Sihanouk since he's the first President of Democratic Republic of Kampuchea.
Count your money on the way to bank,Sihanouk!
He already got the rceipt back ,but can he cash it when he ned the money from China Bank?
I had Met Khieu Samphan 1 time in Battambang Province, he is a very nice guy, and I don't believed he kill so many Cambodian people.
Its good to hear that this guy is nice ! But its more important to trial and get to the truth. The truth now is all it matter. Khmer people need to understand what and how it happened, and who is the root cause of it all. So the more of these guy put on trial the better. And the sooner the better. Anyone who know what happened is the evident to the crime. If the king knows something, I think he too should be trialed. And if the king is innocent, there is no need for him to worry.
This shit is long past due. No demand, no justice.
Don't be shit that Khieu Samphan is not responsible for the killing. If he worked with the geonocide government and sit in the top position, he was responsible for his action. If he didn't know or pretended not to know about the geonocide occurred under his command, why did he join that government. He could resign from the position if he thought this regime did the wrong thing.
Give me a break and don't give me that kind of crab anymore.
For sure Khieu Samphan knew who Sihanouk was and how he operated.
That's why he got Sihanouk by the balls,no kidding,since 1970 all the way to now.
Khieu Samphan is not stupid and not that naive of crimes.Otherwise Sihanouk would not eat drink or share hotels with him all those fighting years. Both men know what's in their sleeves especially the Hanuman king.
Some of our beloved Khmers here do not agree with my ideas but some are, that is OK, because I am only the rice farmer's son, but I would like every true patriot’s Khmer who lives around the world to carve my words onto their hearts and remember them for ever. At the end of the day you all will see whether the rice farmer's son (have never been a Khmer Rouge or Khmer Rouge supporter, and never have been a YUON’s slave)words are full of meaning or just useless hated sentences.
May almighty God and America, Canada, Finland, Australia, EU, UN, NATO help to rescue our beloved country Cambodia from YUON'S(Vietnam, Vietcong, Vietminh)occupation and China's communist influences.
All true Khmer compatriots, ladies and gentlemen,
Cambodia has cancers that were embedded into her by China+YUONS+Vietminh-CPP-Hun Sen+all royal crooks through traitor Sihanouk's flesh and blood, also through his YUON wife Monique and Sihanouk’s clique.
To have true and lasting peace for Cambodia these cancers have to be removed once and for all, either by the law of ECCC-KRT or by any means, as long as the majority of true Khmers agree with it.
If these cancers remain inside Cambodia, without proper treatment, YUONS will continue to swallow us bit by bit every day and China will gobble the whole region without mercy toward Cambodian land and all Khmer people. They will achieve this with the continued assistance of NORODOM SIHANOUK and HUN SEN.
KHMER LAND IS OURS.
KULEN MONOROM
(the rice farmer's son)
Even Hun Sen is a nice guy too, when he ate diner with sihanouk.
Don't look the outside, judge people with their actions.
CPP do the same to the cambodians.
CPP is killing all prides and happinesses for the cambodians.
Cut the bullshit, dude. Fact of the matter is millions and millions of khmer people is enjoying the booming economy in the recent years that is created by Dr. Hun Sen. So, where the hell did you get your information from? Oh wait; lemme guess; Hollywood, am I wrong?
Yes, Pol Pot was much more nice than Khieu Samphan and Duch (in Physical Image, Soft,Polite et..), But they were very cruel..........
Always sy do not know and blame foreigners...
Excellency Dr. Phd Bandit, General 7 diamod stars Oknha Achar Knoy-- Phd. es Bandit graduated from Chea Chamroeun Unversity, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Well, I only agree that Pol Pot is a fuck up idiot. As for Dutch, I am certain that he was doing his duty or else. I think you are too dumb to understand this without being in Dutch's shoes. And don't forget, I remembered an article here where he came forth and apologized to everyone. So, what else do you want from the man?
As for Khieu Samphan, he has been Pol Pot's high official since day1, and he has been to the US and UN a millions times up to date. Now, if that guy is guilty, why didn't they arrest him while he was in the UN ... long ago. Do you catch my drift?
hey folks stop all the bullshit.Just hang those criminals and thing will be fine and peachy.Oh! don't forget to include Sihanouk also.
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