Former Khmer Rouge leaders Ieng Sary, left, and Khieu Samphan, right, look on during funeral services for Khieu Ponnary, the first wife of Pol Pot in 2003.
By VOA Khmer Stringers
Original reports from Phnom Penh
13 November 2007
One of the last surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge suspected under investigation by the tribunal was recovering at his Pailin home following an apparent stroke Tuesday evening, a member of the family told VOA Khmer.
Khieu Samphan, former nominal head of the regime, collapsed and was unconscious "for a while," a man who answered Khieu Samphan's phone and claimed to be his son told VOA Khmer.
"He has high blood pressure," the man said. "He was lying in the hammock at around 6 pm. Then he complained that he didn't feel well. He then tried to get up, but he collapsed. He had no feeling in half of his body. He lost total movement in half of his body."
"He is now in Pailin," the man said, "and he's fine now."
A neighbor told the Associated Press Khieu Samphan was speaking with difficulty and was hard to understand. Family and local doctors gathered at the house to attend to him, AP reported, citing Khieu Samphan's daughter, Khieu Rattana.
The apparent stroke came a day after the arrest of two top leaders, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith, both of them charged Monday with atrocity crimes.
Khieu Samphan collapsed just hours after he gave a 20-minute interview to VOA Khmer over the phone.
The aging leader, believed to be 76, said Tuesday afternoon he was "not afraid," but ready to go to the courts willingly. The former prime minister of the regime said he had "reason" to appear in court, to explain how he defended Cambodia from takeover in the 1960s and 1970s.
"If the court summons me, I will go, and I don't need to be arrested," he said.
"I had no power," he said of his position at the head of a Democratic Kampuchea presidium, or executive committee. He was, he said, "just a symbol, a representative."
Khieu Samphan was attached to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kampuchea in 1971 and headed central headquarters in 1977. Two others in the presidium were "So Phim, first vice chairman, secretary of the Eastern region, [and] Ros Nhim, called Mou Sambath," he said Tuesday.
"I am not afraid" of being arrested, Khieu Samphan said. "I have never done anything wrong to the nation, the people. I have never sold the country or stolen from the country, not even one dime. I want to clarify about what I did from 1975 to 1979."
Media reports have said that as head of state he should have known what was happening, but Khieu Samphan said Tuesday every person had "discipline" and kept information to themselves.
"The discipline was clear, and all levels had to adopt this discipline," he said. "I do not mean that as head of state I did not have to respect the discipline… no. This was tied to me personally. I must not want to know, to hear, other people's business. Other people were tied to it too. They did not dare tell me anything. I stayed in one place, and did not go anywhere. I did not know."
Khieu Samphan, former nominal head of the regime, collapsed and was unconscious "for a while," a man who answered Khieu Samphan's phone and claimed to be his son told VOA Khmer.
"He has high blood pressure," the man said. "He was lying in the hammock at around 6 pm. Then he complained that he didn't feel well. He then tried to get up, but he collapsed. He had no feeling in half of his body. He lost total movement in half of his body."
"He is now in Pailin," the man said, "and he's fine now."
A neighbor told the Associated Press Khieu Samphan was speaking with difficulty and was hard to understand. Family and local doctors gathered at the house to attend to him, AP reported, citing Khieu Samphan's daughter, Khieu Rattana.
The apparent stroke came a day after the arrest of two top leaders, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith, both of them charged Monday with atrocity crimes.
Khieu Samphan collapsed just hours after he gave a 20-minute interview to VOA Khmer over the phone.
The aging leader, believed to be 76, said Tuesday afternoon he was "not afraid," but ready to go to the courts willingly. The former prime minister of the regime said he had "reason" to appear in court, to explain how he defended Cambodia from takeover in the 1960s and 1970s.
"If the court summons me, I will go, and I don't need to be arrested," he said.
"I had no power," he said of his position at the head of a Democratic Kampuchea presidium, or executive committee. He was, he said, "just a symbol, a representative."
Khieu Samphan was attached to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kampuchea in 1971 and headed central headquarters in 1977. Two others in the presidium were "So Phim, first vice chairman, secretary of the Eastern region, [and] Ros Nhim, called Mou Sambath," he said Tuesday.
"I am not afraid" of being arrested, Khieu Samphan said. "I have never done anything wrong to the nation, the people. I have never sold the country or stolen from the country, not even one dime. I want to clarify about what I did from 1975 to 1979."
Media reports have said that as head of state he should have known what was happening, but Khieu Samphan said Tuesday every person had "discipline" and kept information to themselves.
"The discipline was clear, and all levels had to adopt this discipline," he said. "I do not mean that as head of state I did not have to respect the discipline… no. This was tied to me personally. I must not want to know, to hear, other people's business. Other people were tied to it too. They did not dare tell me anything. I stayed in one place, and did not go anywhere. I did not know."
14 comments:
I don't care what kind of degree he has. As long as he has involed with Khmer Rouge, then his brain must have been stupid and animal like breeded people. The crime committed by all of these idiots shouldn't be under-estimated. They are the worst animals on earth to commit these kind of crimes. Areak Prey
Just kill them or let them die or just curse all of them every day. Hell is the right place for these criminal Khmer Rouge.
Nope, the UN is not above the laws. The Ieng was legally pardoned for all crimes that they had committed in the KR regime, and they should be free, not captured by force to be retrial again, that is barbaric and lawless. Therefore, we demand the ECCC to unconditionally free the accused.
Hello 8:16AM,
You must be an idiot and have educated from an evil school to express this kind of comment. First, you must know who is Sihanouk? He was a leader of KR therefore a pardon to his inferieur is his conscience for using them. They are trading to each other for free from criminal justice. In a normal circumstance, all Sihanouk comment with regard of KR matters are invalided and should be completely voided as he was the suprem Leader of this killing regime. Areak PREy
Is it a tradition of Khmer Leaders that they know nothing about the act of their government ????
K Samphan, Ieng Sary, Duch and other current leaders as well...
Is this the Khmer Culture ????
Always blame foreigners... neighbors Siam Youn Baraing ....and US
Please sue them... including Sihanouk ... as so-called Khmer Hero King,Nationalist.. (regardless Royal immunity) he should be voluntarily to face the Trial at least being Withness, because he and his wife know something about KR regime as he joint in 1970s especially the Term KR= Khmere Rouge (in French not in English=Red Khmer as he tradition to speak and use French Language..) was eatablished by Sihanouk himself.............
Excellency Bandit 7 diamond stars General , Oknha , Achar Knoy
8:50, It does matter who Sihanouk is. Fact of the matter is we was legally king of Cambodia. As such, he has the constitutional power to grant pardon to convict of all crimes committed. Thus everything where done lawfully, and no one can be above the law to undone Sihanouk's lawfully pardon.
Hello 9.50AM,
It is rubbish to say Sihanouk has constitutional power as a King. That constitution is still a draft and has not been put it in final stage to be approved by REFERENDUM. This REFERENDUM is more important that anything else to strenghten the legality of the constitution. Sihanouk Was only the King of his Parliament and his family and not for the people. To resume the country back to the monarchy, this proposal need to be voted by people trough Referendum. It is so, that why Hun Sen can change anything he likes in this constitution because he is very smart and he knew that thsi constitution is not a legal document yet. This constitution is the same like the one drafted by Pol Pot and was not approved by referendum. Areak Prey
Ah Hun Sen knew shit about the constitution, but its advisors like
Ah Soc Anh, Keat Chhon, Om yin tieng etc.....drives its.
REFERENDUM? are you kidding?
If you put the constution for "REFERENDUM" then The Cambodian people know too much about the law. So, the government could not be Violated any law.
The Reason no REFERENDUM Because Hun Sen the is The King Maker.
He Produces King! hahaha
Rubber King ???
Paper king ??? camarade de mon Oncle Ho !!!
Nyuen Ay Koy
10:11, what planet are you on? Somdach Euv knows better what he can do, and what he cannot do. He aint stupid enough to just grand anyone a pardon if it was unlawful. Usually, if he can't help someone, he would tell them directly that he has no power to help them. He would never pretend to help anyone just to look good. You are sick, 10:11, you know that?
Hello 1:07PM I am living in a real planet where law is law. Sihanouk is in his dream life and in his dream planet. He is now worrying too much about his own problem committing Khmer rouge activities against his own Nation and his own people. From his website, we knew that he is not in peace because his name is rotten with khmer rouge saga. Areak prey
Hello 1.07PM. I am far better than Sihanouk because I was a fan of Lon Nol. Mr Lon Nol knew very well that Sihanouk was a Stupid King ( Sdech Peal )and has seek foreign powers to kill Cambodian and to destroy Cambodia. Lon Nol has said perfectly correct about this sdech peal Sihanouk. I have my name good in the history and not rooten like sihanouk in the Khmer Rouge sagar.
1:19, physical law is physical law; that is universal. Distance = speed multiply by duration, for example, is applicable everywhere on the planet. you can't just amended or tailored to fit your specific need or anyone else. Plus, it will work for Chinese, Vietnamese,..., and Kiwi indiscriminately.
On the other hand, man-made law is not man-made law. So stop bullshitting us. It is not universal as physical laws as demonstrated above. It is mostly flaws. Very rare that it applied equally to Vietnamese, Chinese, French, ..., and Kiwi.... Get it? Thus, law is not law on the real planet, contrary to what you have been preaching, okay?
2:05, I only got one word for you: Yurk!
Man, Lon Nol is eternally out of fashion in Cambodia, in case you haven't noticed it. You got to be sick if you see anything good about Lon Nol. He's just a corrupted Sarimatak's mouth piece, nothing more, and nothing less.
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