By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer Washington
13 December 2007
A Cambodian lawyer whose lost family members under the Khmer Rouge urged other victims to file complaints with the tribunal, to join a rare chance for reconciliation.
The chance to participate in trials of former regime leaders was rare and should be taken, said Seng Theary, executive director of the Center for Social Development, who was the first victim to file a suit against Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea.
Even though the jailed former leaders of the regime had not directly killed her parents, they ordered the killings, she said.
"They did not directly kill my parents and other victims, but they were policymakers," she said, as guest on "Hello VOA."
Civil cases will be tried separately from the criminal cases now facing the jailed leaders.
Nuon Chea was the chief ideologue of the regime and was arrested in September. He has been jailed along with four other former leaders, all of whom await trial on atrocity crimes charges.
The chance to participate in trials of former regime leaders was rare and should be taken, said Seng Theary, executive director of the Center for Social Development, who was the first victim to file a suit against Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea.
Even though the jailed former leaders of the regime had not directly killed her parents, they ordered the killings, she said.
"They did not directly kill my parents and other victims, but they were policymakers," she said, as guest on "Hello VOA."
Civil cases will be tried separately from the criminal cases now facing the jailed leaders.
Nuon Chea was the chief ideologue of the regime and was arrested in September. He has been jailed along with four other former leaders, all of whom await trial on atrocity crimes charges.
7 comments:
The accomplice of the Khmer Rouge as well as those leaders who were involved within the core regime must be tried in the court of law which the ECCC has done an excellent job despite of a few irrelevent mishaps. These accomplice and its leaders must be held accountable for their crimes against humanity. In addition, I strongly believe there will be more arrest as time progresses. The United States has committed to furnish more funds toward the Khmer Rouge Trial which is an enormous efforts by the US to fulfill its obligations as the world military police to see that justice shall be served for the unspoken deceased in Cambodia.
However, the healing process can also begin to heal the wound that has torn Cambodia into pieces due to civil war within Cambodia.
The new Cambodia must also be rebuilt and attained. The next babyboomers of Cambodia will most likely NOT follow this horrifying experience that has haunted many Cambodians until this day.
Therefore, it is very crucial that S-21 and along with many photos of the victims must be preserved to show the next generations that war or civil war wont bring anything good out of it except pain and suffering for all to see. Respecting Rule of Law and Democracy is the only way to go everywhere in the world. We're all have seen and learnt as to what Communism and Socialism did to many countries around the world. There is nothing good came out of Communism or Socialism.
Long Live the Kingdom of Cambodia.
XXX
Yeah, side-tracking from the real issue? You hope that the fucking Viet/Yuon Hanoi will let you Khmer/Cambodian exist? Dream on Khmer/Cambodian people...Dream on!
ក្រុមសម្លាប់ខ្មែរមាន៖ក្រុមខ្មែរក្រហម(ដាក់ឈ្មោះដោយស្តេចឪ)ក្រុមខ្មែរយៀកមិញនិង
ក្រុមខ្មែររណសេ(ដឹកនាំដោយស្តេចស៊ីហនុ)។
ទាំងបីក្រុមនេះមានទោសដូចគ្នា។តែកុំភ្លេចមានមេក្លោងវាផង។
In the beginning Cambodia was a neutral country and the super powers were doing their best to tear Cambodia apart and allowed the enemies of Cambodia to take advantage of the situation!
At the end all Cambodian victims can do is to put the blame on each other and they are more than happy to each other in the United Nations court! It is such a shame!
I have lost sisters and relatives during the Khmer Rouge and there is nothing can heal my heart until the day I die! I can never understand how Cambodian leaders can be so stupid to choose death over the living!
Current Hun Sen's cruel reaction to Yash Ghai signified terrible future for Cambodians. Under Hun Sen's leadership, Cambodia is moving to become Vietnam's Indochina Federation member faster and faster. Few below considering facts should be useful for you all.
* 1. Hun Sen has denounced United Nations about its recognition of Khmer Rouge government is unusual. The original purpose of UN to recognize Khmer Rouge regime during 19 century is essential because the Vietnamese invasion in Cambodia and Khmer Rouge's brutality was two different things. UN considered KR brutality is worse, but Vietnamese invasion in Cambodia is the worst, especially the illegality of Vietnam that spread their troops throughout Cambodia land.
Question: What is Hun Sen's stand point of view about these two controversial issues? - Brutality of KR is ended, but Vietnamese influence is still overwhelming in Cambodia.
* 2. Now, Japanese government's role in Indochina is critical for Cambodians. Japanese has planned their aids not to providing solely to Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam, but Japanese government plans to aid as joint development project including Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. We surely know that Japan needs to counterbalance with China in this region, but what is worse for Cambodia is the fastest of becoming a legal member of Indochina Federation.
Question: Has Hun Sen government used their capacity to monitor all those development projects with Vietnam? - In case of current Triangle and Land Concession to Vietnamese authority is well informed by Cambodian experts.
* 3. According to 2008 Calendar of Cambodia, we can see that the government recognizes January 7 day as the national memorable day that Cambodia can escape from KR brutality, but government has intentionally erased October 23 day in the national day calendar from commemorating. Significance of these two national days are both important that government has to value them. However, October 23 is considered as the second independent day for Cambodians from foreign invader (first independent day is from French which is still celebrated).
Question: Why Hun Sen's government neglect to commemorate Paris Peace Agreement day? - Khmer Rouge brutality is ended, but why Hun Sen's leadership is keeping January 7 as the memorable day. Now, the influences of Vietnam is still huge in Cambodia?
* 4. Hun Sen's leadership in the future is important for us to comprehend that: from current possibility, Hun Sen will change Cambodia to boost in economic development by neglecting human rights, freedom and democracy development. Currently, international aids have concerned only economic growth especially the competitive aids from Japan and China that those aids don't focus on building real democracy in Cambodia. The tendency that Hun Sen government is moving now truly copies from China and Vietnam that they see these two countries' economic growth as their model.
Question: Which one is more important between democracy and economy? - Both are important, but why Hun Sen's leadership is turning to Vietnamese style?
* 5. Current trial of Khmer Rouge will enable nothing better for future Cambodia because it is politicized by government since the beginning. As we can understand, Hun Sen's leadership will not hesitate to try Khmer Rouge leaders because this trial is absolutely benefiting his party (CPP). However, it is not benefiting to CPP only, it is also benefiting to foreign country who came to liberate Cambodians from KR brutality. Psychologically, more trial is loud through the media, the Cambodian peoples have more favors and loves to the CPP as well as Hun Sen. And the legality of invasion is coming near. Recently, Hun Sen cursed the UN's special envoy Yash Ghai as well as UN itself is the intention to dismiss Paris Peace Agreement and UN's presence in 1993. He accuses UN that didn't come to intervene KR during brutality and why now comes to Cambodia and criticize about human rights violation? - This accusation is baseless because during the KR period the world was fully chaotic.
Question: Does KR trial can improve Cambodia justice system? According to current government's attitude towards human rights report in Cambodia, is it fertile for creating the rule of law state? - KR is the best tool for Vietnam to achieve their Indochina Federation in current transitional politics of Cambodia under Hun Sen's Leadership.
* Notes: Hun Sen and his government's current policy doesn't only violate their treaty with UN about human rights, but also violate Cambodian national constitution. Hun Sen and his government has gradually violated Cambodian national constitution.
KY
Our leaders and government officials who have claimed to have liberated Cambodia from the murderous Khmer Rouge, should heed Ms Seng Theary's call and take the lead in filing complaints with that court. They should also come forth as prosecution witnesses since they have or should have a lot of evidence of Khmer Rouge crimes.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Wrong! It's time for EVERYONE to move on ... and get with life!
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