By FRANCE 24 / Cyril PAYEN - Solomon KANE
Nearly 30 years after nearly 2 million people died in Cambodia’s killing fields, five senior Khmer Rouge officials are finally set to face justice. FRANCE 24’s Cyril Payen takes a behind-the-scenes look at a much criticised trial.
Cambodia’ long-awaited Khmer Rouge trial threatens the regime’s victims with lack of closure. The special court was set up in 2006 to prosecute crimes committed by senior Khmer Rouge leaders between 1975 and 1979, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 2 million people.
The tribunal was finally set up after contentious negotiations between the United Nations and the Cambodian government and comprises elements of Cambodian and international law.
However, delaying tactics and technical irregularities have slowed down the work of the court amid fears that many of the accused, who are aging and in ill health, may die before they can be brought to justice.
Today, after years of difficult talks, the five former senior members of the ultra-communist regime detained by the tribunal have yet to face their country and the international community and answer for their behaviour during Cambodia’s darkest hours.
FRANCE 24’s Cyril Payen followed the main protagonists of the trial. A special reportage will be broadcast during our programme “Reporters”.
Vergès: Samphan’s old Paris connection
French lawyer Jacques Vergès, whose most famous clients include the terrorist Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, also known as “Carlos the Jackal” and Nazi Klaus Barbie, is representing Khieu Samphan, a former Khmer Rouge head-of-state he met during his youth in Paris.
Samphan is currently in pre-trial detention in Cambodia. Last week, the court’s investigating judges refused to release former Khmer Rouge leader, citing “plausible reasons" to believe Samphan incited "murder, extermination, imprisonment, persecution and other inhumane acts constituting crimes against humanity and intentional homicide."
But in the sidelines of a debate organised by FRANCE 24, Vergès questioned the efficiency of the UN-backed court. “The end word is that, as things stand today, this tribunal is incapable of judging anybody,” he said.
Cambodia’ long-awaited Khmer Rouge trial threatens the regime’s victims with lack of closure. The special court was set up in 2006 to prosecute crimes committed by senior Khmer Rouge leaders between 1975 and 1979, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 2 million people.
The tribunal was finally set up after contentious negotiations between the United Nations and the Cambodian government and comprises elements of Cambodian and international law.
However, delaying tactics and technical irregularities have slowed down the work of the court amid fears that many of the accused, who are aging and in ill health, may die before they can be brought to justice.
Today, after years of difficult talks, the five former senior members of the ultra-communist regime detained by the tribunal have yet to face their country and the international community and answer for their behaviour during Cambodia’s darkest hours.
FRANCE 24’s Cyril Payen followed the main protagonists of the trial. A special reportage will be broadcast during our programme “Reporters”.
Vergès: Samphan’s old Paris connection
French lawyer Jacques Vergès, whose most famous clients include the terrorist Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, also known as “Carlos the Jackal” and Nazi Klaus Barbie, is representing Khieu Samphan, a former Khmer Rouge head-of-state he met during his youth in Paris.
Samphan is currently in pre-trial detention in Cambodia. Last week, the court’s investigating judges refused to release former Khmer Rouge leader, citing “plausible reasons" to believe Samphan incited "murder, extermination, imprisonment, persecution and other inhumane acts constituting crimes against humanity and intentional homicide."
But in the sidelines of a debate organised by FRANCE 24, Vergès questioned the efficiency of the UN-backed court. “The end word is that, as things stand today, this tribunal is incapable of judging anybody,” he said.
It is an insult for the victims of Khmer rouge that only few broken-down Khmer rouge leaders are held in front of the trial and not the rest of the criminals specially those who help bring genocide against Khmer people. Without supports from exterior, these few Khmer rouge cant lead genocide against Khmer people. Khmer rouge revolution has done without Khmer but few symbol tools painted as Khmer now we saw that the trial is held against without concerns of Khmer but the criminals and their filiations.
ReplyDeleteQuestion among other is to ask who profit this genocide? What is interesting to know is millions of viet migrants have been moved to Cambodia after the killing field and it is not an innocent or natural move but a criminal one.
if there wasn't vietnam war, there wouldn't have been khmer civil war or khmer rouge.
ReplyDeleteAnother word, this khmer rouge trial is all setup and all joke just to cover up the bigger picture.
The bigger picture is china, vietnam and the usa knows and are somewhat involved. Now the scapegoat is the khmer rouge. I am not saying the khmer rouge are less reponsible or have no killing involement.
Anyway, even the trial is successful. The true killer are not just the khmer rouge, but the only people involved on trial.
Behind the curtain, YOUN is the one that collect good money from this tribunal or UN.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of fake tribunal in modern time.
Khmer PP,
What a fucked up tribunal!
ReplyDeleteJust line them up and shoot a la execution style.The party is o... v... e... r .This trial is a waste of money.
ReplyDeleteExcuse, excuse, excuse; blame, blame, blame; that is what International standard all about.
ReplyDeleteWe will deal with the rest later. In the mean time just hang those that are on trail such as Keiv Sampoan and Eang Sarey before they die of age and illness. So those 2 millions soul can rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteGive it to the interanl tribunal, if the current government is to stupid to handle this case.
Bullshit, those people were sentenced to dead long ago. It is Ah Pleu-Oversea who let them off the hook.
ReplyDelete7:51 am, you are the Ah Pleu one who is being brain washed by your current leader. The whole world support the trails and waste so much resources and time. Yet, your leader still can't decide what to do with them and give them so many excuses. I bet on anything that there won't be a verdict or end to this.
ReplyDeleteAbba
This trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders is NOT for the JUSTICE for Khmer Victims, but for the interest
ReplyDeleteof Viet invaders to VIETNAMISE CAMBODIA LEGALLY by the stupidity of the Khmer kings, and Viet puppet regime of today.
The author of Norna chea kheatakors reas khmers ?
The tribunal was finally set up after contentious negotiations between the United Nations and the Cambodian government and comprises elements of Cambodian and international law.
ReplyDeleteBy law, which State they are judged?
7:51AM
ReplyDeleteYou may be too young or old with brainwashes from Vietnam. X-Khmer rouge is Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and their culprits. Are you blind to see or you just playing stupid.
The Legends
Yes, line them up and do them good just like they did to Lon Nol's soldiers and officers who were caught and killed in Khmer Rouge era. 4:30 am you forgot to finish them up, man.
ReplyDelete