Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Khmer Rouge 'First Lady' faces court

February 24, 2009
AFP

The former Khmer Rouge "First Lady" said she was too frail to make a plea as she appeared before Cambodia's UN-backed genocide court on Tuesday, after her husband had been rushed to hospital.

Ieng Thirith, 76, facing trial for crimes against humanity, told the court that defence lawyers would speak on her behalf during her appeal against detention, saying: "I am too weak."

As the regime's former social affairs minister, she is one of five top cadres in the sights of the UN war crimes tribunal over atrocities committed during the communist Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule.

The health of the ageing suspects is an ongoing concern. Ieng Thirith's husband, former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary, was hospitalised on Monday evening for blood in his urine, court spokesman Reach Sambath said.

It was the ninth time Ieng Sary, 83, has been rushed to hospital since the pair were detained by the court in November 2007, the spokesman said.

In documents read to the court on Tuesday, investigating judges argued it was necessary to keep Ieng Thirith in jail to protect her security, preserve public order and ensure she did not flee from trial.

But defence lawyer Phat Pouv Seang demanded Ieng Thirith's immediate release, saying that the investigating judges failed to provide adequate evidence.

After years of wrangling between the Cambodian government and the United Nations, the court was created in 2006 to try leading members of the Khmer Rouge regime.

The long-awaited first trial started last week when the regime's notorious prison chief, 66-year-old Kaing Guek Eav, better known by the alias Duch, went before the court.

Up to two million people were executed or died of starvation, disease and overwork as the Khmer Rouge emptied cities and forced the population to work on collective farms in its bid to create a communist utopia.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

time is catching up with them.....let all dictators know that they are mortal.....so Mr. Sen you will face the same fate....like it or not...Bong Sen you should start doing good now so your name will be better than those before you.....get tough when it comes to Khmer's interests.

Anonymous said...

If you voted for CPP (Cambodian People's Party):

Also known as:

Communist People's Party
Khmer Rouge People's Party
Khmer Krorhorm People's Party


You're support the killing of 1.7 million Khmer peoples.

You're support the killing of innocent men, women and children in Cambodia on March 30, 1997.

You're support murder of Piseth Pilika.

You're support assassination of journalists in Cambodia.

You're support political assassination and killing.

You're support attemted assassination and murder of leader of the free trade union in Cambodia.

You're support corruption in Cambodia.

You're support Hun Sen Regime burn poor people's house down to the ground and leave them homeless.


These are the Trade Mark of Hun Sen Regime.


Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin are Khmer Rouge commanders.
When is the ECCC going to bring these three criminals to U.N. Khmer Rouge Trail?

Khmer Rouge Regime is a genocide organization.

Hun Sen Regime is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Bodyguards is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Death Squad is a terrorist organization.
Cambodian People's Party is a terrorist organization.

I have declare the current Cambodian government which is lead by the Cambodian People's Party as a terrorist organization.

Whoever do business with the current Cambodian government are associate with a terrorist organization.