Saturday, February 21, 2009

Soldier Defends Tuol Sleng Film

Former Vietnamese Army photographer, Ho Van Tay, right, and reporter Dinh Phong, left, gather with Cambodian Norng Chanphal, 39, along with his daughters Chen Amara, 6, and Chen Kimty, 13, at Toul Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Feb 15, 2009. Chanphal was one of five children discovered by the former Vietnamese Army journalists when the infamous S21 prison was liberated in January of 1979. A U.N.-backed genocide tribunal is set to begin on Feb. 17, 2009, to try five Khmer Rouge leaders accused of crimes against humanity. Kaing Guek Eav, the commander of Toul Sleng under the Khmer rouge, also known 'Duch' will be the first leader tried. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
20 February 2009


A Vietnamese soldier and cameraman defended as “true” a film he shot of Tuol Sleng prison during the ouster of the Khmer Rouge, which could be used as evidence in tribunal proceedings.

Ding Phong, now 71, shot footage of Tuol Sleng prison as Vietnamese forces liberated Phnom Penh in Januray 1979, but the film has come under criticism from defense lawyers for former Khmer Rouge leaders facing atrocity crimes trials.

The documentary shot in Tuol Sleng is true,” Dinh Phong said Thursday, before returning to Vietnam after a six-day visit to Cambodia to deliver his film to researchers. “What we shot 30 years ago is the truth.”

Lawyers for Khmer Rouge prison chief Duch, who is the first to face trial under the tribunal, said the films were not unbiased.

This is a documentary which has a political character,” said Kar Savuth, an attorney for Duch, or Kaing Kek Iev, who saw his initial trial hearing this week. “It cannot be used [as evidence] in the trial.”

“What he mentioned is an accusation,” Dinh Phong said, denying the political assertion.

Tribunal prosecutor Chea Leang has requested that two Vietnamese filmmakers, who have donated their films to the Documentation Center of Cambodia, be brought before the Trial Chamber of the Khmer Rouge tribunal, to defend their work.

Dinh Phong said Thursday he would only answer questions outside the court.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

These two Vietnamese spies are so cool, and even claimed they love to help to prove that Duch whoever his boss was, guilty of crimes.

Hor Nam Hong was director, and so justice will never be served.

Anonymous said...

The Cambodia's UN-backed genocide tribunal should charges vietnam as:
1)- Crimes against peace.
2)- Crimes against Humanity.
3)- War Crimes by Wagging aggressive war over Cambodia.
4)- Crimes of Lootting and Rapping of cambodian women and teens.


So, before Duch enter his plea, Duch is not guilty.

The two Yuon's film presented to the court just Yuon's propaganda to covered the main actors of Yuon invasion in 1979.

And Norng Chanphal, may be bought by yuon to covred yuon's crimes.

Anonymous said...

These two viet-ss wanted khmer to kills each other again..just like they did, 1975-1978, Fucken HANOI!

Anonymous said...

Khmer need to rise up and demand UN to enforce the paris peace accord and farther more! UN-PARIS PEACE ACCORD ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH.

BUT FOR START, ENFORCEMENT OF THE PARIS PEACE ACCORD IS A MUST!

Anonymous said...

My post is 8:33AM.
Don't speak so high what we cannot reach. And don't seek for justice that far beyond our reach, but seek for peace and fill our stomaches first. Take care what we have left and feed the livings instead of the dead.

Justice won't happen on this earth, so don't let the blood of the sufferings flow more.

This is not a strategy to win but to lose.

Anonymous said...

9:52am,
I agree with your comments! this guy NORNG CHANPHAL properly bought by Viet-SS to play...they just wanted khmer to kills each other more and more!

Anonymous said...

A lot of Khmers are bought in Cambodia, from this Norng Chanthol to Generals, and a lot of Generals' daughters or son married to Vietnamese born in Vietnam who're highly trained to be Khmers.

Not hearsay I have a tape record when I conversed with one of them about food and clothes but I lured him to tell me litte by little.

Anonymous said...

You don't have to find Khmers are being bought in Cambodia, they are also bought by Vietnamese spies in Long Beach. Did you see Om Pritheacha teacher Hin Sithan? He was brainwashed to hate his own people by the Vietnamese spy in LB.

Ly Ngoc Dinh became Ly Diep(Yiep) became Ly Anthony was sent from Vietnam in the name of Khmer Krom, and many of them just like him, but he was an elite who served Lon Nol regime, the regime was secretely created by King Sihanouk.
I'm sure many thousands are among Khmer Rouge just like Ly Diep in Lon Nol.

10 Khmer Krom killed 10 fake Khmer Krom entered Cambodia.