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| US Congressman Edward Royce (Photo: Courtesy of Congressman Edward Royce) |
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, D.C
“The Cambodian government’s apparent influence over the two remaining [tribunal] proceedings is also of great concern.”
US Congressman Ed Royce says the completion of one trial at the Khmer Rouge tribunal is not enough to end Cambodia’s culture of impunity and that more trials should be undertaken by the UN-backed court.
In an e-mail interview with VOA Khmer, Royce, who represents parts of Orange County, California, that are home to many Cambodian-Americans, said he has sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noting his concern for an ongoing culture of impunity.
“The Cambodian government’s apparent influence over the two remaining [tribunal] proceedings is also of great concern,” he said. “The ramifications of this trial spread far beyond Cambodia. The world is watching, and despots the world over will be sent a message that their actions have consequences.”
Royce said the completion of the first trial, for Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, “is a good first step towards justice….Holding him accountable for his horrific crimes is step one in the reconciliation process.”
However, he said, more cases need to be tried.
“A dismissal in Cases 003 and 004 would certainly satisfy Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has publicly demanded that no additional suspects be tried by the tribunal,” he said. “There are still too many whose crimes are on the level of Duch’s that are awaiting their day in court. It is imperative that they be held accountable for their crimes, as well.”
“While the completion of the first case is indeed helpful in the healing process, nothing can fully heal the horrors the Cambodian people suffered,” Royce said. “However, war crime trials do serve the purpose of establishing accountability and hopefully act as a deterrent.”
Royce urged the government to approve a new investigating judge for the UN-backed tribunal, following the resignation of a German judge last year.
“It is important that cases 003 and 004 move forward immediately,” he said.
10 comments:
Why Hun Sen's government has tried to deter the case 003 and 004 from investigating and bringing them to trial?
I think because the true murderers during the KR regime might not the top leaders but the hidden bottom leaders who have twisted this tragedy to some extending benefits of those secret plans.
How about your answers?
the world's superpowerful countries like the US, the EU, etc should help find justice for cambodia and its people for what happened under the radical, lawless KR regime. please help find justice and reconciliation and peace for cambodia and its people. thank you and may god bless cambodia.
អាហ៊ុន សែនរសើបគូថវា ខ្លាចតុលាការនេះចាប់
ញាត់គុកដូចអាមុយបារ៉ាក់នៅអ៊ីហ្ស៊ីប ដូច្នេះវាត្រូវ
តែខារខាំងសំណុំរឿង ០០៣ និង ០០៤។
i love both america and cambodia. please help educate cambodia, congressman. thank you, sir. god bless cambodia and america.
This is the time to clean up Cambodia, the country of impunity. Do it once and for all. The tribunal has done the right things.
Thank you so much ,U S Congressman Edward Royce,for an effort in pushing more trials .It's a great thing to do.We can not and will not allow the current Cambodian government to do what ever they wishes.We,Cambodian,the world, and the history will prepare to be remember you.
The Khmer Rouge Organization (Angkar-leu អង្គការលើ) baptized (Duch) instead of real names (Kaing Kek Ev) is not the revolutionary name as is commonly believed but rather to hide the truth.
The Khmer Rouge Organization (Angkar-leuអង្គការលើ) amplified, and broadcast advertising, the false name (Duch) as the scapegoat to launder their crime against humanity.
The false name (Duch) is copied and repeated Non- Stop by the global media to continue deceive the world and also to attack and dishonor real name famous (Duch) such that (Duch Sidim; Duch Kimhak; Sok Duch) and (Duch Som) grandfather's Ms.Theary Seng etc.
Paris V.February11,2012
attack the individual, not the name, please. yes, there are a lot of people in cambodia named "duch". so, duch is not all that bad accept that killer duch of toul sleng prison under the stupid KR regime.
1:06PM
ឧបមារថា មេបនពេស្យាស្អប់រូបអ្នកដោយប្រ
ការណាមួយបន្ទាប់មកមេបនពេស្យាយកឈ្មោះ
អ្នកឬឈ្មោះសង្សារអ្នកដាក់ឧ្យស្រីពេស្យាម្នាក់
ដ៍ស្អាតសម្រាប់ទាក់ភ្ញៀវ។ ឈ្មោះអ្នកឬសង្សារ
អ្នកត្រូវបានគេប្រមាថដូចស្រីសំផឹង តើអ្នកពេញ
ចិត្តដែរឬទេ?
Before 1991, I sent tegramme to United Nations at least 3 times not to set IKT for the sake of Nation Reconciliation and to rebuilt the country.
If the IKT is proceeded, Kissinger, Thai, Viet...must be appeared at the trial......
Close the IKT. Let Cambodian people live peacefully in order to defend and to rebuilt their country.
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