Nuon Chea slams S-21 chief, then goes silent

Nuon Chea (l) attends a hearing at the ECCC. ECCC/Pool

Thursday, 19 April 2012
David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post

Brother No 2 Nuon Chea’s selective silence yesterday sparked heated exchanges at the Khmer Rouge tribunal after the war crimes suspect made a statement slamming a witness and then refused to answer questions.

Nuon Chea attacked former S-21 prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, for implicating him as a direct superior when testifying recently as a witness.

“I would like to inform the Cambodian people that I have never had [at] any time, ever been responsible for the operation of S-21. What Duch has accused me [of] has been untruthful,” Nuon Chea said.

But he subsequently refused to answer any questions, eliciting a swift rebuke from assistant prosecutor Dale Lysak and civil party lead co-lawyer Elisabeth Simonneau Fort.

Top KRouge accused denies role in torture prison

A Khmer Rouge leader on trial for crimes against humanity on Wednesday rejected claims from the regime's chief jailer as "untruthful", denying he was ever in charge of a torture prison.

Thursday 19 April 2012

Agence France-Presse

"Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea urged Cambodia's UN-backed court to ignore testimony by Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, who accused him of ordering the "smashing" of hundreds of inmates at the S-21 detention centre in the late 1970s.

"I would like to inform the Cambodian people that I have never at any time been responsible for the operation of S-21," said the former deputy leader of the brutal regime, which oversaw the deaths of up to two million people.

"What Duch has accused me of has been untruthful and very unjust towards me... I have never been Duch's superior," Nuon Chea read out from a prepared statement, challenging his accuser to provide the documents to prove otherwise.

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | Apr 18, 2012

Khmer Rouge leader denies role in torture prison

Former Khmer Rouge leader, 'Brother Number Two' Nuon Chea, sits in the courtroom in Phnom Penh Photo: MARK PETERS/AFP/Getty Images

A Khmer Rouge leader on trial for crimes against humanity on Wednesday rejected claims from the regime's chief jailer as "untruthful", denying he was ever in charge of a torture prison.

18 Apr 2012

AFP

"Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea urged Cambodia's UN-backed court to ignore testimony by Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, who accused him of ordering the "smashing" of hundreds of inmates at the S-21 detention centre in the late 1970s.

"I would like to inform the Cambodian people that I have never at any time been responsible for the operation of S-21," said the former deputy leader of the brutal regime, which oversaw the deaths of up to two million people.

"What Duch has accused me of has been untruthful and very unjust towards me ... I have never been Duch's superior," Nuon Chea read out from a prepared statement, challenging his accuser to provide the documents to prove otherwise.

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | April 5, 2012

Victims’ Reaction To Duch’s Testimony -- By Fatily Sa

Duch’s recall on defensive

Convicted S-21 prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, was on the stand again yesterday. (Photo Supplied)

Thursday, 05 April 2012
Kristin Lynch
The Phnom Penh Post

During five hours of heated cross-examination at the Khmer Rouge tribunal yesterday, Nuon Chea’s defence lawyer Michiel Pestman whittled away at the credibility of Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, attacking the veracity of the former S-21 prison chief’s testimony.

Over the past two weeks, Duch has identified Brother No 2 Nuon Chea as the key “decision-maker” in Democratic Kampuchea, the leader who received all S-21 prisoner confessions after 1977 and decided who was to be “smashed”, but Pestman yesterday attacked Duch’s testimony regarding this chain of command.

In several instances, Pestman produced S-21 prisoner confessions that had been annotated by Son Sen, not Nuon Chea, at the end of 1977. Duch has testified that Nuon Chea replaced Son Sen as his superior after August 15, 1977, and from then on, all prisoner confessions were forwarded directly to Nuon Chea.

“This document seems to suggest, like the other documents I showed you, that the [S-21 prisoner] confessions . . . went from you to Son Sen and from Son Sen to Pol Pot. Wouldn’t you agree?” Pestman asked Duch.

“I can neither agree nor deny the observation made by counsel,” Duch responded.

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | April 4, 2012

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | April 4, 2012 - Part 1 (Khmer) from Cambodia Tribunal Monitor on Vimeo.

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | April 4, 2012 - Part 2 (Khmer) from Cambodia Tribunal Monitor on Vimeo.

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | April 4, 2012 - Part 3 (Khmer) from Cambodia Tribunal Monitor on Vimeo.

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | April 4, 2012 - Part 4 (Khmer) from Cambodia Tribunal Monitor on Vimeo.

KRouge jailer says ex-leader called him 'very bad'

A photo taken and released by the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) shows former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav -- better known as Duch -- in the courtroom in Phnom Penh last month. Duch told a Cambodian war crimes court Monday that a top leader accused him three decades ago of being "very bad" for failing to destroy evidence at a torture prison.

2/04/2012
AFP

A convicted ex-Khmer Rouge jailer told a Cambodian war crimes court Monday that a top leader accused him three decades ago of being "very bad" for failing to destroy evidence at a torture prison.

Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, was in February sentenced on appeal to life in jail by the UN-backed court for overseeing the deaths of some 15,000 people at the notorious S-21 torture prison in Phnom Penh.

The former maths teacher is back on the stand this week to give evidence in the trial of three ex-leaders of the 1975-1979 regime, including his former boss "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea.

Duch told the judges that he informed Nuon Chea in the early 1980s that he had been forced to leave the S-21 documents behind during the chaotic final days of the regime, when Vietnamese forces ousted the Khmer Rouge.

Nuon Chea Ordered Torture of Prisoners, Duch Tells Tribunal

Thursday, 29 March 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“He said, ‘Comrade, clear them out.’”

Testifying for a seventh day before the Khmer Rouge tribunal, convicted prison chief Duch said he was ordered to torture prisoners by Nuon Chea, the regime’s chief ideologue, who is on trial for atrocity crimes.

Duch said Pol Pot, the leader of the secretive regime, told him not to use torture as an interrogation measure, as more and more suspected spies and informants were brought to the prison he ran, S-21.

Three days later, Nuon Chea ordered him to extract confessions under torture, Duch said.

Duch is helping prosecutors describe the inner workings of the regime as they seek to tie three suspects—Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, and Ieng Sary—to atrocity crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge under their leadership.

Duch said Nuon Chea also ordered him to execute all remaining prisoners at S-21 as Vietnamese-led forces ousted the Khmer Rouge from the power and pushed them out of the capital.

ឌុច៖ នួន ជា ជា​អ្នក​បញ្ជា​ឲ្យ​សម្លាប់​មនុស្ស​នៅ​ទួល​ស្លែង - Duch: Nuon Chea ordered the killings in Tuol Sleng

សវនាការ​របស់​សាលាក្ដី​ខ្មែរក្រហម នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី ២៨ មីនា ឆ្នាំ ២០១២ អង្គ​ជំនុំជម្រះ​នៅ​បន្ត​សួរ​ដេញដោល​សាក្សី ឌុច នៅ​ឡើយ​ទេ។

2012-03-29
ដោយ ឡេង ម៉ាលី
Radio Free Asia

សាក្សី កាំង ហ្កេក​អ៊ាវ ហៅ ឌុច បាន​ប្រាប់​អង្គ​ជំនុំជម្រះ​ថា ជន​ជាប់​ចោទ នួន ជា បាន​បញ្ជា​ឱ្យ​សម្លាប់​អ្នកទោស​ទួល​ស្លែង​ទាំង​អស់​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ចុង​ក្រោយ​នៃ​របប​កម្ពុជា​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ។

សាក្សី ឌុច បញ្ជាក់​ដូច្នេះ គឺ​នៅ​ពេល​ឆ្លើយ​តប​នឹង​សំណួរ​របស់​សហ​ព្រះរាជអាជ្ញា ដែល​បាន​សួរ ឌុច ថា តើ​មន្ទីរ ស២១ ឬ​គុក​ទួល​ស្លែង​បិទ​ទ្វារ​នៅ​ពេល​ណា៖ «ស-២១ បើ​និយាយ​ពី​បិទ​ទ្វារ​ពិបាក​និយាយ​ណាស់។ បើ​និយាយ​អំពី​បញ្ជា​បង នួន ឱ្យ​កម្ទេច​មនុស្ស​ឱ្យ​អស់ គឺ​ប្រហែល​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ ៣ ខែ​មករា ឆ្នាំ ១៩៧៩។ ម៉ោង ១១ រថក្រោះ​វៀតណាម​មក​ដល់​មុខ​ផ្ទះ​ខ្ញុំ។ ម៉ោង ៣ យើង​ខ្ញុំ​ចេញ​ពី ស-២១ ទៅ​សាលា​សន្សំ​កុសល។ អត់​មាន​បិទ​ទ្វា​ទេ គឺ​រត់​ចេញ​តែ​ម្ដង។ មេ​រត់​ចោល​បាត់»។

របាយការណ៍​ពី​មន្ទីរ ស-២១ ឬ​គុក​ទួល​ស្លែង ដែល​សហ​ព្រះរាជ​អាជ្ញា​លើក​ឡើង បាន​បង្ហាញ​អំពី​អ្នក​ទោស​ជាង ១ ម៉ឺន ២ ពាន់​នាក់ ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ឃុំ​ខ្លួន ធ្វើ​ទារុណកម្ម និង​សម្លាប់​ចោល បន្ទាប់​ពី​យក​ចម្លើយ​រួច។

សាក្សី ឌុច បាន​បន្ត​ថា បញ្ជី​ឈ្មោះ​អ្នក​ទោស​ជាង ១ ម៉ឺន​នាក់​នោះ គឺ​ចាប់​តាំង​ពី​ខែ​មេសា ឆ្នាំ ១៩៧៥ ដល់​ឆ្នាំ ១៩៧៩។

Duch claimed that proof fall on Nuon Chea’s lap

Duch (L) and Nuon Chea (R)

28 March 2012
By Leng Maly
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

During the KR Tribunal hearing held on 27 March, the co-prosecutors raised a number of documents related to S-21 (Tuol Sleng) reports to question Duch in order to pinpoint the accused.

Raising the S-21 reports with Duch was done to seek proof showing relationships between S-21 and the KR leaders, in particular Nuon Chea, the 2nd top leader of the KR regime.

Duch confirmed at the hearing about the writing found on a number of documents showed Nuon Chea’s involvement in 1977: “On the top box, on the left hand side, it is written: ‘Not read yet. One copy for Brother Nuon 11 Nov. 1977’. That’s the handwriting of Son Sen, my boss. Regarding the word ‘Brother Nuon’, it is directed to Mr. Nuon Chea.”

Nuon Chea ‘controlled’ nation: Duch

Former S-21 prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, aka Duch, stands in a dock at the Khmer Rouge tribunal. Photo by Eccc/ Pool

Thursday, 22 March 2012
Kristin Lynch
The Phnom Penh Post

“Brother No 1 Pol Pot and Brother No 2 Nuon Chea controlled the whole country”

It was a rough day in court for Brother No 2 yesterday as nearly five hours of testimony by Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, laid much high-level decision-making blame at Nuon Chea’s feet.

In the former S-21 prison director’s third day on the stand this week, co-prosecutors at the Khmer Rouge tribunal continued to depict a heavily centralised decision-making process within the Communist Party of Kampuchea.

International deputy co-prosecutor William Smith asked Duch to explain the concept of “democratic centralism” as described in a party statute from 1971.

“Democratic centralization means subordinates had to respect the superior and upper-level cadres,” Duch explained.

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | March 21, 2012

Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | March 21, 2012 - Part 1 (Khmer) from Cambodia Tribunal Monitor on Vimeo.


Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | March 21, 2012 - Part 2 (Khmer) from Cambodia Tribunal Monitor on Vimeo.


Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | March 21, 2012 - Part 3 (Khmer) from Cambodia Tribunal Monitor on Vimeo.


Evidentiary Hearing in Case 002 | March 21, 2012 - Part 4 (Khmer) from Cambodia Tribunal Monitor on Vimeo.

Khmer Rouge jailer testifies at trial

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, March 21 (UPI) -- Convicted Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, says he reported to one of three surviving Khmer Rouge leaders on trial in Cambodia.

Duch, testifying Tuesday at a U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal, said little could be done during the regime without direct orders from a superior, The Phnom Penh Post reported.

Duch said he reported to defendant Nuon Chea, deputy leader to Pol Pot and known as Brother No. 2 in the brutal regime.

"I met Nuon Chea and I reported to him on a regular basis," said Duch, who was convicted of being responsible for more than 12,000 deaths.

Nuon interrupted Duch's testimony and attempted to discredit him as a witness, the newspaper said.

Pol Pot, Nuon Chea Had Power in Khmer Rouge: Duch

In this photo released by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge's chief jailer Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who ran the notorious Toul Sleng prison, listens to testimony at the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Tuesday, March 20, 2012. (Photo: AP)

Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“We could not refuse the upper echelon’s decisions.”

Convicted Khmer Rouge torture chief Duch told the UN-backed tribunal on Wednesday that only Pol Pot and his lieutenant, Nuon Chea, had power in administering the regime, as his testimony at the court continued Wednesday.

Duch has been testifying in the atrocity crimes case against Nuon Chea and two other leaders, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary, helping prosecution explain the administrative aspect of the secretive regime.

Earlier this week, he called on all three men to admit their guilt and apologize to the victims of the Khmer Rouge, as he did in his own trial before ultimately receiving a life sentence for his role as chief of Tuol Sleng prison, where more than 12,000 people were tortured and sent to their execution.

Duch said Wednesday that Pol Pot and Nuon Chea “monopolized” decisions on “policy, commerce, the economy and the military.”

Nuon Chea Team Says He Will Not Participate in Afternoons at Court

In this photo released by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, Nuon Chea, center, who was Pol Pot's No. 2 and the group's chief ideologist, sits during the second trial of the top leaders of Khmer Rouge in the court hall of the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, file photo. (Photo: EPA)

Thursday, 15 March 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

"Duch will testify on Monday morning, all of Tuesday, Wednesday morning and all of Thursday."

Proceedings at the Khmer Rouge tribunal took an unexpected turn on Thursday, when defense attorneys for Nuon Chea said the court should reschedule the testimony of torture chief Kaing Kek Iev for the mornings only because Noun Chea would not participate in his trial in the afternoons.

Kaing Kek Iev, better known as Duch, is scheduled to testify at the court on Monday in the atrocity crimes trial of Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary.

Prosecutors have sought to tie the three men in joint criminal acts for the crimes committed by Khmer Rouge cadre under their leadership, and Duch is expected to give testimony on the administrative structure of the regime.

On Thursday, Nuon Chea defense attorney Michiel Pestman told the court his client has a right to confront the witness and challenge testimony, but he would not do so in the afternoons.

Khmer Rouge ‘Confrontation’ Postponed

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
20 November 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio aired on 18 November 2008
Click here to listen to the Khmer audio aired on 19 November 2008

A confrontation hearing between jailed Khmer Rouge leaders Duch and Nuon Chea at the Khmer Rogue tribunal was postponed this week.

Duch, who ran the infamous Tuol Sleng prison and is due to be tried early next year, has said Nuon Chea, the movement’s chief ideologue, ordered the more than 12,000 killings at the prison.

Nuon Chea’s lawyer, Son Arun, said he told the investigating judges he “was not ready” and the documentation of the case included thousands of pages.

Investigating judges say they will have the two confront each other in a private hearing.

A postponed date was not announced.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking UN official has canceled his visit, where he was expected to discuss the tribunal’s ongoing corruption allegations.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Peter Taksoe-Jensen was expected to meet Council Minister Sok An, but he said Wednesday the trip was postponed “to find a suitable meeting date with the Cambodian authorities.”

Former Rebels Could Confront Each Other

Prison chief Kaing Kek Iev (L), or Duch, could confront Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea (R), in a hearing this weekend.

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
18 November 2008

Investigating judges of the Khmer Rouge tribunal hope to hold a nonpublic hearing wherein two former regime leaders will confront each other, a judge said.

Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Kek Iev will confront the senior-most surviving leader, Nuon Chea, investigating judge You Bunleng said.

The two will need to give concurrent testimony over accusations made by Kaing Kek Iev, better known as Duch, that Nuon Chea masterminded the killings of Tuol Sleng, where at least 12,000 people were interned before being executed, sources said.

“We need to make it transparent, as one has accused the other,” You Bunleng said. He would not confirm the nature of the accusations or the date of the inquiry.

Sources said the hearing could be held this weekend.

Duch defense lawyer Ka Savuth confirmed a hearing was planned, but he declined to give any details.

Nuon Chea’s defender, Son Arun, said he was consulting with this international counterpart and client about the judges’ plan, but he declined to elaborate.

If either defendant refuses a confrontation, “I could not force them,” You Bunleng said.

Duch, who faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, is expected to be the first of five leaders to face trial, early in 2009. He was the direct subordinate of Son Sen, the Khmer Rouge’s minister of defense, who died in Anlong Veng in 1997 and reported to Nuon Chea.

Nuon Chea was Pol Pot’s lieutenant, and went by the name “Brother No. 2.”