Better late than never I guess. There's only about 5 of these top people left alive to prosecute. Pete
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PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Chief Khmer Rouge inquisitor Duch appeared before Cambodia's "Killing Fields" tribunal on Tuesday, the first of Pol Pot's henchmen to be questioned over the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people.
Duch, also know as Kang Kek Ieu, has confessed to committing multiple atrocities during this time as head of Phnom Penh's notorious Tuol Sleng, or S-21, interrogation centre.
He is expected to be a key witness in the trial of other senior Khmer Rouge cadres.
The 65-year-old, who has been in military prison in the southeast Asian nation's capital since 1999, faced investigating judges at a closed-door meeting attended by his lawyer and translator, a spokesman for the joint Cambodian-United Nations tribunal said.
The long-awaited $56.3 million tribunal into atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 reign of terror has its own detention centre on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
It remains unclear whether Duch will be transferred to the purpose-built prison while Cambodian and international judges investigate prosecution allegations.
At least 14,000 people deemed to be opponents of Pol Pot's "Year Zero" revolution passed through Tuol Sleng's barbed-wire gates. Fewer than 10 are thought to have lived to tell the tale.
Most victims were tortured and forced to confess to a variety of crimes -- mainly being CIA spies -- before being bludgeoned to death in a field on the outskirts of the city. Women, children and even babies were among those butchered.
Earlier this month, prosecutors lodged formal cases against five suspects, who have not been named.
Besides Duch, they are widely thought to be "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary, former president Khieu Samphan and Meas Muth, a son-in-law of Pol Pot's military chief Ta Mok, who died last year.
Pol Pot died in April 1998 in Along Veng, a final Khmer Rouge redoubt in jungle-clad mountains along the Thai border.
"Killing Fields" judges grill first suspect
"Killing Fields" judges grill first suspect
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
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Bamboo Grove
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Just visited both the prison and the killing fields last month. Quite depressive places. I don´t think justice will be done, no matter what kind of sentence he or the others get. Less than four years and almost 2,000,000 people dead. How does one compensate that?
Back in Bamboo Grove
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PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - For Chum Manh, one of only a handful of Cambodians to have survived the Khmer Rouge's most notorious interrogation camp, seeing his former tormentor caged on charges of crimes against humanity is not enough.
The 77 year-old wants to confront Duch, the head of Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng, or S-21, detention centre, and find out what drove him to torture and then butcher so many thousands of his fellow countrymen under Pol Pot's "Year Zero" revolution.
"As a Buddhist, I don't want to avenge violence with more violence," said Chum Manh, who lost his wife and baby during the ultra-Maoist movement's 1975-79 reign of terror.
"But I do want to hear a public apology for what he did," he told Reuters. "He was the one who ordered the prison guards to torture us. I want to challenge him at his trial and ask him why he treated us so badly in the prison."
Duch, also known as Kang Kek Ieu, was charged formally on Tuesday with crimes against humanity and detained by a joint Cambodian-United Nations tribunal investigating the atrocities of the "Killing Fields" and their 1.7 million victims.
A former schoolteacher and born-again Christian, the 65-year-old Duch was the first of Pol Pot's henchmen to appear before the tribunal set up to prosecute "those most responsible" for one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century.
More than 14,000 people are known to have passed through the barbed-wire gates of Tuol Sleng, the Phnom Penh high school that became the Khmer Rouge's main interrogation centre. Fewer than 10 are thought to have lived to tell the tale.
Most victims were tortured and forced to confess to a variety of crimes -- mainly being CIA spies -- before being bludgeoned to death in a field on the outskirts of the city. Women, children and even babies were among those butchered.
Even though all of Cambodia's 13 million people have relatives or forebears who perished under the Khmer Rouge, some say the trial is raking up a past best left untouched -- especially since many managed to survive only by collaborating.
"My anger towards the Khmer Rouge has waned over time," said 70-year-old May Ron, who lost six relatives under the regime. "Let bygones be bygones."
Last month, prosecutors lodged formal cases against five top Khmer Rouge suspects, but did not name them.
Besides Duch, they are widely thought to be "Brother Number Two" Noun Chea, former Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister Ieng Sary, former President Khieu Samphan and Meas Muth, a son-in-law of Pol Pot's military chief Ta Mok, who died last year.
"Brother Number One" Pol Pot died in April 1998 in Anlong Veng, a final Khmer Rouge redoubt in jungle-clad mountains on the Thai border.
The 77 year-old wants to confront Duch, the head of Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng, or S-21, detention centre, and find out what drove him to torture and then butcher so many thousands of his fellow countrymen under Pol Pot's "Year Zero" revolution.
"As a Buddhist, I don't want to avenge violence with more violence," said Chum Manh, who lost his wife and baby during the ultra-Maoist movement's 1975-79 reign of terror.
"But I do want to hear a public apology for what he did," he told Reuters. "He was the one who ordered the prison guards to torture us. I want to challenge him at his trial and ask him why he treated us so badly in the prison."
Duch, also known as Kang Kek Ieu, was charged formally on Tuesday with crimes against humanity and detained by a joint Cambodian-United Nations tribunal investigating the atrocities of the "Killing Fields" and their 1.7 million victims.
A former schoolteacher and born-again Christian, the 65-year-old Duch was the first of Pol Pot's henchmen to appear before the tribunal set up to prosecute "those most responsible" for one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century.
More than 14,000 people are known to have passed through the barbed-wire gates of Tuol Sleng, the Phnom Penh high school that became the Khmer Rouge's main interrogation centre. Fewer than 10 are thought to have lived to tell the tale.
Most victims were tortured and forced to confess to a variety of crimes -- mainly being CIA spies -- before being bludgeoned to death in a field on the outskirts of the city. Women, children and even babies were among those butchered.
Even though all of Cambodia's 13 million people have relatives or forebears who perished under the Khmer Rouge, some say the trial is raking up a past best left untouched -- especially since many managed to survive only by collaborating.
"My anger towards the Khmer Rouge has waned over time," said 70-year-old May Ron, who lost six relatives under the regime. "Let bygones be bygones."
Last month, prosecutors lodged formal cases against five top Khmer Rouge suspects, but did not name them.
Besides Duch, they are widely thought to be "Brother Number Two" Noun Chea, former Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister Ieng Sary, former President Khieu Samphan and Meas Muth, a son-in-law of Pol Pot's military chief Ta Mok, who died last year.
"Brother Number One" Pol Pot died in April 1998 in Anlong Veng, a final Khmer Rouge redoubt in jungle-clad mountains on the Thai border.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Been there
and found it to be just a tourist attraction
Sure, many suffered and died but the plastic bones round the 'killing fields' put me off and the hundreds of Nippon photographers taking it all in made me feel sick
and found it to be just a tourist attraction
Sure, many suffered and died but the plastic bones round the 'killing fields' put me off and the hundreds of Nippon photographers taking it all in made me feel sick
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
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Bamboo Grove
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An interesting article about Thai-Cambodian relations in the 70´s
http://research.yale.edu/ycias/database/files/GS21.pdf
http://research.yale.edu/ycias/database/files/GS21.pdf
Back in Bamboo Grove
http://bamboogrovestories.blogspot.com/
http://bamboogrovestories.blogspot.com/
That's a long read Boo-G (I changed your abbreviation 
). Well worth it though and it's saved until I can get to it in full. Pete 
). Well worth it though and it's saved until I can get to it in full. Pete Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source