First Khmer Rouge trial to begin
The first member of the Khmer Rouge to stand trial for crimes against humanity is to appear in the dock this week.
But Cambodia's 30-year wait for justice is far from over.
The first defendant, on Tuesday, is Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Comrade Duch, 66, a quietly spoken maths teacher turned chief executioner of the ultra-Maoist regime that ruled Cambodia between 1975-79.
Duch, pronounced "Doik", was the commandant of the S-21 prison, where supposed enemies of the regime were tortured in a former Phnom Penh high school before being driven to the killing fields and clubbed to death.
Legal experts consider the case a simple one. Now a born again Christian, Duch has confessed to his role and asked forgiveness. His handwriting is also found throughout the prison's archive, issuing orders to "smash" prisoners.
Only around 12 prisoners are known to have survived S-21. In a unique experiment victims of the Khmer Rouge will be represented in court by lawyers, with the right to ask questions and influence proceedings.
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)
But Cambodia's 30-year wait for justice is far from over.
The first defendant, on Tuesday, is Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Comrade Duch, 66, a quietly spoken maths teacher turned chief executioner of the ultra-Maoist regime that ruled Cambodia between 1975-79.
Duch, pronounced "Doik", was the commandant of the S-21 prison, where supposed enemies of the regime were tortured in a former Phnom Penh high school before being driven to the killing fields and clubbed to death.
Legal experts consider the case a simple one. Now a born again Christian, Duch has confessed to his role and asked forgiveness. His handwriting is also found throughout the prison's archive, issuing orders to "smash" prisoners.
Only around 12 prisoners are known to have survived S-21. In a unique experiment victims of the Khmer Rouge will be represented in court by lawyers, with the right to ask questions and influence proceedings.