Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Cambodia's Khmer Rouge quartet face trial




A Buddhist monk looks at portraits of victims killed in the former Khmer Rouge regime's S-21 security prison, presently known as Tuol Sleng genocide museum, in Phnom Penh
Standing before a UN-backed tribunal in Phnom Penh are four aging senior members of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge that ruled the country from 1975 to 1979.
In more than 30 years, the quartet—former President Khieu Samphan, "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary and former Social Affairs Minister Ieng Thirith—are facing justice for the first time, The Guardian stated.
They are accused of crimes against humanity, mass execution, exhaustion, religious persecution, starvation and torture that killed 1.7 million people, one-fourth of Cambodia's population.
Khmer Rouge was the name of the Communist Party of Kampuchea after its "year zero" revolution brought the darkest pages in the country's history.
The party was led by Pol Pot—who died in 1998 not facing trial—Samphan, Chea, Sary and Son Sen.
In 2010, the first Khmer Rouge member, Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, was sentenced to 35-year jail term but was later reduced to 19 years, Al Jazeera said.
Watch the attached YouTube video.
Details of this report here.
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