Third Quarter in 2011
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Magazine of the Documentation Center of Cambodia Searching for THE TRUTH Khmer Rouge Leaders Deserve Prosecution Photos Remind of the Past «I filed a civil party application because of the Special English Edition death of my parents and relatives and I want Third Quarter 2011 nothing but justice.» -- Hour Thol Searching for the truth. TABLE OF CONTENTS Magazine of the Documentation Center of Cambodia Special English Edition, Third Quarter 2011 LETTERS Khmer Rouge Leaders Deserve Prosecution ................1 Khieu Samphan Never Trust his People ........................3 Vann Nath: Witness of History ..........................................4 DOCUMENTATION Cambodia’s Hidden Scars .................................................6 Veal Veng: Before and Now ..............................................7 HISTORY Remained Faithful to Senior KR Leaders ......................9 History Shapes the Future ..............................................13 Photos Remind of the Past .............................................15 LEGAL Framing the Right to be Present in the ECCC ...........18 The Investigating Judges Within the ECCC .................23 Vann Nath;’s painting Protecting Confidential Investigations or ....................28 Copyright © Documentation Center of Cambodia PUBLIC DEBATE All rights reserved. Ieng Sary Must Remain on Trial ............................................46 Licensed by the Ministry of Information of Why Education Matters in the Legal Process ..................47 the Royal Government of Cambodia, Prakas No.0291 P.M99, ECCC Trial Chamber Fitness Hearing ...........................49 2 August 1999. Are the Accused in Case 002 .......................................56 Photographs by the Documentation Center of Cambodia FAMILY TRACING and Looking for my Parents and Siblings ...........................61 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Contributors: Vannak Sok, Dany Long, Kimberly G. Ang, Lise Reuss Muff, Krista L. Nelson, Kok-Thay Eng Andrew Cayley, Randle DeFalco, Terith Chy and Sok-Kheang Ly. Staff Writers: Bunthorn Som, Leakhena Tat, Sothida Sin. English Editor: Socheat Nhean. Editor-iin-CChief and Publisher: Youk Chhang. Graphic Designer: Sopheak Sim. Distributor: Sophat Morm. Email: [email protected], Homepage: www.dccam.org SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH LETTER LETTER FROM YOUK CHHANG: KHMER ROUGE LEADERS DESERVE PROSECUTION I translated Khieu Samphan's dissertation on this holiday the accused pray to Buddha and the Cambodia's Economy and Industrial Development monks, does it change them from what they were two into Khmer when I was in school in the United States. decades ago? Can Buddha and the monks relieve Professor Laura Summers, who had translated the them of their responsibility for the heinous crimes they original French into English, was kind enough to grant and their co-conspirators committed against millions of me permission to do so for school credit. Cambodian people? Can Buddha forgive their sins? I Like many other young Cambodians, I saw wonder if they will say anything to the monks—themselves Khieu Samphan as an educated person and found it targeted by the regime for elimination—beyond the difficult to believe that he was part of a regime lies they have repeated to victims for over thirty years. responsible for the deaths of over two million of my The Khmer Rouge leadership is still with us Khieu Samphan in the Courtroom in 2011 Khieu Samphan at the beach with Lao delegation during the state visit to Democratic Kampuchea fellow Cambodians between 1975 and 1979. today, as are their crimes against the people of However, though analyzing his dissertation, and Cambodia. The crimes are not about the past, but about through my subsequent decades of research on the today. Khieu Samphan claimed in his dissertation that Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, I have found that he and he joined the revolution because he wanted to make other Khmer Rouge leaders have lied about their the country independent and developed. Other Khmer responsibility for the crimes of the regime. Rouge leaders have offered similar excuses. Comparing The ancestor holiday (Phchum Ben) was in these statements with my research findings and my September this year, around the time the trial of the personal experiences under the regime, I can only former Khmer Rouge leaders, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith, wonder what they are talking about. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, will start. If during I witnessed a couple killed by Khmer Rouge DOCUMENTATION CENTER OF CAMBODIA (DC-CAM) 1 SPECIAL ENGLISH EDITION, THIRD QUARTER 2011 cadres at a public commune meeting in Preah Neth The Khmer Rouge leaders now talk of national Preah (The Eyes of Buddha) pagoda, then-Battambang reconciliation, of striving to consolidate peace and province. I saw hundreds of people die of starvation, progress, and of resolving people's poverty. The gall of including my own sister, and I have documented the such talk from the same people who wreaked havoc millions of others who died by execution, torture, on Cambodia defies comprehension. How can you forced labor, disease, and starvation under the Khmer reconcile with the people who killed your own family Rouge regime. The former leaders claim that no more members without a fair trial? What kind of "peace" can than one million Cambodians perished under the be "consolidated" in a nation where such matters Khmer Rouge. I wonder, have they ever visited their remain unresolved? Did the Khmer Rouge regime ever own secret prison, S-21 now know as the Tuol Sleng seek to reconcile with those who "served" the previous museum—only one among hundreds—where almost regime or their family members, or those who were 14,000 prisoners were tortured and executed? Do simply city dwellers, students, or merchants? Where they know that there are about 20,000 mass graves was their talk then of letting "bygones be bygones"? across the country? Where was the interest in national reconciliation or In the past, Khieu Samphan stated that he and the consolidation of peace then? The Khmer Rouge the Khmer Rouge leaders oppose the establishment leaders talked about progress, and then proceeded to of the Khmer Rouge tribunal. I wonder if they understand close the country off from the rest of the world, making the concept of justice. Justice during the Khmer everyone work in the fields without food and without Rouge regime meant that those who dared to express medicine to treat the sick. What is it that happened independent ideas or views were judged to be enemies during that time that they did not want to let the outside of the leadership, known only as "Angkar," and were world see, and which they deny having any knowledge subject to elimination. of now? Over and over again, the Khmer Rouge leadership The Khmer Rouge leaders talked about solving stressed that the good of the nation required the poverty and hunger, and I wonder why we did not pitiless slaughter of Cambodians by Cambodians. And have proper shelter and enough clothes to wear and they implemented their belief with a vengeance. food to eat under their regime, while in fact they were Justice under the Khmer Rouge regime meant exporting our national resources—gold and rice—abroad. being a "pure Khmer." As in all other things, the Angkar Perhaps they were too busy killing the almost 5,200 set itself up to judge this quality as well, concluding prisoners the regime murdered an average of every that those with education or light skin, or who dwelt week of their three years, eight months, and twenty in cities, were enemies. If you fell into one of these days in power to worry about the millions left to die categories, the Khmer Rouge would kill you or starve without food and medicine. you to death. The Khmer Rouge leadership is still denying The former leaders have also said that there will knowledge of the slaughter during their reign. On be turmoil if the Khmer leadership is ever brought to what basis should I believe Khieu Samphan and the trial. I wonder why they think so. Under the Khmer others? Do they look straight in the eyes of Buddha Rouge regime, people were forced to keep quiet. To when they pray? Are they respectful when they greet speak out was to invite death. At the same time, they the monks? Do they ask for forgiveness from their victims? forced us to make up lies about ourselves and about _________________________________ others so that they could justify their cruel regime. I Youk Chhang is the Director of the Documentation wonder if they understand the meaning of change Center of Cambodia and Editor-iin-CChief of Searching and development in a democratic society. for the Truth Magazine. DOCUMENTATION CENTER OF CAMBODIA (DC-CAM) 2 SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH LETTER KHIEU SAMPHAN NEVER TRUSTS HIS PEOPLE Socheat Nhean During the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) Khieu Samphan read his statement. regime, Khieu Samphan was constantly looking for Now Khieu Samphan wants justice. But during people who hated or disliked him. Those people were the DK period people were arrested, put into jails, considered internal enemies and were subject to be forced to confess and then executed without justice or eliminated. Today, Khieu Samphan has completely fair trial. During that time, Khieu Samphan pretended changed his views and thoughts of the people around to forget that those victims also wanted justice. him. Now he looks for his supporters, for those he At the courtroom, Khieu Samphan said justice trusts the most and who could provide testimony to can never be delivered if his witnesses do not testify. support him. However, during the DK regime, those who were Witness testimonies worry him the most. It was arrested not only did not have any witnesses to support not until he stood trial that he realized most people them, but they could not defend themselves either. who survived his regime were against him. Khieu He argued that "to make sure that this proceedings Samphan must have so many questions in his head. are smooth and proper and to make sure that the He should ask himself why those people are against truth is finally ascertained and that my honesty will be him while he always denies that his regime persecuted revealed, this can only be made if the court agree to and killed people.