Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) - “It is an unhealed wound in the country: the nation has not fully recovered after the terrible genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979. Memory is important for justice and reconciliation. But also in looking to the future with renewed hope,” Fides was told by a source in the local Church of Cambodia, in commenting on the resumption of the trial of the Khmer Rouge.
In fact in recent days, the hearings have begun for the final conclusions of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), the court established with the support of the UN, to judge the crimes committed by former leaders of Democratic Kampuchea. The rulings, however, must wait until next year. Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, former director of the detention center S-21, where over 15 thousand people were arrested, tortured, and killed, was the first defendant to be heard.
The international prosecutor, William Smith, has asked that Douch, on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, receive a sentence of 40 years in prison.
Douch, age 67, admitted in court to "being a member of the forces of Pol Pot" and being "mentally responsible in front of the entire Cambodian population.” The man had repeatedly called for forgiveness, saying they had no choice but to follow orders, otherwise he would have been killed. The defensive strategy of the accused is to deny any personal involvement in torture, killings, and arrests.
The end of the court process, the first to be held against a former member of the Khmer Rouge regime, which itself caused the death of 1,700,000 people, is scheduled for March 2010 and could be, Fides sources say, "a key step for history and for national memory, closing a dark page and unveiling promising prospects." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 26/11/2009)
