COMMENTARY: Today’s Verdict of the ECCC Is a Resounding Success of the Model Court in Cambodia

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) on August 7, 2014 has reached a milestone with the delivery of the verdict in case 002/01against Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea indicted for (i) the evacuation of an estimate of between 1.5 to 2.6 million people of Phnom Penh to the countryside from the morning of April 17, 1975, (ii) the subsequent movement of nearly 1 million people between different regions of the country between late 1975 and continuing to 1976 and 1977, and (iii) the execution of former high ranking and provincial officials of Lon Nol regime at Tuol Po Chrey execution site from 1975 through to 1977 where from 2,000 to 3,000 were massacred. Tuol Po Chrey is located in the province of Pursat. Khieu Samphan was the president of the state presidium of Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge) from 1976 until 1979. Nuon Chea was former chief ideologist of Khmer Rouge. Both were convicted life imprisonment for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

It is worth mentioning that in February 2012, the judgment of the case 001 was delivered with the conviction of the director of the notorious S-21 prison Kaing Guek Eav, aka Duch for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

In 1997 under the request of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) with the United Nations (UN) to assist Cambodia in establishing a trial to prosecute senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge, the ECCC was established on the basis that there must be no impunity for the most serious international crimes.

On various occasions, His Excellency Dr. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers informed official foreign visitors and score of meetings of Cambodian officials and people since the establishment of the ECCC that the trial of the leaders of senior Khmer Rouge will leave a profound “sense of remembrance and non-recurrence” of the regime of terror of the Khmer Rouge in the heart and mind of the Cambodian people and all the people worldwide.

Concerning the functioning of the ECCC, the remarkable judicial process which had been proven to be independent and meeting the international standard of due process for the defendants until the delivery of the judgment are the affirmation that the efforts of the UN and the RGC and the assistance by many countries, friends of the ECCC would have been viewed to be a collective success of all the people involved in the service of mankind.

His Excellency Dr. Sok An Deputy Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia and Mr. Stephen Mathias, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs of the United Nations have issued a Joint Statement soon after the delivery of the judgment to express their deep appreciation to judges and prosecutors, lawyers, court officials and staff, both national and international who have contributed to this process. They were both optimistic about the long-term commitment, both internationally and nationally, to provide ECCC with the necessary resources to ensure that justice is done for the people of Cambodia.

Undoubtedly, the ECCC is the model court that will leave a legacy in rendering justice to the victims of the genocide. It is a warning that those who committed crimes against humanity and war crimes wherever they are, on which continents they live, justice will find them and through due process in the court of law they will pay for their crimes like Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea.

August 7, 2014

Professor Pen Ngoeun, Advisor

University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Pngoeun@puthisastra.edu.kh

ប្រវត្តិរបស់មហាក្សត្រីអង្គមុី ឬអង្គមិញ ដែលយួនលើកបន្តប់ជាមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរទី៩៧

ព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមីុ ឬ អង្គមេញ ទ្រង់ជាមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរទី៩៧ នៃរាជាណាចក្រខ្មែរឧដុង្គ ទ្រង់គឺជាអ្នកមានអំណាចម្នាក់នៅក្នុងចំនោមស្ត្រីបីនាក់នៅសម័យនោះដែរ។ ព្រះនាងត្រូវបានវៀតណាមលើកឲ្យក្លាយជាព្រះមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរ នៅក្នុងអំឡុងពេលដែលក្រុងកម្ពជាមានសង្រ្គាមជាមួយសៀម។ ព្រះនាង គឺជាសែលោហិតរាជវង្សនរោត្តម មិនតែប៉ុណ្ណោះទេទ្រង់មានឥសរយស្សជា សម្តេចសិល្បៈករប្រចាំក្រុងកម្ពុជានាសម័យនោះ ព្រះអង្គឡើងគ្រោងរាជចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ (១៨៣៥-១៨៤១) ព្រះអង្គសោយរាជ្យបានរយៈពេល៦ឆ្នាំ។ ព្រះអង្គឡើងសោយរាជ្យបន្តពីព្រះបាទឧទ័យរាជា (ព្រះ បាទឧទ័យរាជា ជាទទៅនៅសម័យនោះគេហៅព្រអង្គថាអង្គច័ន្ទ) ទ្រង់ឡើងសោយរាជ្យបន្តពីបិតារបស់ព្រះអង្គ គឺព្រះអង្គអេង។ នៅរាជសម័យបន្ទាប់ពីព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមុី គឺព្រះបាទហរិរះរាមាឥសារាធិបតី ដែលយើងស្គាល់គ្រប់គ្នាគឺ ព្រះបាទអង្គឌួង ព្រះអង្គប្រសូត្រនៅឆ្នាំ១៧៩៦ ហើយសោយទីវង្គត់ នៅខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ ១៨៦០ ក្នុងព្រះជន ៦៤ព្រះវវស្សា ព្រះអង្គគឺជាក្សត្រមួយអង្គដែលបានសង្រ្គោះកម្ពុជាពីកន្តាប់ដៃសៀមនឹងវៀតណាម។ ព្រះអង្គឡើងសោយរាជចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ ១៨៤៧ ដល់ ១៨៦០។ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមីុ សោយទិវង្គត់នៅ ក្នុងខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ១៨៧៤ ក្នុងព្រះជន្មាយុ ៥៩ ព្រះវវស្សា ក្ន...

សារលិខិតរំលែកទុក្ខរបស់ ឯកឧត្តម Kim Sung-Hwan រដ្ឋមន្រ្តីការបរទេសនៃសាធារណរដ្ឋកូរ៉េ ជូន សមេ្តចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី នៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា

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