Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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 Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:45 am Post subject: Khmer Rouge Killer Pulling an April Fools on us? |
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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10564591
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The Khmer Rouge's torture prison boss today stood up in court to apologise for his actions during Pol Pot's regime.
Survivors, victims families and other Cambodians who lost loved ones under the regime sat in deathly silence as Kaing Guek Eav, or Duch, addressed the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
Cambodians living in New Zealand lost relatives at Tuol Sleng or S21 prison where an estimated 17,000 people were detained, tortured and then executed.
Duch told the court he accepted responsibility for his actions and wanted to offer an "heartfelt" apology.
"I would like you to please leave an open window for me to seek forgiveness... when I recall the past I am very shocked."
However Duch emphasised that he was acting on orders and disagreed that it was his decision to order arrests and executions. He claimed he was a scapegoat and admitted having had only minimal involvement in torture.
"I regarded the lives of my own family (more) than those who were detained at S21."
New Zealander Kerry Hamill, brother of rower Rob Hamill, ended up at S21 when the yacht he and friends were sailing strayed into Cambodian waters in August 1978. One crewman, Canadian Stuart Glass, was shot while Mr Hamill and Briton John Dewhirst were taken for interrogation.
Mr Hamill wrote a 4000 word confession about involvement with the CIA, a typical story for many of the thousands incarcerated then executed.
Rob Hamill told NZPA it was good that Duch admitted what he did was wrong.
"Which is a far cry from what the other four accused are saying at this time. I accept his confession but am reminded of the considerable evidence suggesting that he took pleasure from his work."
"It should be noted that he didn't get that job by accident. It wasn't as if he just turned up one day and started butchering people for a living. He worked himself into the position and proved to the other Khmer Rouge leaders that he was an effective and clinical murderer."
...About 10 westerners were held at Tuol Sleng and later executed. The court was told yesterday of two incidents when five foreigners were burned in the streets of Phnom Penh, ....
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