7 February 2008The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 546
“Phnom Penh: Nuon Chea, 82 years old, former leader No. 2 in the Democratic Kampuchea Regime, answered the questions of the co-judges of the Extraordinary Chamber very bravely without being horrified.
“When the hearing was postponed due to the absence of his co-attorney, Mr. Nuon Chea blamed the co-judges of the Extraordinary Court, saying ‘if you knew that my lawyer is absent, why is this hearing still going on. I already said that I need three co-lawyers, if one of them is absent, it is impossible to have a hearing. But if the hearing is still forcefully conducted by violating my right to have my co-attorneys present, the court is not maintaining justice in line with international standards.’
“Nuon Chea has been charged by the Extraordinary Court with crimes against humanity (killing, torturing, detaining, abusing people, committing genocide, evacuating and forcefully exiling people, putting people in slavelike conditions, and other inhuman acts).
“In the closed room where the co-judges questioned Nuon Chea, he eloquently answered the co-judges’ questions and denied all charges of crimes against humanity against him. Nuon Chea rejected the accusations against him by saying, ‘If I had committed what I have been charged, I would be very ashamed about what I have committed.’ Nuon Chea said, ‘I never had communication with the grassroots, so I have no idea what had happened.’ Nuon Chea continued that the real power in the Democratic Kampuchea regime was in the hands of the Military Committee, but he was not in that committee. Nuon Chea added, ‘I was a member on the receiving side of legislative power; I never made any law to kill my own nation. About 40 of my family members were also killed in the events during that era. I would like to deny all these statements being made again and again about 1.7 million victims having been killed during the Democratic Kampuchea regime, but no one ever talks about the killings committed by other people before 1975 or after 1979.’ Nuon Chea answered the co-judges’ questions, saying that the status of provisional detention was not adequate, ‘because since I led the integration [of one Khmer Rouge faction] into the Cambodian government, I had stayed freely, and no problem has happened. I have not any intention to destroy evidence or to put pressure on anybody, because I have never had any violent behavior; moreover I used to be monk. On the other hand, I have never been threatened by anybody. Quite to the contrary, I got many signs of love from the people in the area where I lived. Besides that, I had stayed along the Thai border for many years, so I had a lot of opportunities to easily escape if I had wanted to do that.’
“Nuon Chea explained to the judges, ‘I would like to clarify for all Cambodian people and for all people around the world who is the real enemy of Cambodia, by stating that patriots persons are not cowards, and I do not accept to have the country’s honor downgraded.’ The above is Nuon Chea’s answer to the co-judges of the Extraordinary Court.
“The above answers seem to claim that Nuon Chea knew nothing about the death of millions of Cambodian people during the Democratic Kampuchea regime, when he was in power. But even though Nuon Chea denied these events, the co-judges already charged him for crimes against humanity and serious violations of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, to be punished, based on articles 5, 6, new 29, and new 39 of the Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary Court, dated 27 October 2007.
“Nuon Chea was born on 7 January 1926 in Wat Kor village and Wat Kor commune, Sangke, Battambang. Nuon Chea can speak five languages: French, English, Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese. Nuon Chea father’s name is Lao Liv (deceased), his mother’s name is Dos Panh (deceased), his wife’s name is Ly Kimseng (alive), Nuon Chea has three children who are staying in Phsar Prum village, Khan Pailin, Pailin.”
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1564, 6-11.2.2008
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