Cambodia seeks to free souls of Khmer Rogue dead

Cambodian Buddhist monks walk in the former Khmer Rouge prison complex, known as S-21, of the Tuol Sleng genocide museum, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, April 8, 2009. Cambodia is remembering the souls of the thousands of citizens who perished in the notorious Tuol Sleng prison during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Taiwain News

Associated Press
2009-04-08

Cambodian officials and Buddhist monks gathered Wednesday in the building that once was the country's most notorious torture facility to honor the many who perished during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.

The hour-long Buddhist ceremony took place as the center's former warden, Kaing Guek Eav, testified during the second week of a U.N.-backed genocide tribunal aimed at getting justice for the estimated 1.7 million Cambodians who died under the Khmer Rouge.

The man better known as Duch _ who last week apologized to his victims and accepted responsibility for his crimes _ has spent the past two days detailing the torture techniques he used to force confessions from victims at the Tuol Sleng center, including tying prisoners to posts, beating them with tree branches and tossing them into communal pits.

As many as 16,000 men, women and children are believed to have been tortured there before being executed.

The Buddhist ceremony for the dead took place in the compound of the torture center, which has been converted into a genocide museum. Surrounded by photos of the Khmer Rouge leaders, four monks chanted prayers while 20 government officials stood in silence.

"We dedicate this ceremony to all people who died under the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, not only at Tuol Sleng," said Chey Sopheara, the museum's director. "May their souls rest in peace and be reborn in a new life."

Since some victims died of torture, Chey Sopheara said they were forced to "remain on earth" and the ceremony was aimed at setting their souls free.

Duch is the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to face trial, and the only one to apologize for his actions. Four more are in custody and are scheduled to be tried sometime over the next year.