Warning – Graphic Images: Khmer Rouge Trial Ensues Decades Later…Justice Subverted?
- Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:03am by
Tiffany Gabbay
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The unspeakable atrocities committed by Pol Pot and his Communist Khmer Rouge party against the Cambodian people will live in infamy as one of the most heartrending abominations in history. Even to this day, Cambodians reportedly still suffer the effects of the four-year long communist-driven massacre. And even after the Mao-inspired Pol Pot was apprehended, he still instructed the Khmer to carry out its brutalities for years to come from beyond his prison cell.
Sadly, justice was never really served for the Cambodian people. Pol Pot died an infirm man in prison in 1998, never having been put on trial. Likewise, the Khmer’s leading officials either fled or also died in prison, escaping trial. There was no Nuremberg moment for the Cambodians. But now, a UN tribunal formed with the “Extraordinary Chambers” in the Courts of Cambodia is currently trying the top remaining officials of the Khmer Rouge. The key word, however, is “remaining.” Obviously, the ones on trial are now ailing octogenarians.
FrontPage reports:
The court trying four of the surviving leaders of the Cambodian Communist Party is a joint creation of the United Nations and Cambodia. The defendants in the ongoing trial are “Brother Number Two” Nuon Chea, head of state Khieu Samphan, foreign minister Ieng Sary, and Sary’s wife, the minister of social action, Ieng Thirith. The charges against the foursome include genocide, crimes against humanity, religious persecution, war crimes, torture, and murder. The regime’s leader, Pol Pot, died of a heart attack in the custody of fellow Communist guerrillas in 1998.
The trial overflows with controversy. The visual of the infirm accused—with Pol Pot deputy Nuon Chea even wearing a winter cap in the air-conditioned courtroom to go along with his ever-present sunglasses—departing the proceedings for the comfort of their cells has provoked competing reactions. Adding jail time to the punishment of Father Time appears as overkill to some. Others have difficulty finding sympathy for people who engineered the murders of so many. With the ages of the defendants ranging from 79 to 84, whatever time they spend behind bars will certainly be brief.
Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, himself a former Khmer Rouge soldier, has pressured the court to refrain from instigating additional trials. The unannounced decision not to pursue more cases sparked several resignations among the special tribunal’s legal staff and cast a cloud over the process. A proposed “Case 3” would have targeted Sou Met and Meas Mut, who now serve as generals in Hun Sen’s army. The squashing of these indictments, along with an earlier sentence reduction for the lone Khmer Rouge official convicted of crimes relating to the late-’70s regime, provokes speculation of whether impartial justice is possible for the Communist killers in a country essentially run by their former comrades.
For such heinous crimes against humanity, this certainly seems to fall painfully short.
While the exact numbers defy calculation — under the direction of Pol Pot from the mid to late 1970′s, the Khmer Rouge systematically slaughtered an estimated 1.5 to 2 million Cambodians — roughly 20 percent of the country’s population. For Pol Pot’s agrarian society to work, Cambodians were turned into slave laborers. The poor were pitted against the rich, husbands against wives, and the fiercely atheist Khmer saw to it no one of faith would survive. Muslims, Christians and Buddhists alike were murdered en masse. In fact, under the Khmer, the population of Buddhist monks fell from 60,000 to 1,000. The “handicapped,“ the ”intellectual,“ the ”religious,“ the ”independent,“ the ”wealthy,“ the ”weak“ and ”old,” all were targets. People who wore eyeglasses were summarily executed simply on the basis that, to Pol Pot, eyeglasses were a symbol of two big no-no’s: wealth and intelligence.
In order to bring about Pol Pot’s “utopia” no “undesirable” — who, for Pol Pot, was everyone with whom he disagreed — was spared during the Khmer’s expansive purging efforts. In the wake of Pol Pot’s killing fields — such a chapter of human suffering and degradation — does this tribunal even come close to what the Cambodians deserve?
In this case, perhaps justice deferred is justice denied.
Warning: the following photos contain graphic images
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Comments (94)
Swancman
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 8:05amAnother example of the legacy of Communism. How can people support a backwater, ****** system like Communism that results in the deaths of millions?
Report Post »chdorb
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 7:52amWhat‘s the difference in this and eric holder’s decision not to persue charges against the new black panthers for voter intimidation.
Report Post »LarryofArabia
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 7:32amI dont care how old they are. In fact, I’d be pleased with making the rest of theur days as miserable as possible.
Age has nothing to do with punishment – crime has everything to do with punishment. They people KILLED 1/4 of their own people. 1/4… can you imagine the scale? Thats more than 1 million people because at the time of the genocide, Cambodia had roughly a little more than 4 million.
Execute them… immediately, if not sooner.
By the way – Thanks Barry for the 9.2. You’re on a roll!
Report Post »avenger
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 8:30pmyes very sad,however the fkng communists (soviet union) butchered 100 MILLION + over 70 years.I think the radicals in the USA are envious and planning for their own paradise here.
Report Post »Mainer forever
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 7:31amI can only hope that there is a “special warm place” in Hell for Pol Pot and Mao.
Report Post »ExpertShot
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 7:23amI remember in the late 70′s, two boys about my age from Laos were hosted by my next door neighbors through their church until the rest of their family came. I was too young to understand back then why they were here but as I got older, I realized they were fleeing from the area b/c of Pol Pot & his regime. I sometimes wonder whatever happened to them & if they were able to return to their country. I wish more young people (they‘d be in their late 30’s-early 40′s now) from that area who were able to escape would testify as to the atrocities they witnessed so as to educate the current class of “useful idiots” that are in academia now that communism doesn’t work, never has, never will.
Report Post »ginger100
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 6:58amYep I’m ready for the left wing Islamic commie in power to start the American Killing Fields. Probably out on the golf course right now plotting on how many more people will lose their jobs so they can make a grab for utopia.
Report Post »Alfredo2131
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 6:47am“Phoci and Dor in Boeotia”
“Of First: Phoci rise-epith to Dor. Dor epith-rise on Phoci. Many valor to dark.
Dor-many home in Boeotia . Phocis less to home-some in Boetia-down and look up.”
“Tanagra and Gerania in Megara.”
“Of Second: In Tanagra–Ath and Arg rise-epith to Spar. Spar epith-rise on Ath and Arg. Many valor to dark. Ath and Arg less to home. Spa more to home. ”
Many of rise-epith for Athla and Pellea. Sad of valor-ever dark.
Report Post »BehindBlueEyes
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 8:24amklaatu berata nicto
Report Post »Alfredo2131
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:45pmTo BehindBueEyes: Lol! I wrote that for the Blazer named, “Darmok and Jallod at Tanagra.”
My post in weird short-format concerns the Peloponnesian War between Greece and Sparta.
Report Post »BehindBlueEyes
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 6:10amHere’s the map to the road to serfdom. socialism > marxism > communism. It ends in totalitarian regimes that slaughter their own people.
Report Post »Cold War Vet
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 5:51am@ AVGCONSERVATIVE
I’m sure Obama has many others on his list! I doubt if any decent American will be safe from his programs, if we let him get away with it.
Report Post »EgoBrain
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 12:08pmLook at the fear on the faces, in the last photo.
Report Post »I don‘t care of they’re 100 yrs old. Try ‘em.
EgoBrain
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 12:10pmNo idea why that showed up, under your post..
Report Post »Cold War Vet
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 5:48amThis is what liberals want for the United States. Are they evil or just plain stupid? Both?
There is no arguing this. Anyone who is a liberal is standing for the same thing that happened in the Khmer Rouge regime, whether they believe it or not. It’s true.
There’s an amazing contrast between the ethics of conservatives and liberals:
Report Post »http://neuezeitgeist.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/conservative-versus-liberal-a-quick-contrast-study/
christianUSA
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 5:16amJustice delay is justice deigned, but glad to hear some will be tried; but the guilty heathens will not escape God’s justice!
Report Post »clingingtogodandguns
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 4:57amHey you lefties this is the utopia your advocating for.It doesn’t start this way,but it always ends the same way,so be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.Mindless drones.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 3:19pmMindles drones? You’re the ones calling for genocide of a billion muslims.They indoctinate you well to rationalize your genocidal impulses while you express horror at their genocidal impulses. Mindless gulls indeed!
Report Post »twistin
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:43amcommunism always starts and ends like this.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:25amisnt communism grand ?????
and how are those mao christmas ornaments doing this year obowmao ????
im sure the lefties vision of utopia wont look like this right???? i mean, it has been successful at least once in history without killing millions right???? wait what ? it hasnt? and the left wants this idiot in the white house to give it a try????? God help us
Report Post »Cold War Vet
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 5:55am@ PSYCHOSIS
Liberals are stupid people with no sense of history, and no knowledge of it. They must think the world popped into existence as soon as they were born.
I’m not sure how else to explain this mass rush to commit the same fatal failures of the past, but they sure are! With enthusiasm!
Report Post »chazman
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 7:41amWasn’t Pol Pot practicing “Pure Communism” against the Cambodian people? Isn’t that better than just plain old Communism? Well, there’s the case for the defense!
Report Post »Sheepdog911
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 10:22am@Vet, I disagree. Liberals are blind to what communism truely is, and hope that we will not stand up to them. The images in the pictures are what we face unless we finally take a stand against the whole spectrum of what the are giving us – islamo-fascism, drug cartels and gangs imbedded in our illegal alien population, uncontrolled debt, etc. It is coming. When will we finally decide to say no?
Report Post »mlcblog
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:21amI think there’s a strong case against war crimes trials.
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:04am“And even after the Mao-inspired Pol Pot was apprehended, he still instructed the Khmer to carry out its brutalities for years to come from beyond his prison cell.”
********
MAO-inspired Pol Pot…..?
And this is what Obama’s White House Communications DIrector – ANITA DUNN – was expounding at a hIgh school graduation – as a Guest Speaker representing the White House – portraying that she admired the philosophy of CHAIRMAN MAO – without acknowledging to these young children – that Chairman Mao was a deranged COMMUNIST Leader – who killed more people than HITLER in his genocidal mass murders.
No wonder Anita Dunn slipped away/resigned as White House Communications Director – just in time for her husband Robert Bauer to be hired as White House Counsel.
Robert Bauer is a former defense attorney for ACORN and their criminal activities involved in Voter Registration Fraud and VOTE RIGGING – and has been the LEAD COUNSEL on the NUMEROUS Lawsuits challenging Obama’s “ineligibility” to serve as POTUS and Commander-in-Chief.
Now ObaMAO has the US taxpayers footing the bill for his legal fees – when his eligibility issues are PERSONAL Legal matters – and should be financed with The Obamas’ own personal money.
Report Post »freeweever
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:52amYou are awesome thank you for that information and you write really well. obama‘s car zar Bloom also quoted on video saying he likes moa’s end of a gun barrel approach to getting things done. This is the scariest Oligarchy ever ascended in this country. The Oligarchy is lawyers unions and socialist, “progressives”.
Report Post »TheCenturion
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:53amNo, you don’t understand, communists only kill those who oppose them.
They disarm their enemies, and when they rebel against the tyranny the communists kill them.
GUARD YOUR GUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »cop4hire
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:45amThis is what happens when you pull all our troops out of a war we should have finished. I can see the same type of scenario happening in Afghanistan after we pull out of there the way our fearless leader is demanding. History does repeat itself.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 3:13pmLike Afghanistan today, we were fighting the people of viet nam.Not a regime or ideology but a people.The days when ifr thge leader surrenders the troops ssurrender with him are gone[ended in ww2].Now its people themselves rising up to fight off currupt,american backed regimes[south viet nam] or like afghanistan the people oppossed to invasion and occupation.Cambodia was an evil regime come to power .And americans today are becoming genoccidal in tnheir hatred of muslims.hopefully they won’t be able to get the government to go along with them or else if you succed in getting a anti-muslim genocidal regime in government america too can go the way of the diaboliocally eveil regime of cambodia.Right now its the government holding you genocidists back.
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:37amNote to the top honchos at The Blaze– please…PLEASE … exercise a little quality control over spelling and grammar!
“Infirmed”?
“Neurenberg” ?
Really, it’s getting worse all the time, and makes you look like fools. And us too. God knows there’s posters enough here making conservatism look foolish as it is.
Report Post »R. Wirz von Urikon
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:53am1. Place a colon after “The Blaze.”
Report Post »2. Place a comma after “please.” No dashes are permissible.
3. Do not place dots after “please.”
4. One “please” is enough.
5. Never start a sentence with “and.”
6. Write “there are” or “they’re“ instead of ”there’s” when the direct object is plural.
You have been educated now. You may continue being arrogant.
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:59amI hope I don’t make conservatives look foolish, I am a libertarian.
Report Post »mlcblog
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:22amYou are asking Blaze to edit us. Not gonna happen and should not.
I share your dismay at the lack of basic English skills of so many bloggers but still welcome their participation. Some of the teachers who taught them can’t spell or use English very well!!
Report Post »Shiroi Raion
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 5:13amComplaining about grammar while using bad grammar. That’s hilarious.
Report Post »I too am a Libertarian. I also find it hilarious when Liberals call anyone that disagree with their ideology Conservative.
I don’t see how people like THEGREYPIPER can be arrogant when they seem so completely ignorant.
Liberalism/Progressivism is a mental disorder.
dano1252
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 7:29am@ Thegraypiper… I agree! BTW it’s Quashing of indictments not Squashing … yikes!
Report Post »Marengo Ohio Patriot
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 8:52am@Urikon
Report Post »LMFAO….. That’s just too funny!!
TheGreyPiper
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:33amDARMOK AND JALAD AT TANAGRA
WTF are you trying to say? Let’em go? You ffnngg kidding me?
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:52amNo, not at all, but this is like bring up charges well after the fact. For the UN to NOW, start this, where have they been the last 40 years. Thus my point on bringing Judas, Napoloen, etc. on charges, I guess when you wait until everyone involved is dead or dying, that’s the time to bring it up. This opens the door now to start putting anything they deem unjust in the past as trial worthy. So when will they bring America up on slavery charges?
Report Post »Anamah
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:29amHorror is to little to say, but Liberals as usual, celebrates embellishing always Communist hell, the lost of any kind of humane qualification inside that nightmare, here the journalist who denied the degradation …received a Pulitzer in 1976 for his writing about Cambodia… Very sad unbelievable history.
Report Post »oregonrr
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:03amUS military, American Tax Payers, supported the Khmer Rouge, even treated Polpot on vacations. The Hmong Freedom Fighters who saved both the American and other Asian butts in Asia were abandoned and hunted into extinction. Don’t omit the American friendship and funding of Khmer Rouge. America is not clean in this matter.
Report Post »FORLORNHOPE
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 10:34amBS it was not American pleople themselves it was the 93 and 94 Congress who were led by a democrat majority with the help of a liberal press that is to blame for what happen in SE Asia
Report Post »Lost Shaker Assault
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:28amAn Aisian “Spring” gone bad. Just like the Arab “Spring”.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:25amI say that if we should have a standing policy in how to deal with ALL of these genocidal incidents. My suggestion for the hat is that whenever a genocide is discovered and is being perpetrated on the citizens of a nation by their own gov’t, we should spend a million or 2 and drop arms and munitions into the affected areas. Nothing fancy, just some cheap grenades and 9mm or similar handguns and carbines. Hi point makes a gun that retails for less than 200 and carbines under 300. We could arm alot of people quickly with stuff like that, and nothing says freedom and liberty better than an armed citizenry.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 6:13amDo you mean like BO giving weapons to Mexican drug cartels?
Report Post »DesertCactus
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:19amWords don’t portray the injustice, nor inhumanity.
Report Post »FlatFoot
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:16amThe UN is about as useful as teats on a bull, but, better late than never. I guess.
Even 3rd world blood-thirsty neanderthalic savages with the IQ of a spider monkey should have their day in court.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:08amAre they going to put Judas on trial next? How about Napoleon, worse yet, they might put the founders on trial for actions against a lawful King.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:18amIf , or rather when , Obama keeps going as Emir of our country, he will be worse than PolPot, that much I know.
Report Post »What I don’t know is who will try him when finally this islamomarxist is removed from power ?
banjarmon
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:24amBringing Pol Pot to Justice now Will Not bring back the millions murdered
Report Post »avgconservative
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 1:48amEvery Communist leader has a targeted group for extinction. For Obama, it is the sick and infirmed through Obama-care’s death panels, cutely disguised as health treatment councils.
Report Post »Zer0
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:02amMarxism/Progressivism in all its beauty…a beauty that many from the Left in this country wish to share with your families.
Report Post »VegasGuy
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:08amThe UN is as complicit as Pol Pot. It is no surprise they waited this long to finally make mid-level communists pay for the atrocities the UN ignored for so long.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 2:11amHey Cheezewhiz.
Report Post »I was boycotting the site until they fixed the dang thing. Nothing like the Huffpo people to mess things up and try to chase the oldtimers off the site.
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 5:40am@Cheezewhiz:
Indeed, the means nowdays exists to make the bloodbath under a dictator of the Americas total in comparison to what Stalin, Lenin, Mao, and Pol Pot achieved in their time. Obama will without a doubt be recorded as the worst POTUS we have had – and maybe the first tyrant of the nation as well at the rate he is going. http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm
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