Sebuah pesan dari Barat untuk lawan-lawannya. - FRANCE 24
UN-backed courtin Cambodia upholds life sentences for Khmer Rouge leaders ©Sok Heng Nhet, ECCC, AFP | Former Khmer Rouge leader "Brother NumberTwo" Nuon Chea (pictured left) and former Khmer Rouge head of state KhieuSamphan (right) on November 23, 2016 Text By NEWS WIRESLatestupdate : 2016-11-23 ACambodian Supreme Court chamber on Wednesday upheld a life sentence for two topcadres of the 1970s Khmer Rouge found guilty of crime against humanity, decisiona U.N envoy said sent a message to leaders in North Korea and elsewhere. Most of the victims of the Khmer Rouge1975-79 “Killing Fields” regime died of starvation, torture, exhaustion ordisease in labour camps or were bludgeoned to death during mass executions. Afifth of the population was killed. The UN-backed Supreme Court Chamber saidKhmer Rouge “Brother Number Two” Nuon Chea, 90, and former President KhieuSamphan, 85, had been found guilty of crimes against humanity, murder,persecution on political grounds and other inhumane acts over the forcedevacuation of the capital, Phnom Penh, after the fall of the city in 1975. “The Supreme Court Chamber affirms thesentence of life imprisonment imposed by the trial chamber on both Nuon Cheaand Khieu Samphan,” judge Kong Srim said on Wednesday. “The Supreme Court orders that Nuon Cheaand Khieu Samphan remain in custody.” David Scheffer, the U.N. Secretary-General’senvoy to the tribunal, said that the judgment sent a message to leaders aroundthe world. “What happened today in this courtroomultimately can reach your domain,” Scheffer told reporters at the court, namingIslamic State in Syria, among others. “I will just say in closing that perhapsthe leadership of North Korea should take particular note of what occurred heretoday,” Scheffer said. “...International justice isn’t backing down, it isactually forging ahead.” A 2014 report by the United Nations,which referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by name in connection withsuspected human rights abuses, triggered a strong reaction from Pyongyang,including a string of military provocations. Reclusive North Korea, which has carriedout a string of nuclear and missile tests in violation of UN Security Councilresolutions, regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and its main ally, theUnited States. The Cambodian trial chamber’s firstverdict and sentence in 2010 was life in jail for Kaing Guek Eav, alias “Duch”,head of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, where as many as 14,000 people weretortured and executed. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were both incourt to hear the ruling. The two face separate charges of genocide in a secondphase of the complex, ongoing trial. There were initially four defendants.Former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary died in 2012. His wife, Ieng Thirith, aformer minister, died in 2015. The Cambodian government also welcomedthe court judgment. “We express our hope that this trial andtoday’s delivery of the final judgment brings some relief for your pain andsuffering,” Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said, addressing survivors of theKhmer Rouge regime. (REUTERS)Datecreated : 2016-11-23
