| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Khmer Rouge defendant expresses 'heartfelt sorrow' |
| 2009-04-01 |
| The man who ran the Khmer Rouge's notorious S-21 prison in Cambodia accepted responsibility Tuesday for torturing and executing thousands of inmates and expressed "heartfelt sorrow" for his crimes. Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, told the U.N.-backed genocide tribunal that he wanted to apologize for his actions under the Khmer Rouge, whose radical policies while in power from 1975 to 1979 left an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians dead. "I am responsible for the crimes committed at S-21, especially the torture and execution of the people there," Duch told the tribunal. "I would like to express my deep regretfulness and my heartfelt sorrow for all the crimes committed by the CPK from 1975 to 1979," he said, referring to the Communist Party of Kampuchea, the official name for the Khmer Rouge. Duch, now 66, commanded the group's main S-21 prison, also known as Tuol Sleng, where as many as 16,000 men, women and children are believed to have been brutalized before being sent to their deaths. He is charged with committing crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as torture and homicide, and could face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Cambodia has no death penalty. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Cambodia has no death penalty. I would like to submit these 1.7 million pieces of evidence that there is not a death penalty if subject is Khmer. Perhaps his punishment could be to work a rice field 12 hours a day with only a tin of rice to eat, 2 short breaks. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2009-04-01 16:59 |
| #1 heartfelt sorrow he go caught |
| Posted by: Mt Dew addiction 2009-04-01 14:26 |