Posted on 02/06/2008 7:41:57 PM PST by jdm
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Pol Pot's right-hand man, Nuon Chea, appeared before Cambodia's "Killing Fields" tribunal on Wednesday to request bail, arguing he was not a flight risk and would not try to influence potential witnesses.
The octogenarian former Khmer Rouge guerrilla, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, also said fears for his safety were overblown as he had been living for years in "peace and harmony" at his home in the jungle along the Thai border.
"I have no desire to leave my beloved country," he told a courtroom packed with reporters. "No one is worried about my security."
A previous bail hearing was adjourned on Monday because Nuon Chea's Dutch defence lawyer, Michiel Pestman, did not turn up. Pestman was not at Thursday's hearing but sent a Dutch representative, allowing proceedings to continue.
An estimated 1.7 million people were executed or died of torture, disease or starvation under Pol Pot's 1975-79 reign of terror as his dream of creating an agrarian peasant utopia descended into the nightmare of the "Killing Fields".
Nuon Chea is accused of playing a central role in the atrocities and has been implicated directly in the mass slaughter of regime opponents by Duch, head of Phnom Penh's S-21, or Tuol Sleng, interrogation and torture centre.
Duch, who is also accused of atrocities, is expected to be a key witness at the $56 million United Nations-backed tribunal.
The court is not expected to announce its decision for several days, but it is extremely unlikely that Nuon Chea will be released.
Man, where does the UN find all this money?!
Austin Powers: "Who does Number Two work for?"
The fourth guy from the right with the big glasses is Son Sen, Chief of Staff of the Khmer Rouge, and another bloodthirsty criminal. He was eventually murdered by Pol Pot and his immediate family including his children had their heads run over by trucks on Pol Pot’s direct orders due to internal political disagreements. Nice bunch.
I saw a documentary where Chea did talk about the killings. I cannot imagine how he can be found innocent of genocide. I would think the trial could move swiftly so that justice can be served before he dies of natural causes. Why this trial has taken this long to begin is beyond reason.
Aren’t you glad those terrible colonials are gone?
Are you looking in the mirror? Why don’t they just shoot these bastards?
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