A Change of Guard

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Friday 8 August 2014

Statement by the U.S Secretary of State John Kerry on life sentences for Khmer Rouge leaders


PHNOM PENH (The Cambodia Herald) -- The following statement was issued by U.S Secretary of State John Kerry after Pol Pot's former deputy Nuon Chea and former head of state Khieu Sampan were sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity:


More than 30 years after the Khmer Rouge slaughtered some 1.7 million people, Cambodians have received a small measure of justice and a reminder that justice may not be swift, but justice is resolute. Today’s verdict against two of the most senior surviving members of the Khmer Rouge is a milestone for the Cambodian people who have suffered some of the worst horrors of the 20th century.

Of all the work I was a part of as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 29 years, I’m especially proud to have traveled so many miles between Phnom Penh and Washington to work with Cambodians to create the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). This issue mattered deeply to me as someone who experienced American foreign policy in a personal way as a young man, serving in the region, and I wanted to be just as personally engaged in the work to find closure decades later. 

The effort to try those most responsible for these horrific crimes was long overdue and absolutely vital.

I’ll never forget the inspiring story of the photojournalist Dith Pran, whose survival during those bloody years was a triumph of the human spirit. He once said, “The dead are crying out for justice.” And believe me: through the ECCC, the international community is working together to make sure that those cries are finally heard.

The United States will continue to support the efforts of the ECCC to secure justice and shed light on the darkest chapter of Cambodian history. Today’s verdict is a historic, if long delayed, step along the path for Cambodia. We must now help Cambodia’s people see the job through as they usher in a new era of justice, accountability, and reconciliation.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Come on, we could have saved the UN and all the donor's with millions of dollars by just convict the bloody bastards with the predictable verdict. Those kangaroo court of cambodia are the blood sucker of society. They milked every dime from the UN and all donors in the name of genocidal tribunal. What a pathetic wast of resources.

Anonymous said...

funny how the US try to save about face when at one time during history of khmer genocide , the US was supporting the khmer rouge regime [ during the youn invasion ] and even supported them at the UN , all in revenge for being a sore loser to the vietcongs. not arguing to support the youns ' invasion, but to show that the US gov is very good at being hypocrite... at that time it even placed sanctions so that no US company or medical team could go help the khmers who were emaciated from famine and diseases .. it was the french and the russians who were there to help us out first...

Anonymous said...

9 August 2014 7:20 am.

With all due respect, are you crazy?

The U.S. supported anyone who was against Soviet communism (even China later on). The U.S. also supported the free Khmer of Lok Ta Son Sann. She also supported not letting the Cambodian government under Vietnam take up seat at the U.N. And because Vietnam was a friend of the Soviet and the colonizer of Cambodia, the U.S. also support the Khmer Rouge. The result is that Cambodia has not yet been completely colonized by Vietnam, there is the Paris Agreement, some freedom in Cambodia today. And this is a good thing.

The Soviet Union helped Vietnam to destroy Cambodia. If the Soviet hadn't lost the Cold War within the 10-ish years Vietnam freely ruled Cambodia, Cambodia would have been finished.

Today, it is the Americans who staunchly support freedom in Cambodia. American companies along with companies from world's democracies are waiting for truly free Cambodia before they come.

As for France who had a special relationship with Cambodia, please answer me this: Why are there less Cambodians living in France than in the U.S.?

You know I can go on like Undersecretary of State Christopher Hill personally went to Cambodia to get Kem Sokha out of jail when Hun Sen put him there...but you get the point.

Please try to understand the whole context of history instead of making a quick statement.

Anonymous said...

America drop over 1.7 million tons of bomb imagine 1 ton kill 2 how many khmer death. ?

Anonymous said...

Dear Khmer and worldwide readers online,

-Drgunzet- is a former secret Yuon/Vietcong who used to hide in Khmer Rouges uniform during the Killing Fields from 1975 to 1979 along with hundred of thousands of secret Yuon/Vietnamese agents from Hanoi hiding in Khmer Rouges uniforms to fool gullible innocent Khmer people. They (secret Yuon/Vietcong agents and -Drgunzet-) have created secret "Angkar Leur or Cap Tren to scare helpless and voiceless innocent Khmer people and children. That is why a few millions of innocent Khmer people and children have been varnished or put to death before the evil Yuon/Vietcong and -Drgunzet- tried to steal the land of Cambodia and created false history of Vietnam by saying Cambodia belong to Vietnam along time ago including Southern Cambodia/Khmer Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam), belonging to Vietnam a long time ago or their ancestor. Vietnam is fake, their language was created by French after stealing the Latin alphabets in writing. Vietnam and Vietnamese people are disgusted and hypocrite.

-Drgunzet- and his evil Yuon/Vietnamese agents are so cruel and murderous.