Breaking News: Former Monk Tim Sakhorn finally home in Cambodia

05 April 2009
Source: Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community

Former Buddhist monk and abbot of Wat Phnom Den North Tim Sakhorn finally arrived home in Takeo province, Cambodia, on April 4, 2009 after spending more than one years in the Vietnamese communist prison.

Could one person really break the one-sided VN-Cambodia friendship?

Mr. Tim Sakhorn, center, guards by Vietnamese security personnel in the 2007 hearing that did not allow him to have any defense attorney or witnesses.
In a communist country, Vietnam, a person is guilty before proven innocent.

In a democratic country, a person is innocent before proven guilty.

More informations to be udpated when available.
--------
Dear Readers: If you would like to send some assistance to former Monk Tim Sakhorn, please contact Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community at the following email address:

kkcpressoffice@yahoo.com

Thank you for helping our Khmer Krom Brothers and Sisters!

Breaking News: Former Monk Tim Sakhorn finally home in Cambodia

05 April 2009
Source: Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community

Former Buddhist monk and abbot of Wat Phnom Den North Tim Sakhorn finally arrived home in Takeo province, Cambodia, on April 4, 2009 after spending more than one years in the Vietnamese communist prison.

Could one person really break the one-sided VN-Cambodia friendship?

Mr. Tim Sakhorn, center, guards by Vietnamese security personnel in the 2007 hearing that did not allow him to have any defense attorney or witnesses.
In a communist country, Vietnam, a person is guilty before proven innocent.

In a democratic country, a person is innocent before proven guilty.

More informations to be udpated when available.
--------
Dear Readers: If you would like to send some assistance to former Monk Tim Sakhorn, please contact Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community at the following email address:

kkcpressoffice@yahoo.com

Thank you for helping our Khmer Krom Brothers and Sisters!

Asean Summit to discuss border clashes : Thai PM

April 6, 2009
The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday the problem of Thai and Cambodian military clashes in a disputed border area will be raised at this week's Asean Summit in Pattaya.

The two neighbouring countries agreed their commanders would strictly supervise their men to prevent another gunfight like last week when Thai and Cambodian soldiers were killed. They firmly agreed their troops must keep to their own territory.
Abhisit said in his weekly TV talkshow that the border friction around the Preah Vihear Temple had gone on for some years, but had become more worrisome since last July, after the ancient site was granted world heritage status by Unesco.

The latest incident last Friday saw troops tangling twice near the ancient temple. Two Thai and two Cambodian soldiers died in the exchange while nine Thai soldiers were wounded.

Abhisit expressed condolences to the families of the dead and wounded soldiers.

He said he had earlier discussed with his Cambodian counterpart Prime Minister Hun Sen about settling the border dispute through the Thai-Cambodian Joint Border Committee, which will meet in Phnom Penh today and tomorrow.

The session was planned before last week's escalation of tensions.

Both Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan have been in constant contact with Cambodian authorities to settle the "misunderstanding", Abhisit said, adding that he expects the situation has now eased.

Maj General Kanok Natrakawesana, commander of the Suranaree Task Force, said his urgent meeting with Cambodian Maj General Srey Doek at the Preah Vihear Temple in the morning was constructive.

Soldiers guarding the border would not be allowed to bring any alcoholic drinks into the area, he said.

"If any problem happens, commanders of both sides will immediately step in to prevent any fighting." Last week's violence was a misunderstanding and both countries have already discussed and cleared it up.

"We have agreed to cooperate more closely and such fighting won't happen again," he said.

Srey Doek told Khmer media that the meeting with the Thai military was held to normalise the situation and ensure there's no more gunfire.

"We have agreed to stay on our own sides of the border," he added.

Asean Summit to discuss border clashes : Thai PM

April 6, 2009
The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday the problem of Thai and Cambodian military clashes in a disputed border area will be raised at this week's Asean Summit in Pattaya.

The two neighbouring countries agreed their commanders would strictly supervise their men to prevent another gunfight like last week when Thai and Cambodian soldiers were killed. They firmly agreed their troops must keep to their own territory.
Abhisit said in his weekly TV talkshow that the border friction around the Preah Vihear Temple had gone on for some years, but had become more worrisome since last July, after the ancient site was granted world heritage status by Unesco.

The latest incident last Friday saw troops tangling twice near the ancient temple. Two Thai and two Cambodian soldiers died in the exchange while nine Thai soldiers were wounded.

Abhisit expressed condolences to the families of the dead and wounded soldiers.

He said he had earlier discussed with his Cambodian counterpart Prime Minister Hun Sen about settling the border dispute through the Thai-Cambodian Joint Border Committee, which will meet in Phnom Penh today and tomorrow.

The session was planned before last week's escalation of tensions.

Both Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan have been in constant contact with Cambodian authorities to settle the "misunderstanding", Abhisit said, adding that he expects the situation has now eased.

Maj General Kanok Natrakawesana, commander of the Suranaree Task Force, said his urgent meeting with Cambodian Maj General Srey Doek at the Preah Vihear Temple in the morning was constructive.

Soldiers guarding the border would not be allowed to bring any alcoholic drinks into the area, he said.

"If any problem happens, commanders of both sides will immediately step in to prevent any fighting." Last week's violence was a misunderstanding and both countries have already discussed and cleared it up.

"We have agreed to cooperate more closely and such fighting won't happen again," he said.

Srey Doek told Khmer media that the meeting with the Thai military was held to normalise the situation and ensure there's no more gunfire.

"We have agreed to stay on our own sides of the border," he added.

Bid to ease Thai feud

Preah Vihear, Cambodia
April 6, 2009
AFP

CAMBODIAN and Thai officials have held urgent talks to prevent fresh fighting on their border after months of tensions over disputed land near an ancient temple flared into deadly gun battles.

A third Thai soldier died in hospital following Friday's clashes, which plunged relations between the neighbours to a new low.

Military officials from both sides met over lunch in the disputed territory near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple yesterday, while Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was set to meet Thai officials later in the capital Phnom Penh.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the issue would come up when he meets Mr Hun Sen at a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and its regional partners in Thailand next week.

The Thai and Cambodian leaders sought to play down the latest crisis on Saturday, saying that it was the result of a misunderstanding and that the countries were not at war.

Bid to ease Thai feud

Preah Vihear, Cambodia
April 6, 2009
AFP

CAMBODIAN and Thai officials have held urgent talks to prevent fresh fighting on their border after months of tensions over disputed land near an ancient temple flared into deadly gun battles.

A third Thai soldier died in hospital following Friday's clashes, which plunged relations between the neighbours to a new low.

Military officials from both sides met over lunch in the disputed territory near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple yesterday, while Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was set to meet Thai officials later in the capital Phnom Penh.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the issue would come up when he meets Mr Hun Sen at a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and its regional partners in Thailand next week.

The Thai and Cambodian leaders sought to play down the latest crisis on Saturday, saying that it was the result of a misunderstanding and that the countries were not at war.

Thailand, Cambodia to discuss border fight

BANGKOK, April 5 (UPI) -- Thailand's prime minster Sunday said he wants to move quickly to resolve a border conflict with Cambodia that claimed the lives of two Thai soldiers.

The soldiers died Friday in an exchange of gunfire between Thai and Cambodian troops along the shared border.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the border dispute would top his agenda when he meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hunsen during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three summit that starts Saturday in Thailand, China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, reported.

Abhisit said Thailand respects an International Court ruling that awarded the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962, but remains concerned about maintaining territorial rights to Thailand's northeastern province of Si Sa Ket, which borders Cambodia.

Cambodia, Thailand agree to prevent new border clash

BANGKOK, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Sunday during an urgent meeting that their commanders would increase their supervising over their soldiers to prevent re-occurrence of the Friday's clash, in which two Thai soldiers were killed.
Maj Gen Kanok Natrakawesana, commander of Thailand's Suranaree Task Force, held the urgent meeting with Cambodian Maj Gen Srey Doek in Preah Vihear Temple on Sunday morning, the website by The Nation newspaper reported.

"If any problem happens, commanders of both sides would immediately step in to prevent any new fighting," Kanok said, describing the urgent meeting as constructive.

Meanwhile, Srey Doek told Khmer media that the meeting was held in order to make the situation return normal and to make sure there 's no more gunfire.

"We have agreed to stay on our own sides of the border," Srey Doek said.

Concerning last week's exchanges of gunfire, Kanok said it was a misunderstanding and both countries had already discussed and solved the misunderstanding.

"We have agreed that we will cooperate more and such fighting would not happen again," Kanok said.

Thailand, Cambodia to discuss border fight

BANGKOK, April 5 (UPI) -- Thailand's prime minster Sunday said he wants to move quickly to resolve a border conflict with Cambodia that claimed the lives of two Thai soldiers.

The soldiers died Friday in an exchange of gunfire between Thai and Cambodian troops along the shared border.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the border dispute would top his agenda when he meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hunsen during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three summit that starts Saturday in Thailand, China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, reported.

Abhisit said Thailand respects an International Court ruling that awarded the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962, but remains concerned about maintaining territorial rights to Thailand's northeastern province of Si Sa Ket, which borders Cambodia.

Cambodia, Thailand agree to prevent new border clash

BANGKOK, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Sunday during an urgent meeting that their commanders would increase their supervising over their soldiers to prevent re-occurrence of the Friday's clash, in which two Thai soldiers were killed.
Maj Gen Kanok Natrakawesana, commander of Thailand's Suranaree Task Force, held the urgent meeting with Cambodian Maj Gen Srey Doek in Preah Vihear Temple on Sunday morning, the website by The Nation newspaper reported.

"If any problem happens, commanders of both sides would immediately step in to prevent any new fighting," Kanok said, describing the urgent meeting as constructive.

Meanwhile, Srey Doek told Khmer media that the meeting was held in order to make the situation return normal and to make sure there 's no more gunfire.

"We have agreed to stay on our own sides of the border," Srey Doek said.

Concerning last week's exchanges of gunfire, Kanok said it was a misunderstanding and both countries had already discussed and solved the misunderstanding.

"We have agreed that we will cooperate more and such fighting would not happen again," Kanok said.

Thai, Cambodian field commanders agree to avoid clashes in future

General Srey Doek (R) shakes hand with Thai General Kanok Netrakavaesana (L) at the Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak pagoda, near Preah Vihear temple on 05 April 2009 (Photo: Savyouth, Radio Free Asia)

SI SA KET, April 5 (TNA) -- Two days after deadly clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers erupted near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, field commanders of the two neighbouring countries agreed Sunday to avoid future battle through talks.
Thailand’s Suranaree Task Force commander Maj-Gen. Kanok Netrakavaesana told a press conference that he had discussed with Cambodia’s local commander Lt-Gen. Srey Deok at a temple atop Preah Vihear earlier in the day, agreeing maintain tighter discipline over their field commanders to keep the peace in the temple vicinity.

If any problem arises in future, army commanders of both sides in the area will come to the negotiating table and find ways to solve the problem, Maj-Gen. Kanok said.

The latest clashes were purely “accidental” and both sides agreed to avoiding future clashes, he said.

The latest incident broke out last Friday when soldiers of the two countries clashed twice near the ancient temple. Two Thai soldiers and two Cambodian soldiers died in the fighting while nine Thai soldiers were wounded.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear temple – called Khao Prah Viharn by Thais -- belongs to Cambodia, but the most practical entrance is from a mountain in Thailand, and both sides claim some of the same portions of surrounding territory.

On reports that Cambodian soldiers have moved six tanks to two villages near Preah Vihear which could be interpreted as reinforcing their troops in the area, Maj-Gen. Kanok said it was Cambodia’s concern, but the number of Thai troops in the area remained unchanged.

“Future problems can be settled through talks immediately,” he added, “because Thailand and Cambodia are friendly long time ago,” he added.

Thai, Cambodian field commanders agree to avoid clashes in future

General Srey Doek (R) shakes hand with Thai General Kanok Netrakavaesana (L) at the Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak pagoda, near Preah Vihear temple on 05 April 2009 (Photo: Savyouth, Radio Free Asia)

SI SA KET, April 5 (TNA) -- Two days after deadly clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers erupted near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, field commanders of the two neighbouring countries agreed Sunday to avoid future battle through talks.
Thailand’s Suranaree Task Force commander Maj-Gen. Kanok Netrakavaesana told a press conference that he had discussed with Cambodia’s local commander Lt-Gen. Srey Deok at a temple atop Preah Vihear earlier in the day, agreeing maintain tighter discipline over their field commanders to keep the peace in the temple vicinity.

If any problem arises in future, army commanders of both sides in the area will come to the negotiating table and find ways to solve the problem, Maj-Gen. Kanok said.

The latest clashes were purely “accidental” and both sides agreed to avoiding future clashes, he said.

The latest incident broke out last Friday when soldiers of the two countries clashed twice near the ancient temple. Two Thai soldiers and two Cambodian soldiers died in the fighting while nine Thai soldiers were wounded.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear temple – called Khao Prah Viharn by Thais -- belongs to Cambodia, but the most practical entrance is from a mountain in Thailand, and both sides claim some of the same portions of surrounding territory.

On reports that Cambodian soldiers have moved six tanks to two villages near Preah Vihear which could be interpreted as reinforcing their troops in the area, Maj-Gen. Kanok said it was Cambodia’s concern, but the number of Thai troops in the area remained unchanged.

“Future problems can be settled through talks immediately,” he added, “because Thailand and Cambodia are friendly long time ago,” he added.

preah vihear

File photo shows Cambodian soldiers walking at the Preah Vihear temple. Troops were on alert at the disputed Cambodian-Thai border Saturday, after heavy gunbattles left at least two soldiers dead a day earlier, Cambodian officials said.(AFP/File/Tang Chhin Sothy)
A Thai commander (2nd R) talks to a Cambodian commander (L) at the front line of their disputed border where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Thai soldiers stand guard at the front line of the border where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian soldiers look at anti-personnel mines which were confiscated when Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire on their disputed border near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Thai commander (C) talks to a Cambodian commander (L) at the front line of the border where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier receives an intravenous drip at Egal field where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier stands guard at the front line of the border where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian refugee girl is seen in a tent at Sra Em village April 4, 2009, after leaving an area where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

preah vihear

File photo shows Cambodian soldiers walking at the Preah Vihear temple. Troops were on alert at the disputed Cambodian-Thai border Saturday, after heavy gunbattles left at least two soldiers dead a day earlier, Cambodian officials said.(AFP/File/Tang Chhin Sothy)
A Thai commander (2nd R) talks to a Cambodian commander (L) at the front line of their disputed border where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Thai soldiers stand guard at the front line of the border where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian soldiers look at anti-personnel mines which were confiscated when Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire on their disputed border near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Thai commander (C) talks to a Cambodian commander (L) at the front line of the border where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier receives an intravenous drip at Egal field where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier stands guard at the front line of the border where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian refugee girl is seen in a tent at Sra Em village April 4, 2009, after leaving an area where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire near an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Local troop commanders meeting in Preah Vihear

Cambodia Major General commander Srey Doek (L) shakes hands with Thai Major General Kanok Netra Kaveysana (R) on their way to a joint lunch at Keo Sekhakirisrarak pagoda near Preah Vihear temple April 5, 2009. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday supported Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen's move to downplay a border clash, calling it the result of a misunderstanding that could be resolved through amicable talks. Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire on a disputed stretch of their border on Friday, killing two Thais in the latest flare-up of an ancient feud over a 900-year-old Hindu temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodia Major General commander Srey Doek (R) arm wrestles with Thai Major General Kanok Netra Kaveysana (L) during a joint lunch at Keo Sekhakirisrarak pagoda near Preah Vihear temple April 5, 2009. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday supported Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen's move to downplay a border clash, calling it the result of a misunderstanding that could be resolved through amicable talks. Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire on a disputed stretch of their border on Friday, killing two Thais in the latest flare-up of an ancient feud over a 900-year-old Hindu temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Local troop commanders meeting in Preah Vihear

Cambodia Major General commander Srey Doek (L) shakes hands with Thai Major General Kanok Netra Kaveysana (R) on their way to a joint lunch at Keo Sekhakirisrarak pagoda near Preah Vihear temple April 5, 2009. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday supported Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen's move to downplay a border clash, calling it the result of a misunderstanding that could be resolved through amicable talks. Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire on a disputed stretch of their border on Friday, killing two Thais in the latest flare-up of an ancient feud over a 900-year-old Hindu temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodia Major General commander Srey Doek (R) arm wrestles with Thai Major General Kanok Netra Kaveysana (L) during a joint lunch at Keo Sekhakirisrarak pagoda near Preah Vihear temple April 5, 2009. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday supported Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen's move to downplay a border clash, calling it the result of a misunderstanding that could be resolved through amicable talks. Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire on a disputed stretch of their border on Friday, killing two Thais in the latest flare-up of an ancient feud over a 900-year-old Hindu temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Khmer Rouge story a vague one for young Cambodians

Dum Sam An, 24, prepares coffee at the cafe of the war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,Thursday, April 2, 2009. Serving up fried rice and noodles to a bustling courtroom crowd, Dum Sum An wishes she knew more about Cambodia's ongoing genocide trial. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian high school students visit the Tuol Sleng genocide museum in Phnom Penh Cambodia Sunday, March 29, 2009 to learn what happened during the Khmer Rouge regime as the first trial of a Khmer Rouge leader gets underway. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
In this March 31, 2009, Cambodian students pick up educational materials as they visit the war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as the trial of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Students are interested in learning more about the Khmer Rouge period from 30 years ago. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)

By SUSAN POSTLEWAITE

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Dum Sum An, street vendor of fried rice and noodles, is too young to have known Cambodia's 1970s reign of terror. For her, the trial of Khmer Rouge high-ups in the courthouse nearby means crowds of spectators who need to be fed.
The 24-year-old woman, like many of her generation, has only a cursory knowledge of the horrors wrought on the country during the group's four-year hold on power. She says she came to Phnom Penh for a job and earns $60 to $100 a month from her tin-roofed stall 100 yards from the custom-built courthouse.

"I don't have time to follow the trial," she said.

The U.N.-assisted Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia, which last week began hearing the first genocide case against a former Khmer Rouge official, hopes to find justice for the 1.7 million people who were worked to death, starved or executed by the communist regime, and to set the record straight for survivors and history.

The subject isn't taught in schools, and many survivors find it hard to tell their children about it. When they do, some children don't believe them.

Some children may only hear about the Khmer Rouge when their parents make them finish their food and say something like, "If you lived through the Khmer Rouge, you would know how important is food," said Mychelle Balthazard, a co-researcher of a report published in January by the University of California, Berkeley. "If it's like that, it wouldn't be very interesting to them."

The report found that 81 percent of Cambodians under age 29 said their knowledge of the period was "poor or very poor." Eighty-four percent said what they knew came from families and friends.

Balthazard added that they probably are "more interested in MTV and technology than what happened 30 years ago."

Still, most of those surveyed said they want to learn more. Dum Sum An, for instance, said she wished she had time to be in the courthouse. "I would learn a lot from what Duch says to the judges," she said.

Duch is the nom de guerre of Kaing Guek Eav, who commanded the Tuol Sleng prison in the capital Phnom Penh, where as many as 16,000 men, women and children were tortured before being sent to be killed. At age 66, he is one of five Khmer Rouge leaders going on trial.

Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia and himself a survivor, said young people do care about the Khmer Rouge. "They want to understand it so they can bury it," he said.

"The story is difficult to transmit to the children: the cheating, the lying, pointing a finger at others to be executed to survive, stealing food to eat," said Youk Chhang, whose group collects evidence of the atrocities. "Most parents don't tell this to their family."

At the prison, which is now a museum, 16-year-old Oeng Kim Heak walked past the blood stains and rows of shackles that chained prisoners to the floor.

She was brought to the prison with a group of students for a history lesson by U.S. Peace Corps volunteers. She stared at photographs of people who were interrogated, tortured and killed.

"My father told me and I didn't believe him. I thought it was a story," she said.

"All these Khmer people died for no reason. I don't want this to happen again."

The Ministry of Education and the Documentation Center have collaborated on publishing new textbooks, and Youk Chhang said the Khmer Rouge legacy will be included in the high school curriculum for the first time this year after 3,000 teachers are trained about it.

The court's outreach office has reached some 750,000 of Cambodia's 14 million people with information about the tribunal.

But Outreach Officer Chin Hemvichet says more people need to be reached outside the capital, and conceded that he wants funds for a traveling show with DVDs of the trial to blanket the country. "So far we don't have a vehicle," he said.

But even in Phnom Penh some were indifferent. "I'm busy and I don't want to know about that," said Leang Nalin, 22, who studies finance. "I know a little but I have never cared. My parents never talk about it," she said.

Restaurant caterer Yao Daung Dee, 42, said she believes Duch is already being punished.

"I am Buddhist. I trust in the law of karma. He killed a lot of people so I think he already has to pay back. I think he can't sleep at night."

Khmer Rouge story a vague one for young Cambodians

Dum Sam An, 24, prepares coffee at the cafe of the war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,Thursday, April 2, 2009. Serving up fried rice and noodles to a bustling courtroom crowd, Dum Sum An wishes she knew more about Cambodia's ongoing genocide trial. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian high school students visit the Tuol Sleng genocide museum in Phnom Penh Cambodia Sunday, March 29, 2009 to learn what happened during the Khmer Rouge regime as the first trial of a Khmer Rouge leader gets underway. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
In this March 31, 2009, Cambodian students pick up educational materials as they visit the war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as the trial of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Students are interested in learning more about the Khmer Rouge period from 30 years ago. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)

By SUSAN POSTLEWAITE

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Dum Sum An, street vendor of fried rice and noodles, is too young to have known Cambodia's 1970s reign of terror. For her, the trial of Khmer Rouge high-ups in the courthouse nearby means crowds of spectators who need to be fed.
The 24-year-old woman, like many of her generation, has only a cursory knowledge of the horrors wrought on the country during the group's four-year hold on power. She says she came to Phnom Penh for a job and earns $60 to $100 a month from her tin-roofed stall 100 yards from the custom-built courthouse.

"I don't have time to follow the trial," she said.

The U.N.-assisted Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia, which last week began hearing the first genocide case against a former Khmer Rouge official, hopes to find justice for the 1.7 million people who were worked to death, starved or executed by the communist regime, and to set the record straight for survivors and history.

The subject isn't taught in schools, and many survivors find it hard to tell their children about it. When they do, some children don't believe them.

Some children may only hear about the Khmer Rouge when their parents make them finish their food and say something like, "If you lived through the Khmer Rouge, you would know how important is food," said Mychelle Balthazard, a co-researcher of a report published in January by the University of California, Berkeley. "If it's like that, it wouldn't be very interesting to them."

The report found that 81 percent of Cambodians under age 29 said their knowledge of the period was "poor or very poor." Eighty-four percent said what they knew came from families and friends.

Balthazard added that they probably are "more interested in MTV and technology than what happened 30 years ago."

Still, most of those surveyed said they want to learn more. Dum Sum An, for instance, said she wished she had time to be in the courthouse. "I would learn a lot from what Duch says to the judges," she said.

Duch is the nom de guerre of Kaing Guek Eav, who commanded the Tuol Sleng prison in the capital Phnom Penh, where as many as 16,000 men, women and children were tortured before being sent to be killed. At age 66, he is one of five Khmer Rouge leaders going on trial.

Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia and himself a survivor, said young people do care about the Khmer Rouge. "They want to understand it so they can bury it," he said.

"The story is difficult to transmit to the children: the cheating, the lying, pointing a finger at others to be executed to survive, stealing food to eat," said Youk Chhang, whose group collects evidence of the atrocities. "Most parents don't tell this to their family."

At the prison, which is now a museum, 16-year-old Oeng Kim Heak walked past the blood stains and rows of shackles that chained prisoners to the floor.

She was brought to the prison with a group of students for a history lesson by U.S. Peace Corps volunteers. She stared at photographs of people who were interrogated, tortured and killed.

"My father told me and I didn't believe him. I thought it was a story," she said.

"All these Khmer people died for no reason. I don't want this to happen again."

The Ministry of Education and the Documentation Center have collaborated on publishing new textbooks, and Youk Chhang said the Khmer Rouge legacy will be included in the high school curriculum for the first time this year after 3,000 teachers are trained about it.

The court's outreach office has reached some 750,000 of Cambodia's 14 million people with information about the tribunal.

But Outreach Officer Chin Hemvichet says more people need to be reached outside the capital, and conceded that he wants funds for a traveling show with DVDs of the trial to blanket the country. "So far we don't have a vehicle," he said.

But even in Phnom Penh some were indifferent. "I'm busy and I don't want to know about that," said Leang Nalin, 22, who studies finance. "I know a little but I have never cared. My parents never talk about it," she said.

Restaurant caterer Yao Daung Dee, 42, said she believes Duch is already being punished.

"I am Buddhist. I trust in the law of karma. He killed a lot of people so I think he already has to pay back. I think he can't sleep at night."

Tom and Pao Te escaped from Cambodia and build a reputation of making best donuts

Tom and Pao Te, who met on a blind date in Los Angeles in 1987 and were married the same year, run Kristy Donuts and Bagel shop on Border Avenue in Corona. They both escaped the killing fields of Cambodia in the 1970s. (Jerry Soifer / Special to The Press-Enterprise)

Friday, April 3, 2009
By JERRY SOIFER
Special to The Press-Enterprise (California, USA)

CORONA - Tom Te gets up at 2:30 a.m. every day of the year. He has doughnuts and bagels to bake and a hungry population to feed, even on Christmas Day.
He said his customers ask him to work the holiday so they have a place to go.

His wife, Pao, sleeps a little longer before joining her husband in the Kristy Donuts and Bagel shop they own in the Stater Bros. shopping plaza on Border Avenue in west Corona.

Tom, 51, and Pao, 53, have two sons, Brian, 20, and Dennis, 16, to feed and put through college. Then they can start to relax. Even if they didn't have children, it wouldn't be hard to motivate them. They are refugees from the reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia of the 1970s.

"You have to put in lots of hours to keep the business successful," Pao said. "It's wonderful. I came to the United States empty handed. Now, we have a house, a car, a business. This is the best country in the world."

According to some, the Tes have the best doughnut shop in western Riverside County. Rafael Camacho, 79, frequently makes the 12-mile drive from his Riverside home to eat a Kristy sugar donut and a cup of coffee.

"It's worth it," said Camacho. "The people are nice."

The Tes have built friendships that have lasted since they arrived in Corona in the mid-1980s. One customer is Glen Allen, a Corona resident who is bonded with the Tes by more than doughnuts and coffee.

"I've watched his (Te's) kids grow up," said Allen. "He's watched my kids grow up. When we leave (with the Allens' daughters) we're here at 6 a.m. They have the best doughnuts in town. This is probably the hardest working guy I know."

Corona resident Neil Baumgardner has been a customer for two decades.

"They are part of the neighborhood," Baumgardner said. "They have great doughnuts. They are great people."

The Tes met on a blind date in Los Angeles in 1987 and were married the same year after escaping separately from the killing fields of Cambodia.

Tom took a tortuous path to freedom, escaping from Cambodia on his seventh try. The first six times, Thailand officials shipped him back. He made it safely when he found a Red Cross camp. Pao successfully made it out on her second escape effort.

The Khmer Rouge made Tom work in the fields and on the construction of a dam for three years. There were no machines. It was all hand labor like the construction of the pyramids in Egypt.

"They treated you like an animal," Tom said. "I was beaten a couple of times if they don't like the way you do things for them."

On one escape attempt, he hid with some 30 members of his family in a cave. They were caught and sent back. Another time, they had to walk through a mine field on the way back to Cambodia. Some were killed.

After escaping, Tom lived in a refugee camp for two years before being shipped to Indonesia where he met with American embassy personnel. He was granted entry to the United States. He flew to Atlanta.

Told of California, he rode a bus three days and three nights to Orange County. There, he enrolled in Santa Ana College and started work in a chain of doughnut shops. He was sent to the Corona shop to work.

Eventually, the chain owner offered Tom a chance to buy the franchise. He and Pao put all their resources together to buy the place that is now a home in western Corona to so many.

Reach Jerry Soifer at jsoifer44@gmail.com
--------
INLAND PEOPLE

Tom and Pao Te
Home: Corona
Ages: 51 and 53
Occupation: Donut shop owners

Tom and Pao Te escaped from Cambodia and build a reputation of making best donuts

Tom and Pao Te, who met on a blind date in Los Angeles in 1987 and were married the same year, run Kristy Donuts and Bagel shop on Border Avenue in Corona. They both escaped the killing fields of Cambodia in the 1970s. (Jerry Soifer / Special to The Press-Enterprise)

Friday, April 3, 2009
By JERRY SOIFER
Special to The Press-Enterprise (California, USA)

CORONA - Tom Te gets up at 2:30 a.m. every day of the year. He has doughnuts and bagels to bake and a hungry population to feed, even on Christmas Day.
He said his customers ask him to work the holiday so they have a place to go.

His wife, Pao, sleeps a little longer before joining her husband in the Kristy Donuts and Bagel shop they own in the Stater Bros. shopping plaza on Border Avenue in west Corona.

Tom, 51, and Pao, 53, have two sons, Brian, 20, and Dennis, 16, to feed and put through college. Then they can start to relax. Even if they didn't have children, it wouldn't be hard to motivate them. They are refugees from the reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia of the 1970s.

"You have to put in lots of hours to keep the business successful," Pao said. "It's wonderful. I came to the United States empty handed. Now, we have a house, a car, a business. This is the best country in the world."

According to some, the Tes have the best doughnut shop in western Riverside County. Rafael Camacho, 79, frequently makes the 12-mile drive from his Riverside home to eat a Kristy sugar donut and a cup of coffee.

"It's worth it," said Camacho. "The people are nice."

The Tes have built friendships that have lasted since they arrived in Corona in the mid-1980s. One customer is Glen Allen, a Corona resident who is bonded with the Tes by more than doughnuts and coffee.

"I've watched his (Te's) kids grow up," said Allen. "He's watched my kids grow up. When we leave (with the Allens' daughters) we're here at 6 a.m. They have the best doughnuts in town. This is probably the hardest working guy I know."

Corona resident Neil Baumgardner has been a customer for two decades.

"They are part of the neighborhood," Baumgardner said. "They have great doughnuts. They are great people."

The Tes met on a blind date in Los Angeles in 1987 and were married the same year after escaping separately from the killing fields of Cambodia.

Tom took a tortuous path to freedom, escaping from Cambodia on his seventh try. The first six times, Thailand officials shipped him back. He made it safely when he found a Red Cross camp. Pao successfully made it out on her second escape effort.

The Khmer Rouge made Tom work in the fields and on the construction of a dam for three years. There were no machines. It was all hand labor like the construction of the pyramids in Egypt.

"They treated you like an animal," Tom said. "I was beaten a couple of times if they don't like the way you do things for them."

On one escape attempt, he hid with some 30 members of his family in a cave. They were caught and sent back. Another time, they had to walk through a mine field on the way back to Cambodia. Some were killed.

After escaping, Tom lived in a refugee camp for two years before being shipped to Indonesia where he met with American embassy personnel. He was granted entry to the United States. He flew to Atlanta.

Told of California, he rode a bus three days and three nights to Orange County. There, he enrolled in Santa Ana College and started work in a chain of doughnut shops. He was sent to the Corona shop to work.

Eventually, the chain owner offered Tom a chance to buy the franchise. He and Pao put all their resources together to buy the place that is now a home in western Corona to so many.

Reach Jerry Soifer at jsoifer44@gmail.com
--------
INLAND PEOPLE

Tom and Pao Te
Home: Corona
Ages: 51 and 53
Occupation: Donut shop owners

War crimes trial holds out hope for Cambodia

Bou Meng, one of a handful of survivors of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, points to himself in a picture at the genocide museum in Phnom Penh. His wife died in the jail (TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Survivors of the killing fields are looking to a UN-sponsored court for justice, 34 years after the Khmer Rouge seized power. Andrew Buncombe reports

Sunday, 5 April 2009
The Independent (UK)

Comrade Duch sits behind a screen of glass. Designed to withstand the force of bullets, the screen also deadens the noise of the proceedings. Visitors to the public gallery – survivors, relatives of the dead and those who simply want to witness history – can use headphones if they want to hear better. A team of interpreters provides simultaneous translation in French, English and Khmer.
And yet, as Cambodia's landmark genocide tribunal finally began to hear evidence last week, in a specially constructed courthouse on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the details that emerged could also have been described as being in another language: that of horror.

It is 35 years since the black-clad Khmer Rouge guerrillas swept out of the jungles of Cambodia and seized control of Phnom Penh, brutally forcing their country into an uncompromising, Maoist-inspired revolution that left an estimated 1.7 million people dead. And the horror of their four-year rule – a time of starvation, mass execution and sickness – still resonates, but it also mystifies. "For 30 years, a generation of Cambodians have been struggling to get answers for their fate," one of the two joint prosecutors, Chea Leang, told the court. "Justice will be done. History demands it."

Comrade Duch, or Kaing Guek Eav, is the first of five senior Khmer Rouge leaders to stand before the UN-sponsored court, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The other four defendants – the regime's second-in-command, Nuon Chea; the former foreign minister, Ieng Sary; the former social affairs minister, Ieng Thirith; and the former head of state, Khieu Samphan – all held more senior posts than Duch.

But the 66-year-old's position as head of Tuol Sleng prison placed him at the very heart of the regime's killing operation. And the enduring horror of the prison, in a former secondary school in Phnom Penh, is among the reasons the regime's brutality today holds such a place in the popular imagination.

It was at Tuol Sleng, or S-21, that thousands of alleged enemies of the regime were brought to be tortured, interrogated and dispatched for execution on the so-called killing fields at the edge of the city. Of the estimated 14,000 people sent to the prison, just 12 are known to have survived. Today, six of those are still alive. Among those killed was John Dewhirst, a teacher from Newcastle, who was captured by the Khmer Rouge aboard a motorised junk off the Cambodian coast and taken to the jail. Today, the prison is a museum and an essential stop for any visitor to Cambodia. The photographs of thousands of prisoners, taken by their guards, stare from the walls. The metal bed frames to which they were shackled remain in place. Yet even that haunting place provides only a glimpse of the horrors that took place inside the former classrooms.

On Monday, dressed in a pressed white shirt tucked neatly into his trousers, Duch sat, seemingly without emotion, as the indictment was read to the court, detailing the torture and murder that he oversaw. His prisoners, the court was told, were thrown to their deaths, bludgeoned, their stomachs slit, smothered with plastic bags and their blood drained away by medics until they collapsed. The children of prisoners were apparently taken from their parents, taken to the third storey, and dropped to the ground floor. "Several witnesses said that prisoners were killed using steel clubs, cart axles and water pipes to hit the base of their necks," the indictment continued. "Prisoners were then kicked into the pits, where their handcuffs were removed. Finally, the guards either cut open their bellies or their throats."

What makes the drama of the trial even more compelling is that Duch has not sought to deny his involvement, although he previously rejected the claims of witnesses that he personally killed anyone. Indeed, just a day after the wrenching list of allegations was read to him, he spoke of his desire for forgiveness.

Taking off his glasses and putting aside a prepared statement, Duch turned to look at the 500 or so people seated in the court's public gallery. "My current plea is that I would like you to please leave an open window for me to seek forgiveness," he said, vowing to give his full co-operation to the tribunal. "This is the only remedy that can help me to relieve all the sorrow and crimes I have committed."

He added: "At the beginning I only prayed to ask for forgiveness from my parents, but later I prayed to ask forgiveness from the whole nation ... I wish to express my deep regretfulness and my heartfelt sorrow."

Among those sitting and listening to Duch were Chum Mei and Bou Meng, two of the handful of S-21 survivors. "I felt a little feeling of relief but I don't trust him 100 per cent," said Chum Mei, a former mechanic who survived because of his ability to help maintain the prison's machinery. "I know Duch well. This man, he has many tricks. He just said these words because he wants the court to reduce his sentence."

Vann Nath is another who survived the horrors of Tuol Sleng. Listed as a possible witness, the 63-year-old painter has been barred from attending this part of the trial. In a recent interview with The Independent on Sunday at his gallery in Phnom Penh, he revealed how he had survived because Duch came to learn of his skills as a painter. Separated from the other prisoners, Vann Nath was put to work producing portraits of the Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, who died in 1998.

"I saw a lot of things during my year in the prison," he said, surrounded by paintings showing scenes from Tuol Sleng, the colours dark and menacing except for the glare of the prison's bare lights. "It was [worst] during the day. They were interrogating new prisoners who'd come. There was torture, screaming, lots of activity. I saw Duch every day, he came to my place every day." The white-haired man, now in less than perfect health, saw Duch last year when the court held preliminary hearings and travelled to the notorious killing fields site located close to a village called Choeung Ek. There, Duch had broken down and wept, though Vann Nath could not see him very clearly. Asked how he would feel to finally see Duch in court, he said: "The most significant thing is that I have lived to see the trial. I cannot guess what my feelings will be, but I hope for now that we can get a kind of justice."

The move to place Duch and his fellow defendants before the tribunal has not been without controversy. Indeed, the Cambodian government, headed by the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, himself a former Khmer Rouge commander, has been accused of blocking the remit of the court in order to protect former regime officials now in senior positions within the establishment. Others, too, have expressed concerns that the process could be divisive for the country rather than healing. In a nation where half the population is aged below 25, and where the Khmer Rouge's rule has only recently become part of the school curriculum, some might be inclined, in that utterly inadequate cliché, to let sleeping dogs lie.

Others disagree. Professor David Chandler, a Khmer Rouge expert and author of the study Voices from S-21: Terror and History in Pol Pot's Secret Prison, said: "I think the trials are immensely important because the people who had been in command positions in [the regime] need to face some of their accusers. Whether this will help Cambodia deal with its past on a mass scale is impossible to say, but the fact that the perpetrators of the documented crimes against humanity that occurred are not immune from prosecution is a start towards ending the culture of impunity which has affected those in power in Cambodia throughout its history."

The Khmer Rouge came to power in April 1975, seizing on anti-government feelings that had been exacerbated by a massive US bombing campaign which was a spill-over from the war in Vietnam. When they swept into Phnom Penh they were initially cheered, but within days the cadres were forcing people to leave their homes and possessions and to march into the countryside, where work camps were set up.

The regime fell in January 1979, when Vietnamese forces entered the country, and the Khmer Rouge began a long guerrilla war. Duch slipped out of Phnom Penh, converted to Christianity and worked with a US charity on the Cambodian border. He was only brought before the tribunal after he was discovered in 1999 by the Irish-born photojournalist Nic Dunlop, author of The Lost Executioner.

Mr Dunlop was this week in court to watch the proceedings. "My thought is that if this is going to have an impact on Cambodia it has to get outside of these walls," he said. "So far that has failed to happen. While this whole thing is costing $143m, only $50,000 of that has been set aside for outreach projects."

Some hope that once the tribunal has completed its task, Cambodia can work on putting its dark past behind it. Soysrey Line, a 22-year-old student who works as a waitress at a street food stall in the centre of Phnom Penh, said she feared the Khmer Rouge had tarnished the name of Cambodia around the world. "People know that Pol Pot was Khmer," she said. "He has created this bad image."

The Khmer Rouge years: Cambodia's trip to hell and back again

1975

Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, seizes Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, overthrowing US-backed Lon Nol. Prince Sihanouk becomes head of state. "Year Zero" sees towns and cities cleared in an attempt to create an agrarian society. Money becomes worthless and religion is banned; 1.7 million people will die in the years to 1979.

1976

Cambodia renamed Democratic Kampuchea. Prince Sihanouk resigns and is replaced by Khieu Samphan with Pol Pot as prime minister.

1978

Series of Khmer Rouge cross-border raids sparks invasion from Vietnam.

1979

Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge forces retreat to the Thai border, and Vietnamese troops occupy the capital. The People's Republic of Kampuchea is founded.

1993

UN-run elections lead to an unstable coalition between Prince Sihanouk and a former Khmer Rouge guerrilla.

1998

Pol Pot dies in the jungle after being ousted as Khmer Rouge leader the year before. The following year, the last of the guerrillas surrender.

War crimes trial holds out hope for Cambodia

Bou Meng, one of a handful of survivors of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, points to himself in a picture at the genocide museum in Phnom Penh. His wife died in the jail (TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Survivors of the killing fields are looking to a UN-sponsored court for justice, 34 years after the Khmer Rouge seized power. Andrew Buncombe reports

Sunday, 5 April 2009
The Independent (UK)

Comrade Duch sits behind a screen of glass. Designed to withstand the force of bullets, the screen also deadens the noise of the proceedings. Visitors to the public gallery – survivors, relatives of the dead and those who simply want to witness history – can use headphones if they want to hear better. A team of interpreters provides simultaneous translation in French, English and Khmer.
And yet, as Cambodia's landmark genocide tribunal finally began to hear evidence last week, in a specially constructed courthouse on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the details that emerged could also have been described as being in another language: that of horror.

It is 35 years since the black-clad Khmer Rouge guerrillas swept out of the jungles of Cambodia and seized control of Phnom Penh, brutally forcing their country into an uncompromising, Maoist-inspired revolution that left an estimated 1.7 million people dead. And the horror of their four-year rule – a time of starvation, mass execution and sickness – still resonates, but it also mystifies. "For 30 years, a generation of Cambodians have been struggling to get answers for their fate," one of the two joint prosecutors, Chea Leang, told the court. "Justice will be done. History demands it."

Comrade Duch, or Kaing Guek Eav, is the first of five senior Khmer Rouge leaders to stand before the UN-sponsored court, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The other four defendants – the regime's second-in-command, Nuon Chea; the former foreign minister, Ieng Sary; the former social affairs minister, Ieng Thirith; and the former head of state, Khieu Samphan – all held more senior posts than Duch.

But the 66-year-old's position as head of Tuol Sleng prison placed him at the very heart of the regime's killing operation. And the enduring horror of the prison, in a former secondary school in Phnom Penh, is among the reasons the regime's brutality today holds such a place in the popular imagination.

It was at Tuol Sleng, or S-21, that thousands of alleged enemies of the regime were brought to be tortured, interrogated and dispatched for execution on the so-called killing fields at the edge of the city. Of the estimated 14,000 people sent to the prison, just 12 are known to have survived. Today, six of those are still alive. Among those killed was John Dewhirst, a teacher from Newcastle, who was captured by the Khmer Rouge aboard a motorised junk off the Cambodian coast and taken to the jail. Today, the prison is a museum and an essential stop for any visitor to Cambodia. The photographs of thousands of prisoners, taken by their guards, stare from the walls. The metal bed frames to which they were shackled remain in place. Yet even that haunting place provides only a glimpse of the horrors that took place inside the former classrooms.

On Monday, dressed in a pressed white shirt tucked neatly into his trousers, Duch sat, seemingly without emotion, as the indictment was read to the court, detailing the torture and murder that he oversaw. His prisoners, the court was told, were thrown to their deaths, bludgeoned, their stomachs slit, smothered with plastic bags and their blood drained away by medics until they collapsed. The children of prisoners were apparently taken from their parents, taken to the third storey, and dropped to the ground floor. "Several witnesses said that prisoners were killed using steel clubs, cart axles and water pipes to hit the base of their necks," the indictment continued. "Prisoners were then kicked into the pits, where their handcuffs were removed. Finally, the guards either cut open their bellies or their throats."

What makes the drama of the trial even more compelling is that Duch has not sought to deny his involvement, although he previously rejected the claims of witnesses that he personally killed anyone. Indeed, just a day after the wrenching list of allegations was read to him, he spoke of his desire for forgiveness.

Taking off his glasses and putting aside a prepared statement, Duch turned to look at the 500 or so people seated in the court's public gallery. "My current plea is that I would like you to please leave an open window for me to seek forgiveness," he said, vowing to give his full co-operation to the tribunal. "This is the only remedy that can help me to relieve all the sorrow and crimes I have committed."

He added: "At the beginning I only prayed to ask for forgiveness from my parents, but later I prayed to ask forgiveness from the whole nation ... I wish to express my deep regretfulness and my heartfelt sorrow."

Among those sitting and listening to Duch were Chum Mei and Bou Meng, two of the handful of S-21 survivors. "I felt a little feeling of relief but I don't trust him 100 per cent," said Chum Mei, a former mechanic who survived because of his ability to help maintain the prison's machinery. "I know Duch well. This man, he has many tricks. He just said these words because he wants the court to reduce his sentence."

Vann Nath is another who survived the horrors of Tuol Sleng. Listed as a possible witness, the 63-year-old painter has been barred from attending this part of the trial. In a recent interview with The Independent on Sunday at his gallery in Phnom Penh, he revealed how he had survived because Duch came to learn of his skills as a painter. Separated from the other prisoners, Vann Nath was put to work producing portraits of the Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, who died in 1998.

"I saw a lot of things during my year in the prison," he said, surrounded by paintings showing scenes from Tuol Sleng, the colours dark and menacing except for the glare of the prison's bare lights. "It was [worst] during the day. They were interrogating new prisoners who'd come. There was torture, screaming, lots of activity. I saw Duch every day, he came to my place every day." The white-haired man, now in less than perfect health, saw Duch last year when the court held preliminary hearings and travelled to the notorious killing fields site located close to a village called Choeung Ek. There, Duch had broken down and wept, though Vann Nath could not see him very clearly. Asked how he would feel to finally see Duch in court, he said: "The most significant thing is that I have lived to see the trial. I cannot guess what my feelings will be, but I hope for now that we can get a kind of justice."

The move to place Duch and his fellow defendants before the tribunal has not been without controversy. Indeed, the Cambodian government, headed by the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, himself a former Khmer Rouge commander, has been accused of blocking the remit of the court in order to protect former regime officials now in senior positions within the establishment. Others, too, have expressed concerns that the process could be divisive for the country rather than healing. In a nation where half the population is aged below 25, and where the Khmer Rouge's rule has only recently become part of the school curriculum, some might be inclined, in that utterly inadequate cliché, to let sleeping dogs lie.

Others disagree. Professor David Chandler, a Khmer Rouge expert and author of the study Voices from S-21: Terror and History in Pol Pot's Secret Prison, said: "I think the trials are immensely important because the people who had been in command positions in [the regime] need to face some of their accusers. Whether this will help Cambodia deal with its past on a mass scale is impossible to say, but the fact that the perpetrators of the documented crimes against humanity that occurred are not immune from prosecution is a start towards ending the culture of impunity which has affected those in power in Cambodia throughout its history."

The Khmer Rouge came to power in April 1975, seizing on anti-government feelings that had been exacerbated by a massive US bombing campaign which was a spill-over from the war in Vietnam. When they swept into Phnom Penh they were initially cheered, but within days the cadres were forcing people to leave their homes and possessions and to march into the countryside, where work camps were set up.

The regime fell in January 1979, when Vietnamese forces entered the country, and the Khmer Rouge began a long guerrilla war. Duch slipped out of Phnom Penh, converted to Christianity and worked with a US charity on the Cambodian border. He was only brought before the tribunal after he was discovered in 1999 by the Irish-born photojournalist Nic Dunlop, author of The Lost Executioner.

Mr Dunlop was this week in court to watch the proceedings. "My thought is that if this is going to have an impact on Cambodia it has to get outside of these walls," he said. "So far that has failed to happen. While this whole thing is costing $143m, only $50,000 of that has been set aside for outreach projects."

Some hope that once the tribunal has completed its task, Cambodia can work on putting its dark past behind it. Soysrey Line, a 22-year-old student who works as a waitress at a street food stall in the centre of Phnom Penh, said she feared the Khmer Rouge had tarnished the name of Cambodia around the world. "People know that Pol Pot was Khmer," she said. "He has created this bad image."

The Khmer Rouge years: Cambodia's trip to hell and back again

1975

Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, seizes Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, overthrowing US-backed Lon Nol. Prince Sihanouk becomes head of state. "Year Zero" sees towns and cities cleared in an attempt to create an agrarian society. Money becomes worthless and religion is banned; 1.7 million people will die in the years to 1979.

1976

Cambodia renamed Democratic Kampuchea. Prince Sihanouk resigns and is replaced by Khieu Samphan with Pol Pot as prime minister.

1978

Series of Khmer Rouge cross-border raids sparks invasion from Vietnam.

1979

Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge forces retreat to the Thai border, and Vietnamese troops occupy the capital. The People's Republic of Kampuchea is founded.

1993

UN-run elections lead to an unstable coalition between Prince Sihanouk and a former Khmer Rouge guerrilla.

1998

Pol Pot dies in the jungle after being ousted as Khmer Rouge leader the year before. The following year, the last of the guerrillas surrender.

Cambodian border village in ruins after clashes

Fire engulfing the market following Thai troops shelling (Photo: Deum Ampil)

Cambodian soldiers examine a burnt market near an ancient Hindu temple where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

April 5, 2009
AFP

PREAH VIHEAR (Cambodia) - LIFTING out blackened jewellery and bottles of whiskey, Cambodian troops comb through the wreckage of a village destroyed in a bitter battle with neighbouring Thailand.
Villagers have fled the area near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple since troops from both sides traded gun and rocket fire on Friday, leaving two Thai soldiers dead and another nine wounded.

'Thai soldiers fired many rockets into the market so that it was burned down,' said Cambodian soldier Kim Chantha, 49, as he sat next to the smoldering site at the base of the temple, cradling his AK-47 rifle.

'We rushed to put out the fire when it first started on the thatched roof of a house, but we didn't have time because Thai soldiers kept firing machineguns and a lot of rockets toward the market,' he added.

Many troops sifted through the scattered corrugated steel that remains of the gutted market and homes.

Hundreds of villagers who lived here were evacuated to a school 20 kilometres away from the site.

Cambodian border village in ruins after clashes

Fire engulfing the market following Thai troops shelling (Photo: Deum Ampil)

Cambodian soldiers examine a burnt market near an ancient Hindu temple where Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rifle and rocket fire in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh April 4, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday a border clash with Thailand around a 900-year-old Hindu temple would not escalate into a more serious conflict. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

April 5, 2009
AFP

PREAH VIHEAR (Cambodia) - LIFTING out blackened jewellery and bottles of whiskey, Cambodian troops comb through the wreckage of a village destroyed in a bitter battle with neighbouring Thailand.
Villagers have fled the area near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple since troops from both sides traded gun and rocket fire on Friday, leaving two Thai soldiers dead and another nine wounded.

'Thai soldiers fired many rockets into the market so that it was burned down,' said Cambodian soldier Kim Chantha, 49, as he sat next to the smoldering site at the base of the temple, cradling his AK-47 rifle.

'We rushed to put out the fire when it first started on the thatched roof of a house, but we didn't have time because Thai soldiers kept firing machineguns and a lot of rockets toward the market,' he added.

Many troops sifted through the scattered corrugated steel that remains of the gutted market and homes.

Hundreds of villagers who lived here were evacuated to a school 20 kilometres away from the site.

Talks can ease Thai-Cambodian border tension -PM

BANGKOK, April 5 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday supported Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen's move to downplay a border clash, calling it the result of a misunderstanding that could be resolved through amicable talks.
Thai authorities said two of their soldiers were killed and nine wounded on Friday in a clash around the Preah Vihear temple, the worst fighting since a military stand-off near the area last year.

Cambodia said it suffered no casualties after the troops of the two sides exchanged rifle and rocket fire.

Preah Vihear, a 900-year-old Hindu temple known as Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, sits on an escarpment that forms the natural border between the two countries and has been a source of tension for generations.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday the clash would not escalate into a more serious conflict.

"I regard the fighting yesterday as an incident, not a war. I don't want to see these incidents repeated or fighting expand to other areas," Hun Sen said.

Tension over the fresh clash eased through sustained dialogue between Thai and Cambodian officials, Abhisit said on a weekly television programme.

He said the latest incident started with a Thai soldier stepping on a landmine in a disputed area over which both countries claimed sovereignty.

"Many border areas have problems arising from a dispute over counter claims by both countries," Abhisit said.

"There have been bilateral government talks over these problems, including contacts between me and Prime Mininister Hun Sen that have created mutual understanding that they should be resolved through negotiations," he said.

The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but the ruling did not determine the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the ruins, leaving considerable scope for disagreement.

A joint border committee set up to demarcate the jungle-clad border area after last year's clashes, which killed one Thai and three Cambodian soldiers, will meet again on Monday for three days of talks.

Both sides have talked about developing the site, some 600 km (370 miles) east of Bangkok and only a decade ago controlled by remnants of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerrilla army, into a tourist destination.

(Reporting by Vithoon Amorn; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Suranaree Taskforce chief meets Cambodian local army chief to discuss border dispute

Sunday, April 05, 2009
The Nation

Si Sa Ket - The commander of the Si Sa Ket-based Suranaree Taskforce and 20 army officers held a meeting with the commander of the 3rd Reinforcement Division of Cambodia Sunday morning.
Maj Gen Kanok Netkawesa and 20 other officers travelled in a military personnel carrier to Preah Vihear Temple to meet the Cambodian commander at 10:15 without company by the press.

Talks can ease Thai-Cambodian border tension -PM

BANGKOK, April 5 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday supported Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen's move to downplay a border clash, calling it the result of a misunderstanding that could be resolved through amicable talks.
Thai authorities said two of their soldiers were killed and nine wounded on Friday in a clash around the Preah Vihear temple, the worst fighting since a military stand-off near the area last year.

Cambodia said it suffered no casualties after the troops of the two sides exchanged rifle and rocket fire.

Preah Vihear, a 900-year-old Hindu temple known as Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, sits on an escarpment that forms the natural border between the two countries and has been a source of tension for generations.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday the clash would not escalate into a more serious conflict.

"I regard the fighting yesterday as an incident, not a war. I don't want to see these incidents repeated or fighting expand to other areas," Hun Sen said.

Tension over the fresh clash eased through sustained dialogue between Thai and Cambodian officials, Abhisit said on a weekly television programme.

He said the latest incident started with a Thai soldier stepping on a landmine in a disputed area over which both countries claimed sovereignty.

"Many border areas have problems arising from a dispute over counter claims by both countries," Abhisit said.

"There have been bilateral government talks over these problems, including contacts between me and Prime Mininister Hun Sen that have created mutual understanding that they should be resolved through negotiations," he said.

The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but the ruling did not determine the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the ruins, leaving considerable scope for disagreement.

A joint border committee set up to demarcate the jungle-clad border area after last year's clashes, which killed one Thai and three Cambodian soldiers, will meet again on Monday for three days of talks.

Both sides have talked about developing the site, some 600 km (370 miles) east of Bangkok and only a decade ago controlled by remnants of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerrilla army, into a tourist destination.

(Reporting by Vithoon Amorn; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)