2 ex-leaders of Khmer Rouge get life in prison

UN war crimes tribunal in Cambodia cites 'crimes against humanity'

The United Nations war crimes tribunal in Cambodia convicted two aging former top leaders of Democratic Kampuchea, also known as the Khmer Rouge regime, of crimes against humanity and sentenced them to life in prison, according to a verdict pronounced by the tribunal's president, Nil Nonn, on Thursday.

The two are Nuon Chea, 88, the chief ideologue of the former Communist Party of Kampuchea, also known as "Brother Number 2", and Khieu Samphan, 83, Democratic Kampuchea's former head of state.

The two are among the few surviving top leaders of the regime that was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people from starvation, overwork, torture, execution and mass massacre from 1975 to 1979.

"The trial chamber finds the accused, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, guilty of crimes against humanity, of extermination, murders, political persecution and other inhumane acts comprising forced evacuations and attacks against human dignity committed between 1975 and 1977," the verdict read by Nil Nonn said.

The tribunals is formally known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

"The chamber sentences the accused, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, to life imprisonment," the verdict said.

The two former Khmer Rouge leaders appeared in the courtroom to hear the pronouncement of the verdict, which was broadcast live on local television channels and radio.

The verdict came after a two-year trial, which began in November 2011 and ended in October 2013.

In their closing statements in October, both defendants denied they were involved in crimes against humanity during the regime.

"I was not involved in any crimes during Democratic Kampuchea, as alleged by the co-prosecutors, and the co-prosecutors have not presented enough evidence to prove their allegations against me," Nuon Chea said at the time, blaming the deaths and executions of people during the regime on betrayal by local cadres and regional leaders.

Khieu Samphan said at that time that he was innocent.

"I was among the powerful persons during the regime, but I was not as powerful as them," he said.

Defense lawyers for the two said at a news conference after the judgment that they will appeal the verdict.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Sok An said he was personally pleased with the judgment.

"The pronouncement of the judgment today is clearly a testament of the success of this tribunal. It has proved that this tribunal is competent and fully capable of conducting a fair trial in accordance with international standards," he said after the verdict was read.

The tribunal's chief spokesman Dim Sovannarom said it was a milestone in Cambodian history.

"After more than 35 years, now justice has come for the victims," he said. "This was the first time ever that former Khmer Rouge senior leaders were judged by a court for crimes against humanity."

Besides that case, the two are also facing a second trial on charges of genocide of Muslim Cham and Vietnamese ethnic minorities, forced marriages and rape, mistreatment of Buddhists and internal purges during their regime.

(China Daily 08/08/2014 page12)