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| Southeast Asia |
| Staff ŽsmashedŽ babies |
| 2009-06-09 |
| [Straits Times] THE former jail chief of the Khmer Rouge regime told Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes trial Monday that his staff had murdered babies by smashing them against trees at a 'killing field'. Kaing Guek Eav, better known by his nom de guerre Duch, is on trial for overseeing the torture and extermination of 15,000 people who passed through the hardline communist movement's notorious Tuol Sleng prison. 'The horrendous images of those (babies) smashed against trees, yes, that was done by my subordinates,' Duch said, referring to paintings depicting the atrocities committed by members of the 1975 to 1979 Khmer Rouge regime. 'I myself do not blame my subordinates, because they worked under me. I am criminally responsible,' the 66-year-old added. The former maths teacher, wearing a grey short-sleeved shirt, was responding to prosecution questions about the regime's policies at Tuol Sleng, where prisoners were often accompanied by their children. Duch apologised at his trial late March, saying he accepted blame for the extermination of thousands of people at the prison, which served as the centre of the 1975-1979 regime's security apparatus. But he has denied prosecutors' claims that he played a central role in the Khmer Rouge's iron-fisted rule, and maintains he only tortured two people himself and never personally executed anyone. Duch faces life in jail if convicted by the court, which does not have the power to impose the death penalty. Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998 and many believe the UN-sponsored tribunal is the last chance to find justice for victims of the regime, which killed up to two million people. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 nom de guerre is a pen name. "Nom de Guerre" means literally, War Name! Nom de Plume would be pen name. |
| Posted by: Flater White1380 2009-06-09 12:28 |
| #4 nom de guerre is a pen name. I'm not sure if you were seriously asking or asking snarkily but there it is. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2009-06-09 11:40 |
| #3 Pronounced "Doosh". Piss poor nom de guerre if you ask me. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-06-09 10:40 |
| #2 Stuff like this is still happening in North Korea by all accounts. But don't tell the U.N. - wouldn't want to upset their luncheon. (SPIT!) |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-06-09 10:40 |
| #1 What is a "nom de guerre"? He is a murederer. Plain and simple. This nom de guerre crap makes people thing they are some kind of swash buckling man in tights. Someone should grap this moron by his feet and slam him up against a tree. |
| Posted by: Art 2009-06-09 10:28 |