Ex-Khmer Rouge leader denies Cambodia genocide

[Petr]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070112/ap_on_re_as/cambodia_khmer_rouge


Ex-Khmer Rouge leader denies genocide

Fri Jan 12, 8:11 AM ET


PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A former Khmer Rouge leader denied in an interview published Friday that the regime whose extremist policies wiped out much of Cambodia's population in the 1970s committed mass murder.

Nuon Chea, 80, who was second only to Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, is expected to go on trial before a joint Cambodia- United Nations tribunal later this year on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

"Why should we have killed our own people? I do not see a reason," the English-language Phnom Penh Post quoted him as saying. "We wanted a clean, illuminating and peaceful regime."

An estimated 1.7 million people died as a result of the 1975-79 communist regime. Some were executed, while others died of starvation, disease and overwork.

None of the leaders have been held accountable for the atrocities. Pol Pot died in 1998, but Nuon Chea and several other top deputies still live freely in Cambodia.

Nuon Chea also said any documents linking him to the regime's crimes "were manipulated," including photographs of human skulls.

"Those photographs with skulls now being presented do not mean a thing. Modern technology can do this," he told the Post, a biweekly published every other Friday.

The comments outraged Youk Chhang, a Khmer Rouge survivor and leading genocide researcher, who called Nuon Chea "disrespectful and arrogant."

"The Khmer Rouge did not regard us as humans. They took away our love, our family, soul, belief. We were not humans in their eyes. We were their enemies," Youk Chhang said.

[cyborg]

Genocide denial is punishable by 3 years in prison and 50k fine.

1) How did this person get around the law?
2) Why is our mass media silent about his hateful activity?

[ivory bill]

Genocide denial is punishable by 3 years in prison and 50k fine.

1) How did this person get around the law?
2) Why is our mass media silent about his hateful activity?

Yes, and why is Globus silent about his hateful activity?

[cerberus]

So what exucse is being offerred up, "A big boy did it and then he ran away"?:rolleyes:

[Rakhmetov]

There was a demographic catastrophe in Kampuchea because of a plunge in agricultural production. This was caused by the systematic U.S. bombings in the country. The disastrous decline in rice production was exclusively the effect of the American carnage. Of the 1400 rice mills that had been in operation only 300 were still working in 1974 and only 65 of the previous sawmills were still in use. The country's only phosphate plant and paper mill were completely destroyed. 40% of the roads were unfit for use and one-third of the bridges were blown up.

More than 600 thousand people were murdered as a result of the U.S airstrikes before Pol Pot seized power. Massive bombing of the rural areas led to a flood of refugees who crowded into the cities under the control of the Lon Nol regime. By the time the war ended in 1975, one-third of the rural population became refugees. The population of Phnom Penh within five years grew from 600 thousand to 2 million. The population experienced famine because of the disruption of agricultural production and the break in connections with the countryside.

Rice production(hundreds of thousands of metric tons.)
1969/70: 3814
1970/71: 2732
1972/73: 2138
1972/73: 953
1973/74: 764

http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~sophal/whole.html

After the liberation by the Vietnamese and the Khmer National United Front for National Salvation, rice production grew:

1980-81: 1300
1982-83: 1563
1984-85: 1113
1986-87: 2000
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cambodia/kh_appen.html

[kane123123/Eagle Eye/stumbler/iceman]

Petr, your link isn't working, so I found one that worked http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2007/01/12/517482-ex-khmer-rouge-leader-denies-genocide

The Vietnam War which spread over the border to Cambodia killed more Cambodians than the khmer rouge. Also, I doubt the 3 million figure many give, but that 1.7 million MIGHT be accurate but even that is questionable. Also, Pol Pot didn't even know what this supposed s-21 prison was until he saw it on tv after his regime.

http://www.top20cambodia.com/encyclopedia/images/thumb/1/1f/Pol%3Dpot.jpg/180px-Pol%3Dpot.jpg

"This is year zero!"


"Those photographs with skulls now being presented do not mean a thing. Modern technology can do this," he told the Post, a biweekly published every other Friday.
lol its a conspiracy of the "intellectuals."
"The Khmer Rouge did not regard us as humans. They took away our love, our family, soul, belief. We were not humans in their eyes. We were their enemies," Youk Chhang said.
That's almost the way I treat people who flame me haha.