UN Secretary-General Says Khmer Rouge Tribunal Plays Vital Role
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| U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (center) is escorted around the former security prison known as S-21 with a guide (right). The commandant of S-21, Comrade Duch, was convicted by the war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh earlier this year. (Photo: VOA - R. Carmichael) |
Phnom Penh 28 October 2010
The U.N. Secretary-General says the Khmer Rouge tribunal plays a vital role in Cambodia's search for justice for victims of the 1970s government. But Ban Ki-moon is encountering resistance to the tribunal from Cambodia's current government.
During a tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Ban endorsed efforts to bring the Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.
"The conviction of Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, was a milestone in Cambodia's journey for justice," the U.N. secretary-general said. "We know it is difficult to relive this terrible chapter in your history, but I want you to know that your courage has sent a strong and powerful message to the world that there can be no impunity, that crimes against humanity shall not go unpunished."
