STATEMENT OF APOLOGY FROM KANG KEK IEW (AUGUST 18, 2009)

            Please read and hear this statement of apology from Kang Kek Iew, a former Khmer Rouge War Criminal on this date, August 18, 2009:

Kang Kek Iew or Kaing Kek Iev, also romanized as Kaing Guek Eav (Khmer: កាំង ហ្គេកអ៊ាវ), nom de guerre Comrade Duch or Deuch (មិត្តឌុច); or Hang Pin, (born 17 November 1942) is a war criminal and former leader in the Khmer Rouge communist movement, which ruled Democratic Kampuchea from 1975 to 1979. As the head of the government's internal security branch, he oversaw the Tuol Sleng (S-21) prison camp where thousands were held for interrogation and torture. The first Khmer Rouge leader to be tried by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for the crimes of the regime, he was convicted of crimes against humanity, murder, and torture for his role during the Khmer Rouge rule of Cambodia and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. On February 3, 2012, his sentence was extended to life imprisonment by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

Please go to Force 1109 Blog post to learn more about him. 

Kang Kek Iew A.K.A Comrade Duch (PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.tomknoxbooks.com/bible-of-the-dead/bible-of-the-dead-comrade-duch/)

Transcript (KH) of 18 August 2009,

[p. 27 Lines 2-18]

Mr. President, first of all I seek your permission to express my deepest respect and gratitude to Chumteav Meas Ket, who is here in the Chamber despite her advanced years. This is an honour for me. Chumteav Meas Ket is three years older than my mother. I am thankful for her presence here and I extend my homage to her from where I stand.

Aside from that, I had known the story of Tioulong Raingsy since my days as deputy director of S-21. I recognized her voice which I had heard on the radio when I had been in prison. That is why, when she came to S-21, I did not go and see her. When I became the director, I saw her file, and by then everything was already over. At that time I honestly thought that only Raingsy was detained and that Lim Kymary had been living in France, but then I saw both of them in detention. I did not know how long they had been there. This is the extent of my personal knowledge of the matter. Regarding the testimony of Antonya, this is a powerful testimony full of living history about the suffering of a family that lost two members. It is a document of lasting historical value which will help future researchers to understand how the crimes were committed, what impact they had on families, and the extent to which each family suffered. I recognise the authenticity of this testimony. Personally I still maintain my sense of responsibility for those crimes and this is my frank and sincere statement to you, Mrs Meas Ket and Mrs Antonya Tioulong.

Transcript (KH) of 18 August 2009,

[p. 41 Lines 14-21; p. 42 Lines 3-10]

Mr. President, if I am able, I would like to assume full moral responsibility for the crimes committed. First, I am not betraying the souls of the people who perished at S-21, and I admit that some people died under torture. I proclaim before the nation and people of Cambodia that they were indeed barbaric acts. Your Honours, you have seen that the civil parties, including Mrs. Bou Thon, they can blame and condemn me. I acknowledge their suffering as historical facts for which I am morally responsible.

Mr. President, the victim named Chen Sea was a cadre from Hanoi who was also a former cadre of K-92. Later on he was detained at Boeng Trabaek before being sent to S-21. I fully acknowledge that he was detained at S-21, as the document produced here proves. I would like to also give the Court a brief account of the school called K-92 that Mentor Son Sen, my former superior, set up when he was co-chairman of the North Zone. And the reason I’m quoting this fact is to indicate that Mr. Chen Sea was indeed killed at S-21 and that I carry moral and legal responsibility for his death and the crimes committed at S-21.

Transcript (KH) of 18 August 2009,

[p. 85 Lines 2-9]

Mr. President, I would like to begin by stating once again that I acknowledge that Comrade Neth Bunthy suffered and died at S-21. He entered S-21 on the 24th of December 1978 and that is a fact. I have just summarized the historical facts regarding the CPK and the military forces from the East, so I will not elaborate on that. The cadres and combatants who were in the operation in the East Zone suffered on a large scale. And the suffering inflicted upon Neth Phally alias Chhaet Phally before this Chamber is a portion of the greater sufferings inflicted on the combatants from the East Zone between 17 April 1975 and 7 January 1979. I have listened to the civil parties’ testimony for that period and what they say is basically correct.

PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO TO HEAR HIS APOLOGY FOR WAR CRIMES:

Statements of apology 18 August 2009: Kaing Guek Eav

Published on Jun 29, 2012

In its judgement on appeals in Case 001 against Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch, the Supreme Court Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) affirmed the Trial Chamber's previous decision to compile and post on the ECCC's official website all statements of apology and acknowledgements of responsibility made by Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch during the course of the trial, including the appeal stage. This video clip is part of the audio and video version of this compilation. More information: http://www.eccc.gov.kh/en

VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yew8qEvQQJs