The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 501
“Even though the Khmer Rouge Regime was overthrown on 7 January 1979, Khmer Rouge leaders continued to mobilize forces in large jungle regions, especially in the western border zone. They still used boastful language, lies, cruelties, and their unconditional language had still been used in this regime to rule the country.
“A 9-page type-written document, titled ‘Records of Introducing Ta Proeuk on 15 February 1998,’ began with brusque language: ‘I would like to inform you of our internal situation of the past; we see only easiness but no difficulty, we see only winning, but not losing. Now for our internal situation, if we are not at ease, we will lose, because the Anlong Veng section created confusion about money and business. Their slogan is ‘Leaders have money, I have no money, so we have to do business to have money. Their money-making method is to take scaly ant-eaters [a kind of animal] from Anlong Veng to sell at Romiet, and when they return, they buy goods to sell to our members in Anlong Veng. Most of businesspeople are handicapped people and women who do business using bicycles, oxcarts, motorbikes, and cars. The problem is not a problem of doing usual business, but it touches the root of politics. To talk to the point: enemy spies are getting active. The enemy wants to brake our car so abruptly that our car might overturn. But the only problem is whether we stay resolute or not resolute.’
“It is assumed that this document was prepared in the area of Anlong Veng, when they called brigade chiefs also from other regions to attend meetings. The person who introduced a person to others was not a low-ranking person, without specifying the real name, but he used the secret name ‘Ta Proeuk.’ Who was Ta Proeuk? According to past research, even asking former soldiers or commanders of Khmer Rouge soldiers, they tried to hide the truth by not saying who was ‘Ta Proeuk,’ and Ta Proeuk – the person introduced by somebody else – was also not an usual person. There was one phrase saying, ‘Now is a time of militarization, it is not a time for politicization. At this time, I am not free, and I have not had a meeting for guidance, and our political school also does not remind us…’
“On the fourth page of the document, at Roman number II – speaking about the national and the international situations surrounding Cambodia – there is the sentence, ‘Therefore, the Cambodian situation requires to use strong words about the suppression, but the election kept still proceeding.’ There was another point saying, ‘I read an American magazine untranslated, saying that America uses harsh words, but our radio counter-attacks it, it is not afraid…’
“In the same document, there was a description of the plan to disturb the 1998 national elections, saying who was assigned to be responsible for disturbing the elections in which region. Through the analysis of this document we know that Ta Proeuk was a supreme leader in the Khmer Rouge leadership structure who as hiding in the jungle. If one compares the words of this document, they are identical to the theory of the Khmer Rouge leaders in the regime of ‘Democratic Kampuchea.’ There was another phrase saying, ‘The situation is like that, the enemy is like that, we are like that. As long as we can achieve these three directions, we will win.’
“At the eighth page, at Roman number IV, it talks first about internal measures, saying, ‘We just gather them to make them live in one village, we distribute land for them. They have at most 50 families. In case they are bad, they must be put into prison.’
“Therefore, even up to 1998, Khmer Rouge leaders continued still to be cruel, because traditionally they gathered people into one village and jailed innocent people, and killings continued even though their regime was overthrown.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4247, 28.3.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1302, 28.3.2007
- [A group of] Muslims [led by Oknha Osman Hasan] Came To Cambodia To Campaign For The Cambodian People’s Party
Khmer Amatak, Vol. Vol.8, #467, 28.3.2007
- In Kandal, Norodom Ranariddh Party Supporters’ Voting Cards Were Taken Away By Local Authorities [of the Cambodian People’s Party]
- A Christian Missionary [François Ponchaud] Of The Pope Who Said That Venerable Tep Vong Is A Politicized Monk, Does Not Know Anything About Buddhism
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6002, 28.3.2007
- An Open Letter Of Khmer Judges In France Was Submitted To the UN Secretary General [issued by a Committee of Khmer Rouge Victims in France, saying that the Khmer Rouge leaders’ tribunal is a crucial task for the UN and the Royal Government of Cambodia, to provide justice to two million victims]
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3121, 28.3.2007
- When Election Day Is Approaching, A Strong Current To Change Old Commune Chiefs May Emerge
Rasmei Angkor, Vol.14, #1163, 28.3.2007
- Even Famous Actors Join The Cambodian People’s Party [such as Neay Kren, other names not specified]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4247, 28.3.2007
- The Sam Rainsy Party Declared That It Will Provide Rewards To Election Officials [1-US$300 for commune election committee officials; 2-US$3,000 for provincial election committee officials; 3-US$30,000 for National Election Committee officials]
- Cambodia And Vietnam Signed Cooperation Agreement On Archives
- Khmer Rouge Leaders’ Formula Of Jailing And Killing Innocent People Had Been Still Used Up To 1998
Reach Seima, Vol.2, #170, 28.3.2007
- Samdech Krom Preah Sued [Funcinpec General Secretary] Nhek Bunchhay About Two Criminal Cases In The Phnom Penh Municipal Court [counterfeiting documents of Funcinpec and breach of trust]
- 60 Percent Of Garment Workers Do Not Go To Vote [they have no money to spend to travel to their places of registered residence]
- [Leader of Sam Rainsy Party working team] Ho Van Warns Newspapers Which Wrote About The Truth Of Boeung Kak Area [bribery of party members]
- The Chief Of O’Russey Market Is Destroying Mr. Chea Sim’s Votes [the market security guards prevented Sam Rainsy Party activists from entering the market to distribute party leaflets]
Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.14, #3001, 28.3.2007
- [Honorary Cambodian People’s Party Chairperson] Heng Samrin Hopes They Will Win 90 Percent [in the commune council elections], Which Is An Admonishment For The National Election Committee To Work Carefully
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #363, 28.3.2007
- The Former Editor-In-Chief [You Saravuth] Of Sralanh Khmer Arrived In Norway [he fled in 2006 to Thailand after Oknha Hun To, a nephew of the Prime Minister filed a complaint against him about disinformation: saying that Oknha Hun To grabbed thousands of hectares of people’s and state land in the northeast of the country]
- Farmers [of Srae Ambel village] Lost In A Land Dispute With The Cambodian People’s Party Senator Ly Yong Phat [there is no solution for them even though they appealed to Prime Minister Hun Sen for help]
As a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, I can’t say I’m too enthusiastic about the current tribunal. Trying a handful of surviving Khmer Rouge leaders is unlikely to deliver neither justice nor closure for Cambodians. After all, Pot Pol and many top leaders have already died peacefully in their sleeps. Not on trial are the countless lower level KR cadres who were “just following orders”.