Duch Indictment Outlines Heinous Crimes
Judges' order outlines excessive methods of torture and killing and individual power that frightened prisoners. (13 August 2008)
When jailed prison chief Duch faces a Khmer Rouge tribunal chamberin coming months, he will face charges that he was fully responsible for thedeaths of at least 12,380 people at Tuol Sleng, as well as war crimes,documents issued this week show. Investigating judges of the tribunal announced Tuesday theyhad sent their closing order to the Trial Chamber Aug. 8, setting the stage forthe trial stage of the prison chief. Duch, 65, whose real name is Kaing Kek Iev, now faces bothcharges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, for his role as director ofthe S-21 prison, and the order forwarded this week gives a detailed outline ofcharges made against him. Investigating judges claim he was fully responsible for the12,380 people who died under his watch, a number that the order said was notthe full amount killed. Duch himself acknowledged that some prisoners who were laterkilled were not documented at Tuol Sleng. More than 1,000 people were killed by having their bodiesemptied of blood, the order said, citing witnesses, an execution method thatwas particularly horrifying to prisoners. Among the prisoners, most were Cambodian, including 200prison staff, who themselves were subsequently detained there, according to theorder, which serves as an indictment. Prisoners included Muslims, Thais, Laotians, Indians,Westerners and more than 400 Vietnamese, according to order. Of the Vietnamese,150 would be considered "prisoners of war." The closing order claims witnesses reported being terriblyafraid of Duch, who had the power to order executions. However, the order says, Duch confessed that "ingeneral cases, high-ranking [officials] told him to prepare to receiveprisoners, and most of those prisoners had been arrested and transferred bytheir respective units." "But some evidence makes clear that S-21 arrestedprisoners by itself," the order said. Some of them had been accused of belonging to "specialagencies" of Vietnam,the order said. The charge of crimes against humanity was put forwardbecause of the mass killings, torture, detention, abuse, sexual abuse and othermethods, the order said. War crimes was put forward for the intent to kill, injureand cause suffering, as well as denial of rights of judgment, according to theorder. The investigating judges ruled Duch would be held indetention ahead of his trial. The Trial Chamber will now set up a date for the trial andchoose witnesses to appear, co-investigating judge You Bunleng said.