Pol Pot era’s horrible experiences made many Cambodians shake their head in disbelief and turn their back to the court that has made it possible for Comrade Duch to be free after 19 years if he survives the sentence.
The idea of feeling that a man who was a part and parcel of the Pol Pot killing machine through his S-21 interrogation cell would be free one day was indigestible for many Cambodians who were hoping for a justice in one of the most notorious crime against humanity in 20th century.
Chum Mey is one of the living survivors of S-21 detention centre and he suffered a regular torture under Comrade Duch while his wife and children were killed during Pol Pot era. For Chum, he was not happy with the decision that a person who assisted in the deaths of millions of people would be free and Chum said that he is not happy with the verdict.
Today it was Duch’s Day in Cambodia while thousands of Cambodians were gathered near the court and in places where live telecast of the verdict was available to witness the expression that would have been a source of relief if shown at the face of Comrade Duch who had been a source of much of their woes as everyone of them was old enough to suffer a physical torture or loss of some one closed at the hands of Comrade Duch during Pol Pot era.
But the world and millions of Cambodians were left with a wide shot of the man when verdict was read to him in the court and Theary Seng was one of these Cambodians who had been in the Khmer Rouge detention along with her mother and other siblings but neither of Theary Seng’s parents survived the Pol Pot era.
Many like Seng have questioned tribunal’s ability to deliver justice in the crime against humanity and though trial of the four most senior surviving members of the Khmer Rouge regime is at the corner.
To Comrade Duch, it cost 11 hours a life approximately and nobody in Cambodia is ready to believe that crime against humanity would cost so cheap to one the great committers of the heinous crimes during Pol Pot regime.
Pol Pot