It's unfortunate that Pol Pot and many others have been able to die in peace after inflicting their terror on millions of people, but better late than never. The Guardian:
A notorious torture centre boss went before Cambodia's genocide tribunal today for its first trial over the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people at the hands of the Khmer Rouge regime more than three decades ago.It's great that the former head of S-21 has allegedly become a Christian but this does nothing to excuse the brutality that went on there. Thousands of people entered S-21 and less than 20 survived following beatings and torture. A religious conversion does nothing to change what went on at S-21 though it may help the guilty during their final years in prison.
Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, who headed the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh is charged with crimes against humanity and is the first of five defendants scheduled for long-delayed trials by the UN-assisted tribunal. Duch, driven to the hearing in a bulletproof car from a nearby detention centre, intently followed the proceedings in a courtroom packed with some 500 people.
The 66-year-old is accused of committing or abetting a range of crimes including murder, torture and rape at S-21 prison formerly a school where up to 16,000 men, women and children were held and tortured, before being put to death.
"This first hearing represents the realisation of significant efforts to establish a fair and independent tribunal to try those in leadership positions and those most responsible for violations of Cambodian and international law," presiding judge Nil Nonn told the chamber.
