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The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 4:47 am
by Soi Dog
I know this woman is just one of thousands of Khmers who either enthusiastically or fearfully participated in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of others. Still, I'm always taken aback when confronted with pictures of such perpetrators. I guess I somehow expect them to look "more evil" in some way, and not resemble my landlady.
Im Chim, age 72
PPP wrote:‘I will not go to the court, even if they come to arrest me’
Sat, 9 August 2014
May Titthara and Kevin Ponniah
Anlong Veng District Oddar Meanchey
Im Chem has long lived in fear that the Khmer Rouge tribunal would come to her placid village and detain her. But this week, the feeling is particularly palpable.
On Thursday, hundreds of kilometres away in Phnom Penh, senior regime leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison.
Chem, who is being investigated as part of the government-opposed Case 004, is considered by prosecutors at the UN-backed court as one of five people beyond the senior leadership “most responsible” for the crimes of the ultra-communist regime.
During the Khmer Rouge’s bloody reign, she is alleged to have led internal purges and presided over the deaths of tens of thousands. She is worried that the tribunal is moving closer to indicting her.
“We want to hear the exact words from the court that they are stopping and will not deal with any more cases, so that we can live with happiness in our minds,” she says, before offering a grim, but fanciful, warning.
“But if they still continue, it could make the Khmer Rouge come back again. And more problems will come in the future, because it will affect all [former] Khmer Rouge that are living around the country.”
more...
http://phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/% ... e%E2%80%99
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 4:58 am
by JBTrain
" Sa Roeung says the verdict against Chea and Samphan has left him “heartbroken”, because all the Khmer Rouge leaders did was try to save the nation from Vietnamese imperialism.
“I am still wondering why the international judge did not listen to their [arguments], because they said yuon [a term for Vietnamese considered derogatory by many] were killing Khmer,” he says, as a group of beer-swilling men seated behind him nod in agreement."
Poor folks. KR was just misunderstood.
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 6:29 am
by Soi Dog
JBTrain wrote:Poor folks. KR was just misunderstood.
Those complicit in the horrific deeds of that era have 2 choices on how to live with themselves and their memories of what they did/participated in:
1) Completely admit your involvement/guilt and come to the realization that you were an active part in one of the worst crimes against humanity in modern history with no redeemable features whatsoever.
2) Continue your belief that what you did was necessary to save your race or country, thus turning your heinous deeds into an unavoidable and patriotic duty.
How many such people in human history have opted for the first choice? I can't imagine too many. Not really different from how Kissinger and Bush/Cheney explain themselves. "It's not a lie if
you believe it." - George Costanza
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 6:45 am
by vladimir
If she goes to court, she will implicate people.
It will never happen.
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:06 am
by Soi Dog
vladimir wrote:If she goes to court, she will implicate people.
It will never happen.
I'm pretty sure HE has already implicitly said "no more trials".
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:29 am
by Sailorman
Old Joe Stalin makes these criminals look like pikers/small change, but that doesn't make them any less guilty. With the powers that be here and if she could point fingers in that direction, if I was her I'd be afraid of a sudden heart attack or being run over (repeatedly) by a freight-train.
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:42 am
by JBTrain
Soi Dog wrote:vladimir wrote:If she goes to court, she will implicate people.
It will never happen.
I'm pretty sure HE has already implicitly said "no more trials".
Explicitly actually.
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:35 am
by ali baba
Soi Dog wrote:
Im Chim, age 72
Why does she have blue eyes?
Are blue eyes evil?
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 2:42 pm
by taranis
404 Not Known
Re: The face of pure evil?
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 3:07 pm
by Joon
Soi Dog wrote:JBTrain wrote:Poor folks. KR was just misunderstood.
Those complicit in the horrific deeds of that era have 2 choices on how to live with themselves and their memories of what they did/participated in:
1) Completely admit your involvement/guilt and come to the realization that you were an active part in one of the worst crimes against humanity in modern history with no redeemable features whatsoever.
2) Continue your belief that what you did was necessary to save your race or country, thus turning your heinous deeds into an unavoidable and patriotic duty.
How many such people in human history have opted for the first choice? I can't imagine too many. Not really different from how Kissinger and Bush/Cheney explain themselves. "It's not a lie if
you believe it." - George Costanza
Good points here. Though, we (you and I) would never know the choices we would make under the same circumstances. Sometimes, acting worse than evil can become a defense mechanism.