“You Cannot Smash Human Beings”

A week of closing arguments in the trial of Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch) commenced today with lengthy statements from the Cambodian and international lawyers representing the four groups of civil parties, who total about 90 individual victims. The public gallery in the courtroom was packed with a large audience of Cambodian citizens, including some of the civil party victims, and a small group of foreigners. Civil society representatives and the international press were present in full force. U.S. Ambassador Carol Rodley and her Deputy Chief of Mission, Ted Allegra, attended the initial hour of the arguments. The final stages of this historic trial thus began with an impressive display of domestic and global interest.

Duch arrived wearing a yellow long sleeve turtle neck shirt and white slacks. In the afternoon session he wore a white shirt. Duch was seated in the middle of the courtroom facing the judges, with his defense counsel on his right and the co-prosecutors and civil party lawyers on his left. He maintained his composure throughout the day and spent most of his time scribbling notes, watching the video screen in front of him, and occasionally turning to his left to face his accusers. But when Philippe Canonne, the French avocat representing Group 3 civil parties, and his co-counsel Martine Jacquin of France delivered perhaps the most pointed and eloquent statements of the day, Duch locked eyes with both for the duration of their arguments, leaving me to wonder whether I was witnessing remorse or defiance as each minute ticked by…

Read more: ctm_blog_11-23-2009