Petit Resigns

Canadian Co-Prosecutor, Robert Petit announced that he will be resigning from the ECCC effective September 1st. Petit, who unsuccessfully lobbied for at least six more suspects to be brought before the tribunal, cited family reasons for his early departure. A replacement has yet to be named. 

There is a Leninist representing victims? Does it matter?

Civil Parties in the ECCC sent a letter to Helen Jarvis asking how, as an avowed Leninist, she intends to lead the victims of Leninist inspired policies. The Court's Director of Administration, Knut Rosandhaug, stood firm with his appointment stating that Ms. Jarvis was entitled to her own personal political views. As a rank and file member of the Leninist party in Cambodia - is there a conflict of interest or can politics really be put aside?

Lawyers unable to mask Duch's pride

As part of a strategy by the defense, Duch appears to be meek, conciliatory and humble but in nearly three months of trial proceedings, a harder man has emerged — alert, vigorous, with a self-confidence that has begun to shade into condescension as he corrects a lawyer or a witness about details of his life as the chief torturer of the Khmer Rouge

NYT

Duch gets Emotional

Kaing Guek Eav, the man accused of running an infamous Khmer Rouge torture center broke down in tears at his trial Monday as he spoke of the imprisonment and execution of former comrades in the facility he commanded. 

AP

Helen Jarvis' political affiliations under scrutiny by defense

A draft of a letter was found in a Phnom Penh pond from the defence lawyers of Nuon Chea to the newly appointed Victims' Unit head, Helen Jarvis, expressing concern over an open letter - to which Jarvis was a signatory - written by members of the Leninist Party Faction (LPF) of Australia's Democratic Socialist Perspective. Concern over the appointment was also voiced by the lawyers for  Ieng Sary as well as 

civil society groups. A letter from Deputy Director of Administration Knut Rosandhaug to the Ieng Sary defence team stated in part,  "Every member of staff has the right to their personal, political views." The comment upset lawyers, who said their concerns had not been addressed properly. 

Phnom Penh Post

Duch speaks on Buddhist persecutions

Former Khmer Rouge jailer Kaing Guek Eav told the ECCC Judges Wednesday that the regime's party line forced Buddhist monks to disrobe or otherwise be killed as part of a plan to slowly dismantle the national religion.  

 "Pol Pot opposed all religions as a general principle ... [But] they never sent anyone to [my] office because of their belief in religion." 

First Textbook on Khmer Rouge Period

Cambodia unveiled its first textbook on the 'Killing Fields' genocide on Thursday to raise awareness among those too young to remember the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge era in which 1.7 million people died.

For the first time in Cambodia's history, the genocide will be taught in high school,' said Youk Chhang, director of the US-funded Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam), which has documented Khmer Rouge atrocities.

-AFP