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IL&J: Khmer Rouge 'Butcher' Dies
Ta Mok, one of the key leaders of the former Khmer Rouge regime has died of natural causes while in detention in Cambodia. Nicknamed the “butcher” for his direct role in countless massacres and purges under the Khmer Rouge, Ta Mok was one of two remaining leaders in custody for inciting and participating in the Cambodian genocide. Over 1.5 million people died under the Khmer Rouge as a result of execution, starvation and disease.
Ta Mok was expected to be one of the first people tried for genocide and crimes against humanity at the U.N.-backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT) in Cambodia. Trials were set to start in 2007. However, Mok’s death leaves only Kaing Khek Iev, also known as Duch, as the sole surviving Khmer Rouge official. Duch was a notorious prison boss under the Khmer Rouge regime.
Ta Mok is not the first to evade justice - in 1998, Khmer Rouge leader and mastermind Pol Pot died of an apparent heart attack in his jungle hide-out. These deaths leave many Cambodians wondering whether they will ever see justice for the horrific crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge.
Earlier this month, judges for the long-awaited KRT were sworn in at a special ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Reach Sambath, a spokesman for the KRT, said that a "key resource of information" has passed away.
Updated July 21, 2006
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