| Extraordinary chamber to try some of the top | | | | studying in different universities in Paris, integrated |
| leaders during Democratic Kampuchea Regime; a | | | | to establish their own communist movement and |
| regime that is accused of killing millions of | | | | this movement was believed to have very little |
| Cambodian innocent lives, is in the process. This is | | | | connection with their home government. So of |
| probably the most heated topic from the | | | | the returned members of this movement |
| government institution up to the general public. | | | | returned to their home countries and took up |
| However, a prevailing fact that would dim "the | | | | political leadership positions in DK government, |
| justice prospect" for Cambodian people is that a | | | | including KHIEU Samphan, POL Pot, IENG Sary, to |
| huge number of the people do not even know | | | | name just a very few. It was from this |
| the basic biography of those most responsible; | | | | movement: Khmer Student Association, that |
| Democratic Kampuchea leaders to face trial, | | | | KHIEU Samphan was converted into an all-out |
| constituted of Cambodian and international judges. | | | | communist. The involvement of Cambodian |
| Mr. KHIEU Samphan, one of the prominent leaders | | | | students who returned from universities in Paris |
| of many other Democratic Kampuchea leaders is | | | | was to set up a movement to combat against |
| due to face the foregoing extraordinary chamber; | | | | LON Nol and Prince Norodom Sihanouk where |
| however, a huge number of Cambodian people, | | | | were deemed as corrupt and egoist. Such the |
| old and young, do not even have even a basic | | | | movement of these students was then improve |
| knowledge pertaining this man: This is the fact | | | | to a regime, called "Democratic Kampuchea." |
| that I hypothesize that Cambodian prospect to | | | | IV. Political Life |
| justice is apparently faint. The entire contents of | | | | KHIEU Samphan arrived back in Cambodia in 1959, |
| the following compiled essay will unveil KHIEU | | | | with a doctoral degree in Economics from the |
| Samphan's on-the-surface biographical details. | | | | University of Paris. Immediately after his arrival in |
| I. Childhood | | | | Cambodia, he took up a position in the Faculty of |
| Mr. KHIEU Samphan who is considered as brother | | | | Law in Phnom Penh; simultaneously, establish a |
| number five, after SALOTH Sar (Pol Pot), NUON | | | | French-language journal entitled, L'observateur. |
| Chea, IENG Sary and TA Mok, is believed to be | | | | This journal strongly sided with the leftist. The |
| born July 27, 1931 in Svay Rieg province. He is the | | | | purpose if this journal was to better the social |
| oldest son in the family. His father was a local | | | | justice and other field of humanity in Cambodia |
| judge. After a compulsory education in his | | | | during that time. But this never resisted him from |
| hometown, KHIEU Samphan pursued his education | | | | commitment to Cambodian social justice. It was |
| to Sisowat High School in Phnom Penh. During his | | | | from this journal that KHIEU Samphan won great |
| time, Sisowat or Preah Sisowat High School was | | | | popularity from the public, especially the students. |
| believed to be the top high school in Cambodia. | | | | However, this journal did not survive long; it was |
| Only the uptown-class or outstanding students | | | | closed just after one year, KHIEU Samphan was |
| would attend this educational institution. | | | | arrested and undressed in the public by Prince |
| KHIEU Samphan's childhood is not dramatically | | | | Norodom Sihanouk. |
| known, and until now, resources about his | | | | After the coupe in 1970, Prince Norodom |
| childhood are still inadequate and even unreliable. | | | | Sihanouk collaborated with other Khmer |
| But he became better noted after winning the | | | | communists, including his former enemy: KHIEU |
| government scholarship to study in the University | | | | Samphan, to resist against LON Nol government. |
| of Paris in Paris city, France. | | | | In this coalition government, KHIEU Samphan was |
| Since his childhood, Mr. KHIEU Samphan was | | | | nominated as the Deputy Prime Minister, Minster |
| believed to be a "serious and good-natured" man, | | | | of National Defense and the Commander-in-Chief |
| up to being entitled: A clean man. Because of | | | | of the Coalition Government. It was from these |
| these outstanding personalities, he was granted | | | | political events that KHIEU Samphan climbed to |
| with government scholarship to pursue his studies | | | | the top positions within the Democratic |
| in Paris, France, up to achieving Doctor of | | | | Kampuchea regime. |
| Economics. It was from here, the University of | | | | His political life during the Democratic Kampuchea |
| Paris, that Max Lenin ideologies have been inserted | | | | era (1975-1978) was hard to unveil, due to the |
| into Cambodian intellectuals who latter became | | | | fact that confidentiality and secrecy were the |
| leader of Democratic Kampuchea. History has told | | | | leadership strategies of the DK leaders. |
| that the universities in Paris have created most of | | | | KHIEU Samphan is now living in his last military |
| the Cambodian intellectuals. | | | | stronghold: Pailin Municipality, the province in the |
| Pursuant to American sources, Mr. KHIEU | | | | most west of Cambodia, bordered with Thailand. |
| Samphan was reported to be one of the most | | | | V. Students Talk Trial with Ex-KR Leaders in Pailin |
| outstanding students amongst his generation. | | | | Extracted from The Cambodia Daily, Friday, |
| Other astoundingly outstanding students in KHIEU | | | | August 26, 2005 |
| Samphan's generation including HOU Yun who | | | | A group of university students canvassing villages |
| mastered Economics and Law. Mr. HOU Yun (born | | | | to conduct interviews about the Khmer Rouge |
| 1930) was classified as the astoundingly physical | | | | regime and distribute information about the |
| and intellectual person and another genius was Mr. | | | | long-awaited tribunal ended up in unlikely |
| SON Sen who red education and literature. | | | | conversations with former Khmer Rogue leaders |
| II. Studies in Paris and Doctoral Thesis | | | | Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea in their Pailin |
| Mr. KHIEU Samphan granted his Doctoral Degree | | | | Municipality homes last week. |
| in Economics from the University of Paris, a | | | | Graduate student and Documentation Center of |
| world-wide recognized university in humanity and | | | | Cambodia intern Huy Vannak organized the group |
| materialistic and ideological invention. | | | | for a planned distribution of the documents in |
| KHIEU Samphan who was one of the pivotal | | | | Pailin. And despite their apprehensions at bringing |
| members of Khmer Student Association in Paris | | | | Khmer Rogue tribunal literature to the foremost |
| selected a doctoral thesis, entitled: "Cambodia's | | | | former rebel stronghold, the group decided to |
| Economy and Industrial Development" and | | | | seek out the aging communist leaders' at their |
| successfully defended this thesis. His Doctoral | | | | homes. |
| Degree in Economics was granted during the | | | | "I thought because of security and cooperation |
| 1950s. | | | | we should not go to the Khmer Rouge |
| It can be brief that his doctoral thesis sided with | | | | stronghold," Huy Vanak said Thursday. "I told |
| national self-reliance. From deeper analysis into his | | | | myself we should not fear the Khmer Rogue. |
| doctoral thesis, more personalities of KHIEU | | | | During the Khmer Rouge regime they tried to |
| Samphan would be more understandable. KHIEU | | | | frighten my mother, to frighten everybody.... I |
| Samphan accused the rich countries that have | | | | have learned a lot. Khmer rouge are not tigers. |
| advanced industrialization are the factors to make | | | | They are human beings." |
| the poor countries poorer. The core of hi doctoral | | | | The group went to Khieu Samphan's house near |
| thesis, was that he supported "dependency | | | | the eastern side of central Pailin, but were initially |
| theory." So what is dependency theory? | | | | rejected despite a polite "chum reap sour" and |
| Dependency theory is the body of social science | | | | assurances that they were students, not |
| theories by various intellectuals, both from the | | | | journalists. |
| Third World and the First World, that create a | | | | Khieu Samphan, former Democratic Kampuchea |
| worldview which suggests that the wealthy | | | | head of state, eventually acquiesced and asked |
| nations of the world need a peripheral group of | | | | them to return later in the afternoon. |
| poorer states in order to remain wealthy. | | | | Next, the students went to find Brother No 2 |
| Dependency theory states that the poverty of | | | | Nuon Chea, who lives about 300 meters from the |
| the countries in the periphery is not because they | | | | Thai border in Brother No 3 Ieng Sary's |
| are not integrated into the world system, or not | | | | son-in-law's house, surrounded by his children and |
| 'fully' integrated as is often argued by free | | | | grandchildren. |
| market economists, but because of how they are | | | | "[Nuon Chea's] wife asked us 'who are you, and |
| integrated into the system. | | | | where do you come from?"" Huy Vannak said. |
| The premises of dependency theory are: | | | | "We told her we are students and we ant to |
| -Poor nations provide natural resources, cheap | | | | learn about Pailin. She said, 'grandfather is sleeping, |
| labor, a destination for obsolete technology, and | | | | but it's ok, you can talk to him."" |
| markets to the wealthy nations, without which | | | | Nuon Chea emphasized religion in their talk, and |
| they could not have the standard of living they | | | | denied that religion had been suppressed under |
| enjoy. | | | | the Khmer Rouge. |
| -First World nations actively, but not necessarily | | | | He maintained that people were just busy building |
| consciously, perpetuate a state of dependency | | | | the country and so could not give alms, so monks |
| through various policies and initiatives. This state | | | | were forced to feed themselves. |
| of dependency is multifaceted, involving | | | | "I think Mr. Nuon Chea is open-minded, but when |
| economics, media control, politics, banking and | | | | he answers it's not so good," said group member |
| finance, education, sport and all aspects of human | | | | Ean Sopheap. "When I asked him questions, he |
| resource development. | | | | looked at other people when he answered." |
| -Any attempt by the dependent nations to resist | | | | "I never expected that I could meet a Khmer |
| the influences of dependency will result in | | | | Rouge leader," Ean Sophea added. "I was born in |
| economic sanctions and/or military invasion and | | | | 1980." |
| control. | | | | The students returned to Khieu Samphan's home |
| The doctoral thesis herein is believed to be strictly | | | | in the evening. "I feel that Khieu |
| adopted into political administration of Democratic | | | | Samphan is a trustworthy and gentle man. He is |
| Kampuchea. Not only the KHIEU Samphan's | | | | an intellectual from what I know," said another |
| doctoral thesis, HOU Yun's doctoral thesis entitled: | | | | member of the group, 22-year-old student |
| Cambodian peasants and their prospects for | | | | Chheng Koemseng. "My parents used to tell me |
| modernization, is also believed to have great | | | | that Pol Pot's men were very cruel, but when I |
| influence on general policy of Democratic | | | | met them face-to-face. I felt they are just old |
| Kampuchea (DK). | | | | men, like my grandfather." |
| Though these two doctoral thesis became the | | | | However, Huy vanak was less than sympathetic. |
| perils of Democratic Kampuchea's political | | | | "The two guys told us only a small chapter of the |
| administration, these two people are yet to be | | | | history. We need more answers from them. Why |
| accused of being the mastermind of the sins | | | | did they give people less food? Why did they |
| committed during DK's reign. Yes, would mean | | | | evacuate people? Why did they kill people? They |
| their doctoral thesis intended to extinguish million | | | | said they did not know about the killing. How could |
| of Cambodian lives and No, would mean the head | | | | they not know?" |
| of the Democratic Kampuchea may exaggerate | | | | The students discussed the tribunal very little with |
| the contents of the thesis or scapegoat the two | | | | the aging Khmer Rouge leaders, but Khieu |
| intellectuals. | | | | Samphan didn't seem worried. |
| Because the intellectuality of Cambodian people | | | | "Khieu Samphan said if they have a tribunal people |
| who graduated from universities in Paris during the | | | | will not be happy, because he is an honest guy |
| 1950s, Cambodia was praised as the first | | | | and has devoted everything to the country, and |
| communist country that was led by intellectuals, in | | | | people would not be happy with the court's |
| Asia. | | | | decision," Huy Vannak said. |
| III. Group of Khmer Students in Paris (Initiation of | | | | "I almost told him people would [still not be] happy |
| Political Ideology) | | | | if the court cut him into two million pieces. |
| During the 1950s, Cambodian students who were | | | | |