The Khmer Rouge dismantled modern society in Cambodia in their quest for an agrarian Marxist utopia, killing up to two million people. Mid-ranking cadre Im Chaem, a former district official, was among four Khmer Rouge members facing prosecution for charges including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. ‘Difficult to swallow’Strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen—himself a former Khmer Rouge cadre before he defected—has repeatedly hit out at the prospect of further prosecutions, warning they could ignite civil unrest. Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which researches the Khmer Rouge atrocities, said he was dismayed by the decision. Otherwise, we need to prosecute all Khmer Rouge members,” Chum Mey, one of a handful survivors from Khmer Rouge’s notorious Tuol Sleng prison, told Agence France-Presse.

Source: Manila Times February 22, 2017 09:00 UTC