Perspective

The Australian reports the death of a monster. Evil does walk this earth, and it is not who the usual suspects blame. Khmer Rouge leader Ta Mok has died before the UN backed war crimes tribunal could get around to prosecuting him for a couple of deaths.

A couple of million to be precise. Two. Million. Deaths.

PHNOM PENH: Former Khmer Rouge leader Ta Mok, known as "The Butcher", has died before his expected trial for the genocide of up to two million Cambodians under the brutal regime. He was believed to be 80 years old. Ta Mok, a military commander notorious for his brutality, became the communist Khmer Rouge's last leader before the movement disintegrated in 1998 after years of infighting and bloody purges. The only rebel who refused to surrender or strike a deal with the Government, Ta Mok was arrested a year later along the Thai border.

He was one of only two former top rebel leaders awaiting prosecution for their roles in one of the worst genocides of the 20th century.

"Ta Mok passed away at 4.45am. We feel very sad for his death, but what can we do?" his lawyer Benson Samay said.

Several other key Khmer Rouge figures, including top deputy Nuon Chea, former head of state Khieu Samphan and former foreign minister Ieng Sary, remain free in Cambodia, angering Ta Mok's relatives, who say he was unfairly jailed. "It was a miserable situation because the other leaders live freely, but only Ta Mok was in jail until his death," sister-in-law Leng Mom said outside the hospital.

Ta Mok was taken to Phnom Penh military hospital last month suffering breathing problems, high blood pressure and tuberculosis. He had reportedly been slipping in and out of a coma.

He was expected to be the first person indicted for genocide and crimes against humanity in a Khmer Rouge tribunal that opened earlier this month and could have been a key witness against other former regime leaders.

And the monsters are all escaping judgment by being allowed to die natural deaths because the UN can't get around to prosecuting crimes that occurred between 1975 and 1979. Wouldn't want to rush anything, don't you know.

Kek Galabru, president of human rights group Licadho, said Ta Mok's death was "an omen" for the remaining ageing Khmer Rouge leaders, who could also cheat victims of the justice due to them by dying before they could stand trial.

"What we are afraid of is that one by one the former senior Khmer Rouge leaders will depart from our world," Kek Galabru said. "At the end, the tribunal will face difficulties in finding key people to prosecute."

There is evil in the world. It is not the ones you hear blamed so often these days.

• 

  By Brad, Saturday, 22 July , 2006 @ 2:22 am

  To be evil is to accept a moral values system. To see evil and avert your eyes or play the fool in the face of evil is to be without values altogether. I would rather travel with the evil in the hopes of coverting it to good and obtaining a stalwart ally. He that will be a traitor to his professed values is a danger to them and a useless prospect for any others. In this sense the UN is less than valueless.

• 

  By Man in the Middle, Saturday, 22 July , 2006 @ 2:28 am

  Not to worry. Divine justice sometimes seems slow to us, but is unavoidable. “Time heals all wounds, and wounds all heels.”

• 

  By SR, Saturday, 22 July , 2006 @ 6:02 am

  When Ken Lay died of a heart attack, I thought people were over the top complaining that he died before going to prison. No matter what you think of his Enron guilt, it was only money. Now this… this is a man who should have been executed. Never rely on the UN or “world order” to bring Justice.

Other Links to this Post

1. Old War Dogs — Saturday, 22 July , 2006 @ 12:01 pm

2. And Rightly So! » Cut and Run — Saturday, 22 July , 2006 @ 9:44 pm