Nuon Chea

Nuon Chea (* 1927), also known as " Brother Number Two ", is the former chief ideologist of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot 's deputy.

Biography

Nuon Chea was born in 1927 in Battambang province as a member of the Sino -Khmer population. While studying at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Nuon Chea was a member of the Communist Party of Thailand. After returning to Cambodia, he joined the Khmer Rouge. After the seizure of Pol Pot, Nuon Chea was from 1976 to 1977 head of government of the Khmer Rouge government. Nuon Chea remained indeed often in the background, however, was regarded as tough and ruthless.

Against the background of ideological disputes within the Khmer Rouge and the prospects of its policy, Nuon Chea presented in 1998 the Hun Sen government in Phnom Penh, and was from this - " warmly " received - in the wording of Hun Sen's. Hun Sen Chea received together with another high-ranking official, Khieu Samphan, and their families in Phnom Penh at a reconciliation meeting. Given the rapid onset of domestic and international critics looked Hun Sen initiated to clarify that his political gesture did not amount to an amnesty and he would leave a possible indictment of the two before supported by the United Nations Khmer Rouge Tribunal jurisdiction.

In addition to this document Nuon Chea is heavily burdened by statements of 1999 arrested the former head of the torture center S -21, Kaing Guek Eav. The latter had made it clear in several interviews in 1999 with the U.S. journalist Nate Thayer 's political role and responsibility of Nuon Chea within the Khmer Rouge. Nuon Chea in 2004 stated publicly his willingness to appear before the international tribunal.

On 19 September 2007 Nuon Chea was arrested in his home in Pailin in southwest Cambodia. The genocide tribunal in Cambodia had earlier issued an arrest warrant against him. Nuon Chea is now the highest accused the tribunal which is to punish the crimes committed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1978. On 16 September 2010 was officially indicted Nuon Chea. The trial began on 27 June 2011.