Ta Mok's Death Underscores Need for Prompt Khmer Rouge Trials

PHNOM PENH—The death last Friday of Ta Mok, the notorious butcher of Cambodia's killing fields, highlights the urgency of effective prosecutions by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the fledging war crimes court which launched operations this month in Phnom Penh to try the senior leaders and those most responsible for Khmer Rouge crimes, the Open Society Justice Initiative said today.

Ta Mok, alleged to have been one of the architects of the Khmer Rouge mass slaughter that killed as many as two million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979, died at age 80 in a military hospital in Phnom Penh. He was expected to be a prime suspect in the Extraordinary Chambers trials.

Political obstacles within and beyond Cambodia have delayed for nearly three decades the promise of legal accountability for Khmer Rouge crimes. Pol Pot died in 1998. His principal co-conspirators are aging or ill. Ta Mok's death makes clear how important it is for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia to conduct investigations promptly and competently.

Ta Mok's passing is unfortunate, but much is still to be gained from the Khmer Rouge trials. The start up of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia signifies the strong commitment of the Cambodian people and the international community to end impunity for those who designed and implemented some of the most egregious crimes known to humanity. Its value lies in both punishing the perpetrators and providing the Cambodian people with opportunities for public dialogue, engagement, and questioning regarding the Khmer Rouge period.