[For context: In August of 1978, Kerry Hamill, a New Zealander, and some friends were sailing around the world when they tried crossing the Gulf of Thailand. They were caught in bad weather and sought shelter near an island. At this point, a Khmer Rouge patrol boat fired upon them, killing his friend Stuart, a Canadian, and captured the rest. Hamill was later tortured brutally and executed as a ‘foreign spy.’ In this excerpt from the trial of the man who ran the facility in question, S-21, the victim’s youngest brother makes a statement.]
”Duch, at times I’ve wanted to smash [murder] you, to use your own words, in the same way that you smashed so many others. At times, I’ve imagined you shackled, starved, whipped, and beaten viciously… viciously,” repeats the little brother with venomous rage.
I have imagined your scrotum electrified, your being forced to eat your own feces, being drowned, having your throat cut. I have wanted that to be your life, your reality. I have wanted you to suffer the way you made Kerry and so many others suffer. However, while part of me has a desire to feel that way, I am trying to let go and this trial is part of that. Today in this courtroom, I am giving you all the crushing weight of that emotion – the anger, the grief, and the sorrow. I’m placing this emotional burden on your shoulders. It is you who should bear the burden alone. From this day forward, I feel nothing toward you. To me, what you did removed you from the ranks of humanity.
Bonus:
Here is a video of part of the testimony. I can’t seem to find it in its entirety, but you can at least get a feel for the atmosphere in the room. Keep in mind, this trial took place in the early 2000s, but I’ve decided to include it because all of the events that are the focus of the trial took place in the late 1970s, during the Khmer Rouge’s control of Cambodia.
Source:
Cruvellier, T., and Alex Gilly. “Chapter 15.” The Master of Confessions: The Making of a Khmer Rouge Torturer. Ecco, 2014. 111-12. Print.
Further Reading:
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