Ex-Khmer Rouge face murder trial
Friday, October 3rd, 20083/10/08
Five former Khmer Rouge soldiers have gone on trial in the Cambodian capital, accused of kidnapping and murdering a British mine-clearing expert and his Cambodian colleague 12 years ago. They are accused of killing Christopher Howes and his interpreter, who were kidnapped in March 1996 while clearing mines near Angkor Wat, the 12th century temple complex in the country’s northwest. The five defendants, among them Khem Ngun, a former guerilla leader who joined the Cambodian army in 1988 as a major general, appeared in a Phnom Penh court on Friday. They have been charged with premeditated murder and illegal confinement of persons, and face life imprisonment if found guilty. Witnesses claim Khem Ngun gave the order to kill the men.
