Khmer Rouge veteran weeps at genocide site

The former head of a notorious Khmer Rouge torture centre was moved to tears today when he was taken by Cambodia’s genocide tribunal to the scene of his alleged crimes.

The court moved to a mass grave site at Choeung Ek that was one of the country’s notorious “killing fields”.

Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, has been charged with crimes against humanity for his alleged role three decades ago as commandant of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S-21 prison, and was taken into the custody of the UN-assisted tribunal last year pending trial.

An estimated 1.7 million people died during the 1975-79 communist Khmer Rouge regime due to policies that led to starvation, overwork, lack of medical care and execution.

Duch, 65, is one of five former high-ranking Khmer Rouge officials being held for trial.