Chief Khmer Rouge Executioner Ready to Testify

P H N O M   P E N H, Cambodia, Aug. 7 -- The Khmer Rouge's chiefexecutioner during the 1970s "killing fields" regime has saidhe will testify in court against his former commanders.

Kang Kek Ieu's lawyer said his client, also knownas "Duch," would name the Khmer Rouge leaders who issued ordersfor the torture and execution of an estimated 16,000 people atS-21 prison in Phnom Penh.

"Duch told me he wants to be put on trial soon," lawyer KarSavuth told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"He wants to talk. He wants to tell the courts and thepeople about the truth of the Khmer Rouge regime," he said."Duch said he wants to tell how he was cheated into killing bythe leaders Pol Pot, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan."

Duch, 56, was the brutal 1975-1979 regime's chief jailerand ran S-21 prison.

Set for Establishment of Tribunal

On Monday, Cambodia's Constitutional Council approved legislation which paves the way for the establishment of aU.N-recognized tribunal to try the former Khmer Rougeleadership.

King Norodom Sihanouk is expected to ratify the law withindays, but it still needs U.N. approval.

Duch, who says he is a born-again Christian, was capturedby the government in May 1999 and taken into custody after hewas discovered in western Cambodia working for aid agencies.

Duch and infamous Khmer Rouge military commander Ta Mok,dubbed "The Butcher," were both arrested in 1999 and are theonly members of the Khmer Rouge in detention awaiting trial.

Facing Certain Death

Kar Savuth said his client had faced certain death if hedid not carry out the orders of his superiors.

"When Duch joined the Khmer Rouge his aim was not to killpeople only to make a clean and just society," he said.

"When the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975 they turned thecountry into violent killing fields. Duch said that if herefused to be the chief of Toul Sleng prison [S-21] the KhmerRouge leadership would have killed him too."