Your Mok , pseudonym of Chhit Chœun or Ek Chœun , (born in 1926, with Trapeang Thom, in the district of Tram Kak, province of Takeo - deceased at the hospital of Phnom Penh the July 21st 2006), is a Kampuchean politician , which was one of the most sanguinary leaders of the Khmer Rouge and one of the last leaders of the directed movement of an iron hand by Pol Pot. Its personality is known little about and one did not have a long time any photograph of him. In its testimony the Gate , François Bizot makes the portrait of a cruel and covetous man of it. One knows that it lost a leg while jumping on a mine lasting the civil war, at the beginning of the Années 1980.

Biography

Born in a prosperous country family from the province of Takeo, Chhit Choeun, alias Your Mok, studies at the university of Faded, Phnom Penh, before becoming bonze.

In the Years 1940, whereas Kampuchea knows alternatively the French and Japanese colonial domination, Your Mok engages in the guerilla of the Khmer Issarak against the Colonialisme French and is also active in resistance anti-Japanese woman. In June 1949, chief of the Issarak movement for the districts of Tram Kak and Prey Krabas, it is denounced for the exactions made at the time of collections of funds.

Tally of the Kampuchean Communist party

It joined in the Années 1950 the Kampuchean Communist party (PCK). Military and political militant in the zone of south-west, it is named member of the Central committee of the Party as of 1963 and becomes in 1966 assistant secretary for the South-western zone.

In 1968 or 1970, he becomes secretary of the Party for the zone of South-west, a station which will enable him to be elected as a member of the Standing Committees and a soldier of the Central committee. These functions confer the authority to him de facto and of swears on all the subordinates of the Kampuchean Communist party, in particular those of the South-western zone. Your Mok then exerts important military functions in the movement Khmer Rouge.

Tally military and policy of the South-western zone (the Nirdey), secretary of the party for the same area, he orchestrates vast purgings and orders massacres of great width in the zone under his jurisdiction as of 1973, before even the seizure of power by the Khmer Rouges. Its men then replace gradually the executives eliminated for collusion with the Vietnam. The executives of South-west would then have become the spearhead of the revolution.

The March 18th 1974, at the time of the catch of Oudong, old imperial capital, by its militiamans, reinforced by those of Ke Pauk, the city is systematically shaven and the population, strong of 20.000 inhabitants, is off-set. Republican teachers, civils servant and soldiers are systematically assassinated. “The catch of Oudong and its continuations anticipate what will occur in Phnom Penh one year later”, written Raoul-Marc Jennar, in Keys of Kampuchea .

Named by Pol Pot Head of State major of the national army of the democratic Kampuchea, official name of the Khmer Rouge mode, Its course from now on is marked out many carnages. It makes, in 1975, to massacre by its troops originating in South-west more than 30.000 people in the only district of Angkor Chey and more than 50.000 others with Kompong Cham.

The March 20th 1976, Your Mok becomes First Vice-president of the Parliament of the representatives of the people and continues his work of extermination. He discharges with zeal of the bloody purgings which characterized the mode polpotist during his years with the capacity. He is caught some particularly at the Muslim communities and undertakes the purging of the “traitors of the area” is qualified “Vietnamese spirits in Khmer bodies”. He then responsible for died of more than 100.000 people and according to his former companions, he would have taken an active part itself directly and in slaughters.

In its book the Kampuchean evil , published in 1989, Marie-Alexandrine Martin estimates that in the fight which opposes the various Khmer Rouge clans, “the clan pol. Pot Leng Sary leaves victorious because it has of Your Mok and its army of young disciplined killers (...)”.

With Nuon Chea, the “number two” of the military command of the Khmer Rouges and his political police chief as a chief of 1970 with 1975, Your Mok is regarded as one of the principal organizers of the massacres of mass during the dictatorship of Pol Pot and its exactions are worth to him to be called “the butcher”. According to his/her former companions of massacres, Your Mok is the only dignitary of the mode to have directly taken part in exterminations.

After the fall of the Khmer Rouges

After the fall of the Khmer Rouges and the invasion-release Vietnamese of December 1978, Your Mok takes the maquis with the other Khmer Rouge chiefs and becomes the supreme military chief of the Khmer Rouges. Even after the signed peace agreements with Paris in 1991, it refuses to return the weapons.

It is estimated whereas 3.000 to 6.000 combatants remain faithful to Pol Pot, and are directed by Your Mok. They hold the sector of the Phnom Malay, where the governmental forces (not more than the forces Vietnameses of 1979 to 1989), did not succeed in penetrating. Your Mok, Nikorn and Its SEN would have been folded up with Samlaut, in the north of Païlin.

At the beginning of the Years 1980, the explosion of a mine mows a leg to him. Cut off with Anlong Veng, a small village of the extreme north, during this period, it grows rich and piles up a small fortune thanks to the wood traffic with the close Thailand.

In 1995, when Your Mok ordered to burn villages, more than 1.000 of its combatants deserted.

Nouveau riche in the business in Thailand, - he admitted itself to have put at the shelter the equivalent of 17 million dollars - this lord of the war, cut off in north from the country, would have retained Pol Pot - weakened by health issues - prisoner in his stronghold of Anlong Veng. In 1997, following dissensions between factions, Your Mok, the former executor of simple works of Pol Pot, shows the ex- “brother number one” to be an agent of Hanoi and organizes a show of “popular lawsuit” in full jungle, before becoming officially supreme leader of the movement of the Khmer Rouges.

Until June 1998, as an absolute master, it will make reign terror on the population and posts its cruelty and its xenophobia. Among the codes of conduct enacted and painted on large wood panels, one can read: “Whoever comes into contact with people of the not released zones will be killed”.

In spring 1998, the last Khmer Rouge men of the maquis, ordered by Your Mok and Khieu Samphan, are driven back at the border inhabitant of Thailand since the fall of their bastion of Anlong Veng (extreme-north of Kampuchea), taken by the Kampuchean royal Armed forces (FARC) the March 26th 1998. 1.545 combatants of the ultimate red units khmères still in action, under the orders of Im Heung, Chum Chhit and Chum Kéo, desert and join, with 762 families, that is to say 4.109 people, with the governmental army. One will learn thereafter that a mutiny within the red army khmère burst the day before, facilitating the victory of the FARCS. It seems that financial interests are at the base of these rallyings, Your Mok confiscating with its profit the resources coming from the traffic of wood. The guerilla - whose combatants from now on are estimated at less than 2.000 - is about to disintegrate, weakened by these massive defections and of the military setbacks.

The historic leaders of the Khmer Rouges - Your Mok, Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan - are in escape. They are constrained to take refuge in the dense jungle of the mountains close to the border inhabitant of Thailand, known as with the “two hundred hills”. The Thailand states to refuse to give them asylum. It is estimated whereas it does not remain any more whereas between 250 and 400 combatants faithful to Your Mok. The December 5th 1998, the Khmer Rouge resistant last deposit the weapons after four hours of negotiation to the temple of Preah Vihear on the mount Dang Rèk. The agreement is concluded between the assistant manager from staff of the governmental army, the general Meas Sophea, and a group of eight Khmer Rouge commanders directed by Khèm Nguon, chief of staff of Your Mok and including a son-in-law of this last. However those refuse “to deliver” Your Mok, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan which however are left with themselves.

The former chief of staff of the guerilla, surrounded by a hundred the last faithful to the barks, will be finally stopped by the Kampuchean royal army, the March 6th 1999, in territory inhabitant of Thailand, and will be transferred by helicopter in a military prison from Phnom Penh, near to the famous detention center and torture of Tuol Sleng, where 20.000 people were assassinated between 1975 and 1979. Its capture puts a final term at the bloody history of the Khmer Rouges. Its arrest occurred two days before the publication of the report/ratio of UNO recommending the establishment of a International penal court to judge the genocidary survivors.

In waiting of a judgment

During its arrest, Your Mok is shown of violation of the law of 1984, prohibiting the Khmer Rouge movement. The September 7th 1999, the “brother number six”, is accused of Génocide, under the terms of a decree taken in 1979, following the fall of the Khmer Rouge mode.

The November 17th 2001, Kampuchean the Prime Minister Hun Sen announces that he will ask the Parliament a prolongation of the period of detention of the former Khmer Rouge leader, in waiting of the opening of a lawsuit of the authors of the genocide. According to the AFP, the Prime Minister estimates that “Your Mok cannot be slackened”. Being imprisoned since 1999, it should have been released in March 2002 under the terms of the Kampuchean legislation which envisages a widening at the conclusion three years of imprisonment without lawsuit. To avoid this release, the February 22nd 2002, Your Mok is accused of Crimes against humanity, inculpation which prolongs the time of Preventive detention.

The General meeting of the United Nations adopted the May 13rd 2003 a resolution approving a proposal of agreement between UNO and Kampuchea on the continuation of the principal persons in charge of the crimes committed between 1975 and 1979 (A/RES/57/228 B). The agreement envisages the creation of an extraordinary room, integrated into the existing legal system, to which share of the international judges would take. The Kampuchean National Assembly ratifies this treaty the October 4th 2004. The October 27th, the law of application was promulgated by the King.

Your Mok should have been the first Khmer Rouge dignitary to appear in person before a court. In waiting of his lawsuit, envisaged in 2007, the former chief of staff of the guerilla was held in a military prison of Phnom Pehn. He was the only character of importance, with Kang Kek Ieu (alias Douch), director of the camp of torture S-21, to be held there. He was liable to the life imprisonment, the Capital punishment not existing more in the Kampuchean penal code. Your Mok dies the July 21st 2006 at the 80 years age, without to be judged.

External bonds

• '' the business Your Mok: the choice of the government does not bring a solution to the problem of impunity '', report/ratio of international Amnesty published on the site of the Office of the High Commission of the United Nations for the refugees, April 22nd, 1999, tourist London

• Proposition to visit the old Khmer Rouge bastion of Anlong Veng and the houses of Pol Pot and Your Mok
• Biographie

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