A former Khmer Rouge member's plea against the charge of genocide, citing a royal pardon and the granting of amnesty, has been rejected by a UN-backed war crimes tribunal, examining allegations of genocide, torture and war crimes during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia.
Ieng Sary, 86, was the foreign minister of the Khmer Rouge regime. Sary argued that he was immune from charges of genocide after receiving a royal pardon 15 years ago and amnesty upon surrendering to the government.
Rejecting his plea, the tribunal released a statement on Monday, saying,
"the scope of application of the amnesty excludes the crimes of genocide, torture and grave breach of the 1949 Geneva conventions."
"While the royal decree might have been a 'useful negotiating tool' for ending the conflict, it was not accompanied by any truth or reconciliation process for the 1975-79 'Killing Fields' era".
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