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There were nearly 200 security centers like the one Duch headed throughout Democratic Kampuchea, he told the court, and many of these killed more people than did S-21. Yet none of the other detention chiefs have faced charges.
In truth, Duch reported directly to top Khmer Rouge leaders and meticulously ran his torture and extermination center, Petit said.
He said former S-21 staffers will testify that Duch himself taught them how to torture prisoners to extract confessions.
Several witnesses said that prisoners were killed using steel clubs, cart axles, and water pipes to hit the base of their necks," the indictment said.
"Prisoners were then kicked into the pits, where their handcuffs were removed. Finally the guards either cut open their bellies or their throats," it said.
Duch has been in detention since he was discovered in the Cambodian countryside in 1999 by British journalist Nic Dunlop.
In Monday's proceedings, Duch acknowledged that his staff had murdered babies by smashing them against trees at a "killing field" near Tuol Sleng.
But he has denied prosecutors' claims that he played a central role in the Khmer Rouge's iron-fisted rule, and maintains he only tortured two people himself and never personally executed anyone.
"There were 20 or 30 of us in each row of shackles. The black clothes we were wearing, we were stripped of those clothes," Van Nath said.
"We only had three spoons of gruel for each meal. And the spoon was like a coffee spoon, it was not a normal rice spoon. I lost my dignity ... Even with animals they would give enough food."
"In the second case the accused are old and have health issues. Since their detention, the investigation has taken almost two years. I'm hoping that the investigation will be finished by the end of the year and there could be a trial, but I'm not sure how realistic that is.
Five former members of the Khmer Rouge are currently in detention, facing charges of crimes against humanity.
But other international officials at the tribunal have expressed concern privately that Comrade Duch might ultimately be the only former Khmer Rouge member to stand trial for crimes against humanity.
The international co-prosecutor wanted to send a list of six more suspects to the investigating judges, but his Cambodian counterpart, Chea Leang, objected on the grounds that the stability of the country might be affected.
My questions are: Is this man responsible or available? How responsible is he? He has had 10 years taken off of his sentence for illegal detention and the maximum sentence that he can receive is life.
My personal thoughts are: Like yeah. I say a life sentence at the age of 66 is just not good enough. At the same time, I'm also having flashbacks of The Banality of Evil and Eichman.
This man is responsible for far fewer senseless and brutal deaths in Indochina than John FitzGerald Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, and General William Westmoreland.
Don't forget Curtis Lemay, Cordell Hull or Breckenridge Long. I'm pretty sure that if I have one more cup of coffee I can crate an extensive, not exhaustive, list.
Yes, I understand, and this is why the US has never been keen on this. And I am also interested in hearing what implications that it has for US.
However, nothing that you have stated deals with Duch. Is there a limit of thousands? He is being held responsible for the deaths of about 15,000 people and he claims that he went to Prey Sar a total of 4 times.
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