Ta mok – Wikipedia

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TA Mok , literally Grandfather Mok (Province of Takéo, 1924 – Phnom Penh, 21 July 2006), was a Cambodian revolutionary and military politician, the last leader of the Khmer Rossi.

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Its real name, depending on the sources, is reported how Chhit Choeun , Ek Choeun , Oeung choeun (O Ung Choeun ); he was also called Brother number 5 (O Number 15 , according to some sources), Ta 15 , A’cha Choeun (O Achar Choeun ), Kang source (O Nhuon kang ) or again Thieun Chhitle . A further nickname, “The butcher” , he was assigned to him because of his brutality, which also earned him the accusation of crimes against humanity in February 2002.

First years [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

Ta Mok’s house in the city of Takéo, province of Takéo, Cambogia.

Depending on the sources, in Trapeang Thom, Brakeab or Pra Keap was born, however, however, in the district of Tram Kak, province of Takeo, in Cambodia, first of seven children in an unknown day of 1926, probably in a wealthy family of owners terrieri. In the 1930s he studied in the Pâli Linguistic High School of Phnom Penh (now called the Buddhist high school Preah Soram Rith) to become a Buddhist monk, but at the age of 16 he leaves that road to fight first in the ranks of the anti-Japanese resistance, then as a leader Local for the districts of Tram Kak and Prey Krabas (Province of Takeo) of the anti-French nationalist movement Khmer Issarak since 1949.

Entrance between the Rossi Khmer and Kampuchea Democratic [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

In 1950 he joined the Communist Party of Indochina (referred to at the time, as a local section, the Cambodian section), while in 1963 he became a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (meanwhile detached from the Indochinese one).

In 1968 he became deputy secretary of the party for the south-west area of ​​the country, and ordered various massacres of civilians. In 1972 he became an officer of the military directing of the war materials of the popular Army of National Liberation Cambodian with the name of “Thieun Chhitle” , and holds a meeting in the province of Kampong Chhnang in which he calls about 3,000 monks to arms. Starting from the following year he orders massacres on his vast scale in his area, who will make him earn the nickname of “butcher” . The forces under his command occupy the District of Oudong and the province of Kampong Chhnang, shaped by those of his former vice-commander Ke Pauk, and defraud the population. He becomes commander in the head of the army for the south-west area and directs the information center and propaganda.

In this period, Ta Mok already has the direct control of numerous areas of the country through the efficient relative network within the party organigram: he has a party brother and secretary of the party in the District of Prey Kabas, four sons and two daughters (he had from one of his cousins), two brothers -in -law and five between genres and daughter -in -law who work for him (including the son -in -law Khe Muth, future commander of the navy of the democratic Kampuchea).

It establishes a large prison in Krang Ka, province of Takeo, in which he eliminates about 500 “enemies of the people”. It is estimated that 38 prisons were built in the south-west area, 78 extermination camps and 6,032 was common. All the area secretaries were sooner or later victims of the purges, except TA Mok.

In September 1975 he became permanent member of the Central Committee.

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On March 20, 1976, a year after the establishment of the democratic Kampuchea of ​​Pol Pot, he became the first vice -president of the Assembly of the people’s deputies. The following year he became the head of staff of the army.

During the period of the dictatorship it continues in the implementation of massacres of entire villages (30,000 deaths only in the district of Angkor Chey). In 1978 he became secretary of the party for the South-West area as well as the second deputy secretary of the Central Committee, and this makes him the number three of the party. Its militias, in the same year, to complete the large massacre that will kill between 100,000 and 250,000 people in the eastern area of ​​the country.

After the fall of the regime [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

After the end of the regime, in 1979, he took refuge in the forest, in the Anlong Veng area, together with a number of trusted followers who are estimated at 3,000 – 6,000 units. Become their supreme military commander. Also in the same year he commands a division in the district of Kampong Skamin, in the province of Kampong Chhnang. In 1980 (or in 1982) he lost the lower part of one leg on a minar. In the last months of 1982 he entered the so -called “Office 870” (O “Office 87” ), the executive branch of the Central Committee. In 1993 he made mass executions in Vietnamese territory.

In 1997 the Khmer Rossi moves away in two factions, his and that of Pol Pot, and Ta Mok, fearing to be arrested by the ex-leader as they are sen, does it in turn imprisoned (together with Kieu Samphan, only officially Successor of Pol Pot to the leadership starting from 1985, and Non Chea), organizing a farce trial in which it accuses him of being a spy in the penny of Vietnam and becoming the new undisputed head of the party. During the great escape to the forest that follows a massive government attack in the north of the country, Ta Mok, fearing that Pol Pot can deliver himself, be delivered or fall into the hands of the Cambodian government and become his main accuser in a possible process, makes him bring With you. The ex-Leader will die a year later under house arrest. The Rossi Khmer will support natural death in official statements, but they will immediately cremate the corpse without delivering it to the government. This will feed the hypothesis that Ta Mok himself may have ordered the killing of Pol Pot, that someone at first has even gave it to ever.

Ta Mok gave an interview to 1997 Far Eastern Economic Review , in which he admitted the massacre of “A few hundred thousands of people” , however, attributing responsibility to Pol Pot.

The situation, despite having huge financial resources, becomes tragic for the Rossi Khmer, among the rows of which numerous desertions occur. Ta Mok was forced to take refuge in Anlong Veng again in 1998, but was captured by the Cambodian army a year later, at the Thai border, and conducted in Phnom Penh in a military prison, together with his ex-Logotenent Khang Khek Ieu ( “Tenen” ). He is the only leader of Khmer Rossi to have been caught alive and without having preventively obtained immunity from the government of Hun Sen.

For the Cambodian law Ta Mok should have suffered a process within six months of arrest, but the detention period has been prolonged several times. The accusations are initially those of belonging to an outlaw party and tax evasion, but in 2002 he was also accused of crimes against humanity. He spent the last few years between the military prison and the hospital, until July 21, 2006, after entering a coma.

In 1999, in an interview with Far Eastern Economic Review , Aid (Ex-director of the sadly known prison of Tuol Sleng) he accused Ta Mok of enormous massacres in one of his personal prison, to Cherie O’phnoe, in the province of Kampot. He underlined the difference between his “method” and that of Ta Mok: more in -depth and complete with false promises of freedom (indispensable, in his opinion, to make the prisoner “confess” the first, aimed exclusively at physical torture. Furthermore, from Tuol Sleng come, documents attest that many prisoners had already been previously tortured by Ta Mok himself and then sent to Aid (for not evidently having made a satisfactory confession).

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