Nuon Chea
Related Case(s) : 002
Alias : Lao Kim Lorn, Peanh Chea, Brother [Bang] Nuon, (Grand) Uncle [Om] Nuon, Comrade Deputy Secretary, Brother [Bang] No. 2.1
NUON Chea born LAO Kim Lorn (1926-2019), was the Deputy Secretary of the CPK, Chairman of the People’s Representative Assembly, and temporarily served as acting Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
Explore the Khmer Rouge hierarchy to understand his role in the secretive system.
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1926
7 July
Born in Voat Kor village, Sangkae district, Battambang province.2
1941
Studied in Battambang and Thailand, later studying law at Thammasat University in Bangkok.3
1951
1951-1954
Sent to Vietnam to receive political training.7
1960
September
Appointed Deputy Secretary of the Party at the First Party Congress, where he met Ieng Sary.10
1970
October
Met with CPK leaders to discuss a plan to liberate Cambodia from the Khmer Republic.13
1977
From late 1977
Officially identified as Deputy Secretary of the CPK Central Committee.16
1981
October
Headed a delegation to the Asian Parliamentarian Conference in Beijing.19
1998
December
Surrendered to government forces along with Khieu Samphan.20
2007
19 September
2010
15 September
Indicted by the Co-Investigating Judges.22
2014
7 August
Convicted by the Trial Chamber in Case 002/01 and sentenced to life imprisonment.23
2016
23 November
Life sentence in Case 002/01 affirmed by Supreme Court Chamber.24
2018
16 November
Convicted by the Trial Chamber in Case 002/02 and sentenced to life imprisonment.25
2019
4 August
Died in Phnom Penh while serving a life sentence.26
Convictions and Sentences
Convicted in Case 002/01 of crimes against humanity:
- Extermination (encompassing murder)
- Persecution on political grounds
- Other inhumane acts comprising forced transfer, enforced disappearances, and attacks against human dignity
Convicted in Case 002/02 of crimes against humanity:
- Murder
- Extermination
- Deportation
- Enslavement
- Imprisonment
- Torture
- Persecution on political, religious and racial grounds
- Other inhumane acts (attacks against human dignity, conduct characterised as enforced disappearances, forced transfer, forced marriage and rape in the context of forced marriage)
Convicted in Case 002/02 of grave breaches of Geneva Conventions 1949:
- Wilful killing
- Torture
- Inhuman treatment
- Wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health
- Wilfully depriving a prisoner of war or civilian the rights of fair and regular trial
- Unlawful confinement of a civilian
Key Findings
Roles and Responsibilities
The Trial Chamber in Case 002/01 and Case 002/02 found that Nuon Chea:
- Was a full-rights member of both the CPK Central and Standing Committees. 31
- As Deputy Secretary of the Party, had ultimate decision-making power with Pol Pot, was a key actor responsible for the formulation of CPK policies, and had authority to instruct lower-level Khmer Rouge cadres to commit crimes. 32
- Played an instrumental role in the formulation of the Party’s stance on revolutionary violence and use of armed struggle to achieve its goals. 33
- Actively focused on propaganda and training Khmer Rouge cadres in the countryside. 34
- Appeared as chairman, trainer, or speaker at a range of meetings, trainings, or study sessions. 35
- Advocated the Party’s revolutionary and economic policies, the formulation of cooperatives and violence against enemies. 36
Criminal Responsibility
The Trial Chamber in Case 002/01 found that Nuon Chea:
- Was a member of a joint criminal enterprise with CPK leaders with the common purpose to “implement rapid socialist revolution through a ‘great leap forward’ and defend the Party against internal and external enemies, by whatever means”. 37
- Ordered the commission of murder, extermination, political persecution and the other inhumane acts of forced transfer and attacks against human dignity. 38
- Planned the forced transfer of inhabitants of Phnom Penh (movement of population phase 1). 39
- Decided on population movements in September 1975-December 1977 (movement of population phase 2). 40
- Provided encouragement and moral support to perpetrators of crimes committed during the movement of population phases 1 and 2 by disseminating the forced movement and targeting policies to cadres. 41
- Designed policies enabling “enemies” to be identified and re-educated, or to disappear, and stressed the importance of the principle of secrecy. 42
- Ordered, planned, instigated, aided, and abetted crimes committed at Toul Po Chrey. 43
- Had authority to discipline insubordinate members of the Party and military, knew that crimes were being committed, and failed to prevent or punish them. 44
The Trial Chamber in Case 002/02 found that Nuon Chea:
- Was a member of a joint criminal enterprise with CPK leaders to rapidly implement socialist revolution in Cambodia through a “great leap forward” designed to build the country, defend it from enemies, and radically transform the population into a homogenous Khmer society of worker-peasants. 45
- Knew about the nationwide system of cooperatives and worksites and execution centres and security centres, which led to crimes committed against the CPK’s enemies, including Buddhists, the Vietnamese, the Cham, and former Khmer Republic officials and their family members. 46
- Knew about crimes committed pursuant to the CPK policy of regulating family-building and marriage. 47
- Was key in formulating and controlling the content of the CPK’s criminal plans, implementing and disseminating them, and ordering nationwide purges and executions at S-21 Security Centre. 48
- Intended to commit crimes at cooperatives and worksites. 49
- Intended to commit crimes against the Vietnamese and Cham. 50
- Intended to commit crimes as part of the CPK’s policy of identifying, arresting, isolating, and killing the enemies. 51
- Intended to discriminate against and eliminate Buddhists. 52
- Intended to target former Khmer Republic officials and their family members. 53
- Intended to commit crimes through the regulation of marriage. 54
Counsel
Mr. Son Arun, Mr. Michiel Pestman, Mr. Victor Koppe, Mr. Liv Sovanna, Ms. Doreen Chen, Mr. Phat Pouv Seang (Provisional Counsel)
Related Documents
Interviews
- Interview with Nuon Chea by Khem Ngun, Undated, E3/3.
- Interview with Nuon Chea by Nusara Thaitawat, 8 September 2001, E3/701.
- Suspect Statement of Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, 9-11 June 2006, E3/108.
- Interview between Nuon Chea and a Japanese Journalist, 7 October 2006, E3/26.
- Written Record of Interview of Charged Person Nuon Chea, 26 September 2007, E131/121.
- Written Record of Interview of Nuon Chea, 14 December 2009, D275.
Speeches
- Nuon Chea, Statement of the Communist Party of Kampuchea to the Communist Workers’ Party of Denmark, July 1978, E3/196.
- Speech by Comrade Nuon Chea, 3 September 1978, E3/199.