Khmer Rouge's chief jailer gets 35 years for war crimes

A very sad day in history. The UN tribunal should be ashamed and publicly ridiculed for handing out such a light sentence. It makes a mockery of the trial process and throws kerosene on the mental wounds and suffering of the victims' families.

Every time I hear/read about Cambodia's history I feel heart broken. This guy should have easily got the 40 years, without any time shaved off.

Justice is so arbitrary.

The book by Nic Dunlop called The Lost Executioner is a great telling of Duch's life and his pursuit and capture.

american_bengoshi, what the heck? Granted this scum should have gotten life, but not many guys like this ever face justice at all, so I am going to count my blessings, not whine that he did not get a harsher sentence. At his age what he got is probably life anyway.

Some more cases like this and would be regime running scum might actually think twice.

On a side note, a UN-backed war crimes tribunal allows for the death penalty?

Agree the sentence is too light. I can understand that the surviving victims' families may not be satisfied.

"starvation, medical neglect, slave-like working conditions and execution under the Maoist regime that sought to turn the country into an agrarian utopia from 1975-79" Pretty much sums up Chinese Communism.

It's kind of ironic that these criminals are protected behind bars, where for decades nobody can lynch them. Never have to look over their shoulder, can even read a book to pass the time. Well, justice isn't perfect and we just have to accept that.

The headline should be "... gets 19 years." Cripes, he might just still be alive when his sentence is up.

This would make some good opera, in nearby China first, but it's a story that could play in other places.