Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni has officially enacted a law criminalising the denial of crimes committed under the Democratic Kampuchea regime.
Under the new legislation, individuals who refuse to acknowledge the atrocities of the Pol Pot-led genocide could face prison sentences ranging from one to five years
The Law Against Non-Recognition of Crimes Committed During the Democratic Kampuchea Period, consisting of seven articles, penalises individuals who deny, downplay, or glorify crimes committed during the Pol Pot regime.
According to Article 3, offenses include public statements—whether spoken, written, drawn, or expressed through gestures—made in meetings, publications, social media, or audiovisual platforms.
The updated law increases prison terms to 1-5 years and raises fines to 2,500-12,500 USD.
The crimes committed under the Pol Pot regime have been officially recognised through final rulings or hearings of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), a UN-backed tribunal established to prosecute those responsible for serious crimes during the Democratic Kampuchea era. The tribunal was set up to deliver justice to the victims and prevent such atrocities from recurring.
The law was previously approved by Cambodia’s National Assembly and Senate on February 18 and 26, respectively.
Its enactment comes as Cambodia continues to confront its painful past under Pol Pot, a regime that claimed the lives of millions of Cambodians between 1975 and 1979./.
