By Joe Freeman
Phnom Penh Post
To hear tribunal witness Philippe Jullian-Gaufres talking about his old
chum, war crimes defendant Khieu Samphan, is to hear the story of a
well-intentioned man, whose popularity was exploited by the Khmer Rouge
to legitimise the movement.
What might be called the “Mr Clean”
defence – in which it is argued that Samphan knew little of Democratic
Kampuchea’s brutalities in his role as the president of the state
presidium – is nothing new. But yesterday’s session marked the first
time a witness in Case 002 testified almost exclusively to the character
of Samphan.
Called by the defence, Jullian-Gaufres recalled a
friendship that began in the late 1950s in Paris, when both men were
students. Enamored with Southeast Asian culture, Jullian-Gaufres first
met Samphan after seeking out Khmer lessons in advance of moving to live
in Cambodia. Samphan, the head of the Khmer students union in Paris,
impressed Jullian-Gaufres as a focused man. “I believe Khieu Samphan,
who was single back then, would spend most of his time focusing on the
development of his country by being involved in activities of various
kinds,” he said.
The bond continued until the late 1960s, when
the Frenchman was working for a company in Phnom Penh, and broke off
from 1975 through 1979, the years of Khmer Rouge rule. The two didn’t
reconnect until decades later, on a 2005 visit to Samphan’s home in
Pailin province, and a separate visit in 2006. These reunions took place
about a year before Samphan was arrested for his role in a regime that
caused the deaths of almost two million people.
Jullian-Gaufres
repeatedly mentioned how modestly Samphan lived. While others enjoyed
“sumptuous” lifestyles, the spartan Samphan drove a clunker during his
years as an official in the 1960s. In Pailin in 2005, he had a house
with no running water. The two later visited the Preah Vihear temple,
and villagers they encountered on the way “still had a lot of respect
for Khieu Samphan”.
At one point, Jullian-Gaufres compared the defendant to the Queen of England, saying his role was unconnected to real power.
