Top Khmer Rouge suspect expresses remorse in court

The Khmer Rouge's former number two admitted for the first time Thursday he felt responsibility and remorse for the actions of a regime blamed for the deaths of up to two million people in the late 1970s. Survivors welcomed the remarks as a step towards achieving justice for the atrocities committed during the 1975-79 "Killing Fields" era. "I am not trying to evade my responsibility," Nuon Chea, 86, who has denied charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, said during his trial at a UN-backed court hailed as a key chance for reconciliation. "As a leader, I must take responsibility for the damage, the danger to my nation," he said, expressing his "deepest condolences" to witnesses testifying at the tribunal who lost relatives under the regime. He later added: "I feel remorseful for the crimes that were committed intentionally or unintentionally, whether or not I had known about it or not known about it." At the same time Nuon Chea said that he was not aware of all of the Khmer Rouge's actions in his role overseeing propaganda and education. "As for the executive branch, I had no power whatsoever. So about what happened during the Khmer Rouge period -- certain things I was aware of, but other things I was not aware of," he added. Survivors welcomed the expression of remorse. "This is the right thing to do. He accepts responsibility," said Bou Meng, 72, one of a handful of people to survive incarceration at the Khmer Rouge's Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh. "I'm very glad. In the end, he admits about the killings and his mistake." Fellow survivor Chum Mey, 83, said Nuon Chea's remarks had reduced his own sense of anger towards the former Khmer Rouge number two. "He accepted responsibility which is the right thing to do, and it's up to the court to judge his guilt," he said. Nuon Chea, the most senior surviving leader of the "Killing Fields" era, is currently on trial alongside former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, 81, who has also denied charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Khieu Samphan also expressed a "sincere apology" in court on Thursday and said that he was not aware at the time of the "great suffering" of the Cambodian people under the regime. "I was not aware of the heinous acts committed by other leaders that caused tragedy for the nation and people," he said. "I strongly condemn their heinous acts and urge these perpetrators to be brought to justice." Survivors called on the former head of state to go further by also accepting responsibility. "For Khieu Samphan, I also feel a bit happy for his apology. But he needs to take responsibility like Nuon Chea too. He and Nuon Chea are like the tongue and the teeth," said Bou Meng. Led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge was responsible for one of the worst horrors of the 20th century, wiping out up to two million people through starvation, overwork and execution. Regime co-founder Ieng Sary died in March at the age of 87, escaping a court judgment over his role in the regime's reign of terror, and adding to doubts about whether other top leaders would live to face verdicts. So far the UN-backed court -- which has been dogged by allegations of political meddling -- has achieved one conviction, sentencing a former prison chief to life in jail for overseeing the deaths of some 15,000 people.