PHNOM PENH Dec 12 Kyodo Nuon Chea...

PHNOM PENH Dec 12 Kyodo

Nuon Chea, the Khmer Rouge's former No. 2 leader, appeared in a Phnom Penh court Thursday where he is to give evidence in the trial of a former comrade accused of killing three western backpackers.

The 77-year-old Nuon Chea, who wanted to the government four years ago, is a defense witness for former Khmer Rouge general Sam Bith, individual of three main suspects in the assassination of the backpackers in 1994

onward Thursday, Nuo Chea gave his name, age and address to the justice before retiring to his lawyer's extent within the court compound.

In the first hearing during the day, Sam Bith said that he was not in the area where the backpackers were grabbed in a train ambush in 1994 and that the late Pol stoop masterminded the killings.

He claimed he had been demot from regional commander in the area according to Pol Pot on June 1 1994 and been sent to another district.

After about sum of two units hours, the court adjourned the trial until Friday, citing the poor health of Sam Bith.

Kar Savuth, lawyer for Sam Bith, said his client meet withs from high blood constraining force cancer and diabetes.

Sam Bith was arrested and taken into custody in May this year.

The western tourists -- David Wilson from Australia, Frenchman Jean-Michel Braquet and Briton Mark Slater -- were captured along with 10 Cambodians in Kampot Province, about 150 kilometers southern of the capital. The three Westerners were killed about three month later.

Nuon Paet, a former high-ranking Khmer Rouge commander in the area where the incident occurr was sentenc to life imprisonment, while another main suspect, Chhouk Rin, is being tried in the greatest Court.

Nuon Chea, along with pair other surviving leaders Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan, are considered to bear major responsibility for the deaths of at least 17 million Cambodians during Khmer Rouge command from 1975 to 1979

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo novels International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group