He was selected to be part of the mission and spent three years studying the Khmer language and Buddhism and living with Cambodians to ascertain how Buddhism could help Christians and vice versa. The witness explained that he originally came to Cambodia with a Christian association that traveled to countries in Asia starting from 1959. Ponchaud told the chamber that he originally came to Cambodiaon November 4, 1965, during the reign of former King Norodom Sihanouk, lived through the Lon Nol regime, and had been in Cambodia for a total of 47 and a half years. Trial Chamber Leads Questioning of François Ponchaud Ponchaud confirmed that he would testify in Khmer. Ponchaud, the witness stated, and he reported to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva about Democratic Kampuchea on September 15, 1998. Four years ago, former International Co-Investigating Judge Marcel Lemonde interviewed Mr. The witness said he had no relationship with either Nuon Chea or Khieu Samphan, but he met Khieu Samphan eight years before.

Ponchaud, a Catholic priest, told the chamber that he was born near the Alps in France in 1939 and appeared to place his hand on a copy of the Holy Bible sitting on a small stack of books, when taking his oath. New Witness François Ponchaud Takes the Stand The co-accused Nuon Chea observed proceedings from a remote holding cell, due to his health concerns, while defendant Khieu Samphan was present in courtroom for the full hearing. Over 200 Cham villagers from Borey Chulsa district in Takeo province attended the hearing. Ponchaud, who has lived in Cambodia for over 40 years, testified in Khmer. He spoke about Cambodia during the civil war between 19, the evacuation of Phnom Penh after the city fell to the Khmer Rouge, and his movements and observations prior to leaving the country with other foreigners in early May 1975. François Ponchaud, a French Catholic priest and author of Cambodia: Year Zero, gave emphatic and detailed testimony as proceedings continued in Case 002 at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) on Tuesday, April 9, 2013.

Cambodia by François Ponchaud