How to Pronounce Khieu Samphan

Meaning and Context

Khieu Samphan, born on July 27, 1931, served as the nominal head of state of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 to 1979, a period synonymous with the Cambodian Genocide. As a senior member and chief public intellectual of the Khmer Rouge regime, his academic background in economics, including a doctorate from France, lent a veneer of ideological legitimacy to Pol Pot's radical agrarian revolution. This policy aimed to create a classless, self-sufficient society but resulted in the systematic execution, forced labor, and starvation of an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people. Samphan's role, often perceived as that of a figurehead, was critically examined decades later during the landmark proceedings of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), where he was jointly convicted of crimes against humanity, genocide against the Vietnamese and Cham Muslim minorities, and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. His conviction in 2014 (later affirmed on appeal in 2016) marked a pivotal moment in international criminal justice, providing a measure of accountability for the atrocities committed by the Communist Party of Kampuchea.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The name "Khieu Samphan" is consistently romanized from the Khmer language, but several common misspellings and typographical errors occur. The most frequent errors involve the first name, with variations such as "Khieu Samphan" (incorrectly adding an 'h'), "Kheiu Samphan" (transposing the 'i' and 'e'), or simply "Khieu Samphan." The last name is sometimes misspelled as "Samphan" (omitting the 'h') or "Samphan." Another point of confusion is the ordering of names; as is customary in Cambodia, "Khieu" is the family name and "Samphan" is the given name, so he is correctly referred to as Mr. Khieu or Khieu Samphan, not "Samphan" alone. Additionally, his name is occasionally conflated or confused with other senior Khmer Rouge figures like "Khieu Thirith" (his sister-in-law and former Social Affairs Minister) or "Ieng Sary," leading to referential errors in less precise historical accounts.

Example Sentences

Despite his claims of being unaware of the regime's brutality, the tribunal found Khieu Samphan complicit in the Khmer Rouge's crimes.

Historians often analyze Khieu Samphan's economic theories as a foundational component of the regime's disastrous policies.

During his trial, Khieu Samphan maintained a stoic demeanor, rarely reacting to the harrowing survivor testimonies.

The prosecution's case hinged on demonstrating that Khieu Samphan, as head of state, possessed both knowledge of and influence over the events of the genocide.

For many Cambodians, the final conviction of Khieu Samphan brought a long-awaited, though incomplete, sense of judicial closure.

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