Phnom Penh - The Khmer Rouge's former chief torturer told Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal Tuesday that prison guards murdered babies by "smashing" them against a tree at execution facility during the group's 1975-79 rule. Kaing Guek Eav, known by his revolutionary alias Duch, said a famous painting depicting the gruesome practice was accurate and that he had ordered his subordinates to murder scores of babies at the Cheong Ek "killing field" on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
"The horrendous images of them smashed against trees, yes, that was done my subordinates," he said. "My superior [former minister of defense] Son Sen said to me that there is no gain in keeping them as they might take revenge on you."
Duch, 66, faces charges of crimes against humanity, torture, premeditated murder and breeches of the Geneva Conventions, allegedly committed when he was chairmen of the S-21 torture prison.
More than 15,000 men, women and children were detained and tortured at the school-turned-prison in Phnom Penh's suburbs before being sent to be murdered at Choeng Ek.
Duch is one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders facing trial for their roles in the deaths of up to 2 million people through execution, starvation and overwork during the Maoist group's rule.
At the beginning of his trial in February, Duch made an apology to victims, their families and the country, but maintained he was only acting on the orders of his superiors.
It was the first such apology to be made by any former Khmer Rouge member.
Duch's trial expected to run until at least the end of July.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
