By Lauren Crothers
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia
A program funded by the U.S. goverment paid the family of a suspected Khmer Rouge war criminal to look after a peace corps volunteer, according to local media.
The Phnom Penh Post reported Monday that the volunteer, Ben Larracey, was placed with the son of Meas Muth two years ago as part of a program paying families to host volunteers.
He later moved out of the son's house, and instead went to live with the 76-year-old father - a navy commander, wanted by a United Nations-backed tribunal on charges of homicide and crimes against humanity during his time as one of the Khmer Rouge's top commanders.
The charges against Muth were laid by International Co-Investigating Judge Mark Harmon in early March, but the elderly war crimes suspect continues to live at home in Battambang province. Judicial police have failed to act upon an arrest warrant issued by the court.
He is part of what is known as Case 003 at the tribunal, which is still in the process of adjudicating Case 002. The other suspect in Case 003, Sou Met, died in 2013.
The Post reported that Larracey was originally placed with Muth’s son, Meas Sophors, who would have been paid $110 a month for looking after the volunteer.
The report went on to say that Larracey then moved in with Muth, the wanted war crimes suspect, early last year.
He eventually moved back with Sophors, but the Post said son and father are close, both living in the same part of the province.
The Peace Corps said in response that Larracey has since been removed from Sophors’ home.
In an interview for the report, Muth said he had “not forgiven my enemy, but my enemy does nothing to me [now], so I will not do anything back against them.”
The Khmer Rouge was vehemently anti-U.S., particularly because of the country’s role in supporting the Lon Nol regime that preceded and battled the ultra-Maoist regime in a civil war.
“As soon as Peace Corps Headquarters learned of this situation, immediate action was taken and the Volunteer in question was removed from their site,” the Post quoted the organization as saying in a statement.
