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Nuon Chea
Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea
Chief Ideologist of the Khmer Rouge - "Brother Number Two"
Overview
Nuon Chea was the chief ideologist and second-in-command of the Khmer Rouge regime. Known as "Brother Number Two" behind Pol Pot, he was the primary architect of the party's radical ideology and security apparatus. He oversaw the S-21 (Tuol Sleng) interrogation center and the internal purge machinery. In 2018, he was convicted of genocide by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Chief ideologist who developed the Khmer Rouge's radical agrarian communist doctrine
Oversaw the S-21 (Tuol Sleng) security apparatus where 17,000+ prisoners were tortured and executed
Directed internal party purges that killed thousands of suspected traitors within Khmer Rouge ranks
Maintained the regime's genocidal policies targeting ethnic Vietnamese, Cham Muslims, and ethnic Chinese
Convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions by ECCC
Denied responsibility, claiming he was unaware of the scale of killings until after the regime fell
Related Investigations (1)
Criminal Charges & Violations
3 documented violations
ECCC - GenocideConvicted of genocide against Vietnamese and Cham Muslim populations in Cambodia(Genocide)
ECCC - Crimes Against HumanityMurder, extermination, persecution, forced transfer, imprisonment, torture, and other inhumane acts(Crimes Against Humanity)
ECCC - Grave Breaches of Geneva ConventionsWilful killing, torture, inhumane treatment of protected persons(War Crimes)
Known Associates & Connections
Pol Pot
Leader of the Khmer Rouge; Nuon Chea was his second-in-command
Sources & Documentation
1 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- 1926-07-07
- Birthplace
- Battambang, Cambodia
- Also Known As
- Brother Number Two, Long Bunruot
Education
- •Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand (Law)
Key Timeline
1926-07-07
Born in Battambang, Cambodia
1950s
Joins Communist Party of Kampuchea; becomes Pol Pot's deputy
1975-04-17
Khmer Rouge takes power; Nuon Chea oversees security apparatus
1975-1979
Directs internal purges and S-21 torture center operations
1979
Flees to Thai border after Vietnamese invasion
1998-12
Surrenders to Cambodian government
2014-08-07
Convicted by ECCC of crimes against humanity; sentenced to life
2018-11-16
Convicted of genocide against Vietnamese and Cham populations
2019-08-04
Dies in Phnom Penh while serving life sentence