The Pailin house of jailed Khmer Rouge commander Nuon Paet burned down Tuesday, police there said Thursday.
Nuon Paet’s family was believed to be living in the home, but no one was injured, according to Chea Chandin, Pailin municipal police chief.
Police said Ou Sor, 39, a former Khmer Rouge fighter under Nuon Paet, was responsible for the fire. Ou Sor was shot sveral times in skirmishes with the government army early in the 1990s, and has suffered from mental illness, Chea Chandin said.
Nuon Paet was sentenced to life in prison last June for his role in the 1994 train ambush that resulted in the death of three Western backpackers. The backpackers—Frenchman Jean-Michel Braquet, 27; Briton Mark Slater, 28; and Australian David Wilson, 29—were held in his jungle camp in Kampot province, then executed.
The hostage standoff prompted more than two months of negotiation, garnered worldwide media attention and led to a military offensive that drove Khmer Rouge out of the area.
Nuon Paet’s house was valued at 500,000 baht ($13,330) and was made of high-quality wood.
