Bangkok, Oct 17 (IANS/EFE): A Cambodian international court Friday began hearing the second case against Khmer Rouge leaders facing charges of genocide and crimes against humanity while serving the former regime which killed 1.7 million people between 1975 and 1979.

The accused are Khmer Rouge number two, Nuon Chea, 88, and the former head of state Khieu Samphan, 83, who deny the charges against them.

Both were sentenced to life imprisonment in August after the conclusion of the first part of the process which focused on the forced deportation of people from Phnom Penh and other urban areas to labour camps in paddy fields and the construction of irrigation works.

In the second trial, the UN-backed court will address the genocide committed by the regime of supreme leader Pol Pot against the Cham Muslim minority and the Vietnamese community, along with the persecution of Buddhist monks.

They will also be tried for the policies of forced marriage and rape, internal purges, establishing interrogation and torture centres, subjecting the population to forced labour and the purging of officials of the previous government of Gen. Lon Nol.

The court decided to divide the case into two parts because it was feared the former officials could die before the trial ends.

Initially, the process also included ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary, who died in 2013 at the age of 87, his wife and also ex-minister of social affairs Ieng Thirith, whose case was suspended after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998 after being held prisoner by his own followers in the jungle.

The international court passed its first sentence in 2010 against Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, who managed the detention and torture centre S-21 and the extermination camp of Choeung Ek on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Duch was initially sentenced to 35 years in prison, but the judgement was later changed to life imprisonment on appeal.