People who ‘deny the truth of the bitter past’ could be jailed for up to five years under the law, which still needs parliament approval

Cambodia’s government has approved a draft law that will jail for up to five years anyone denying atrocities, including genocide, committed by the Khmer Rouge.

The draft law – which aims to prevent a repeat of the Khmer Rouge’s crimes and provide justice for victims – was approved during a cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister, Hun Manet, on Friday, the government spokesperson Pen Bona said.

Figure who ran Cambodia’s most notorious prison during genocidal regime of Pol Pot died on Wednesday

The chief jailer of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime, known as Comrade Duch, who oversaw the mass murder of at least 14,000 Cambodians at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, has died.

Related: Life for Comrade Duch, a milestone for international justice | Mark Vlasic