Press release - Phnom Penh, 20 November 2011
The start of trial of senior Khmer Rouge leaders is a day for victims of that regime, young and old
Monday, 21 November 2011 will be a historic day for Cambodia, with the start of Case 002 at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), the trial of Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan. While the court continues to be the subject of allegations of institutional shortcomings, the start of trial in this case will be a ground-breaking event which many Cambodians thought would never happen. Ultimately, Monday is a day for victims of the Khmer Rouge including those who lived through the horrors of Democratic Kampuchea as well as subsequent generations who grew up in the shadow of that regime. To mark the occasion, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) surveyed our staff to get their views on this landmark occasion and what it means for Cambodia. The following are some of the comments made by our staff:
Ou Virak, CCHR President:
“The Khmer Rouge years have left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of the Cambodian people. The trial of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge is something that I, like so many other victims of the Khmer Rouge, thought would never happen. The first day of trial is not a day for talk of the institutional failings at the ECCC, it is a day for all Cambodian people, young and old –those who lived through that brutal time and those who were born since and who grew up in a deeply scared society. It is over thirty years since the fall of the Khmer Rouge and yet so many questions remain unanswered about what happened during those years. I hope that Monday is the beginning of the end for the Cambodian people’s search for truth and justice.”
Chak Sopheap (Age 26), Program Director:
“It is not surprising that many foreigners know the details of the Khmer Rouge regime and yet the younger Khmer generations are comparatively ill informed as a result of how sensitive this subject is in Cambodia. My personal opinion is that the court is flawed and that the millions of dollars that have been poured into this institution could in fact have been used more effectively by funding a truth and reconciliation process rather than the retributive justice this court is seeking to dispense.”
Chhim Savuth (Age 52), Public Forums Project Coordinator:
“During the Khmer Rouge years, we suffered terribly with so many people losing parents, brothers and sisters. The crimes committed upon the Cambodian people during that time will live with us forever. While I welcome this trial, in my opinion trials of other Khmer Rouge should follow. While I want this case to proceed to satisfy my own desire for justice, the court can also act as an important catalyst in bringing a greater level of respect for the rule of law in this country.”
Sman Oumoeut (Age 30), Trial Monitor:
“Growing up in Kep in the eighties and nineties, I lived with the routine night time visits of the Khmer Rouge to my village. When they came, we would have to hide in the forest. When we returned, they had pillaged our belongings and sometimes raped the women who did not get to the forest in time. I am a Cham Muslim and I will watch proceedings at the court specifically with an eye for how much attention is given to the suffering of the Chams under the Khmer Rouge. I hope we are given the time to tell our story.”
Hem Sokly (Age 27), Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Project Coordinator:
“There were two levels of Khmer Rouge activity and Case 002 will only be trying one of them; the top level. I was born after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime but I still witnessed the other, which occurred on a community level. Throughout the eighties and nineties Khmer Rouge soldiers would stride into my village and take whatever they could lay their hands on. They sometimes took people away for re-education. In my opinion, Case 002 can only provide partial justice as those who committed crimes at the community level walk free. That said, this is better than no justice.”
Soun Bunthoeun (Age 30), Community Training and Hearings Project Coordinator:
“I am happy to see the leaders of the Khmer Rouge being tried. I was born after the Khmer Rouge but I grew up hearing about what happened during those years. I have visited S-21 and the Killing Fields and have really tried to understand the Khmer Rouge. I hope that this trial will provide us with answers to the many questions we have about the Khmer Rouge regime. I also think that others should be tried including the foreigners that brought war to Cambodia and pushed the Cambodian people into the hands of the Khmer Rouge.”
Kann La (Age 29), Security Guard:
“No part of Cambodia was left untouched by the atrocities carried out by the Khmer Rouge. The leaders – those being tried in Case 002 - are most responsible for these horrific crimes. Justice is needed to free the next generation of Cambodian people from these horrors.”
Mao Danny (Age 21), Trial Monitor Intern and law student at the Royal University of Law and Economics:
“I hope the judges in Case 002 find justice for all the victims of the Khmer Rouge. I truly believe that by doing so the ECCC can play an important role in building trust in Cambodia in the judiciary.”
* The views expressed above are the personal views of CCHR staff members and do not necessarily reflect the views of CCHR.
-‐ENDS-‐
For more details please contact Ou Virak (tel: +855 (0) 12 40 40 51 or e-mail: ouvirak@cchrcambodia.org).
Notes to Editor:
CCHR was founded in November 2002.
CCHR is a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), the global network for freedom of expression.
The Cambodian Human Rights Portal www.sithi.org is the 2011 winner of the Information Society Innovation Fund ward in the category of Rights and Freedoms.
The start of trial of senior Khmer Rouge leaders is a day for victims of that regime, young and old
Monday, 21 November 2011 will be a historic day for Cambodia, with the start of Case 002 at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), the trial of Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan. While the court continues to be the subject of allegations of institutional shortcomings, the start of trial in this case will be a ground-breaking event which many Cambodians thought would never happen. Ultimately, Monday is a day for victims of the Khmer Rouge including those who lived through the horrors of Democratic Kampuchea as well as subsequent generations who grew up in the shadow of that regime. To mark the occasion, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) surveyed our staff to get their views on this landmark occasion and what it means for Cambodia. The following are some of the comments made by our staff:
Ou Virak, CCHR President:
“The Khmer Rouge years have left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of the Cambodian people. The trial of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge is something that I, like so many other victims of the Khmer Rouge, thought would never happen. The first day of trial is not a day for talk of the institutional failings at the ECCC, it is a day for all Cambodian people, young and old –those who lived through that brutal time and those who were born since and who grew up in a deeply scared society. It is over thirty years since the fall of the Khmer Rouge and yet so many questions remain unanswered about what happened during those years. I hope that Monday is the beginning of the end for the Cambodian people’s search for truth and justice.”
Chak Sopheap (Age 26), Program Director:
“It is not surprising that many foreigners know the details of the Khmer Rouge regime and yet the younger Khmer generations are comparatively ill informed as a result of how sensitive this subject is in Cambodia. My personal opinion is that the court is flawed and that the millions of dollars that have been poured into this institution could in fact have been used more effectively by funding a truth and reconciliation process rather than the retributive justice this court is seeking to dispense.”
Chhim Savuth (Age 52), Public Forums Project Coordinator:
“During the Khmer Rouge years, we suffered terribly with so many people losing parents, brothers and sisters. The crimes committed upon the Cambodian people during that time will live with us forever. While I welcome this trial, in my opinion trials of other Khmer Rouge should follow. While I want this case to proceed to satisfy my own desire for justice, the court can also act as an important catalyst in bringing a greater level of respect for the rule of law in this country.”
Sman Oumoeut (Age 30), Trial Monitor:
“Growing up in Kep in the eighties and nineties, I lived with the routine night time visits of the Khmer Rouge to my village. When they came, we would have to hide in the forest. When we returned, they had pillaged our belongings and sometimes raped the women who did not get to the forest in time. I am a Cham Muslim and I will watch proceedings at the court specifically with an eye for how much attention is given to the suffering of the Chams under the Khmer Rouge. I hope we are given the time to tell our story.”
Hem Sokly (Age 27), Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Project Coordinator:
“There were two levels of Khmer Rouge activity and Case 002 will only be trying one of them; the top level. I was born after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime but I still witnessed the other, which occurred on a community level. Throughout the eighties and nineties Khmer Rouge soldiers would stride into my village and take whatever they could lay their hands on. They sometimes took people away for re-education. In my opinion, Case 002 can only provide partial justice as those who committed crimes at the community level walk free. That said, this is better than no justice.”
Soun Bunthoeun (Age 30), Community Training and Hearings Project Coordinator:
“I am happy to see the leaders of the Khmer Rouge being tried. I was born after the Khmer Rouge but I grew up hearing about what happened during those years. I have visited S-21 and the Killing Fields and have really tried to understand the Khmer Rouge. I hope that this trial will provide us with answers to the many questions we have about the Khmer Rouge regime. I also think that others should be tried including the foreigners that brought war to Cambodia and pushed the Cambodian people into the hands of the Khmer Rouge.”
Kann La (Age 29), Security Guard:
“No part of Cambodia was left untouched by the atrocities carried out by the Khmer Rouge. The leaders – those being tried in Case 002 - are most responsible for these horrific crimes. Justice is needed to free the next generation of Cambodian people from these horrors.”
Mao Danny (Age 21), Trial Monitor Intern and law student at the Royal University of Law and Economics:
“I hope the judges in Case 002 find justice for all the victims of the Khmer Rouge. I truly believe that by doing so the ECCC can play an important role in building trust in Cambodia in the judiciary.”
* The views expressed above are the personal views of CCHR staff members and do not necessarily reflect the views of CCHR.
-‐ENDS-‐
For more details please contact Ou Virak (tel: +855 (0) 12 40 40 51 or e-mail: ouvirak@cchrcambodia.org).
Notes to Editor:
CCHR was founded in November 2002.
CCHR is a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), the global network for freedom of expression.
The Cambodian Human Rights Portal www.sithi.org is the 2011 winner of the Information Society Innovation Fund ward in the category of Rights and Freedoms.
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