Khmer Rouge Tribunals: A Reflection
During the long and drawn-out American war in Southeast Asia, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia slowly gained more and more control of the countryside. In 1968, they launched a national insurgency with the intent of taking over the entire country. As the US grew more and more dissatisfied with the rule of Lon Nol, the Khmer Rouge gained strength. On April 17, 1975, following the end of US aid to the Lon Nol government, the Khmer Rouge captured the capital of Phnom Penh and consolidated their control over all of Cambodia.
Within a short time they had emptied the cities and towns of the populations and began a repressive rule that resulted in the death of almost two million Cambodians. In terms of the number of people killed as a proportion of the population of the country, this was one of the most lethal regimes of the 20th century.
In 1979 an invasion by Viet Nam ended the Khmer Rouge rule and slowly the country has begun to rebuild. Yet the atrocities experienced under the Khmer Rouge remain traumatic memories for the people. After much debates, a tribunal to try Khmer Rouge leaders is about to begin. While the people look forward to these trials with the hope that the truth will be revealed, justice carried out and healing started, many fear that the trials might only be a showcase that does not solve the pain of the people.
Below is a brief reflection by a recent university graduate expressing his concerns of the tribunals and how they might be carried out.
Cambodia had gone through many regime changes. Of those, there was our darkest history call POL POT era from 1975-1979. During this period, around 2 million Cambodian people were killed, many being executed and many others dying as a direct result of the Pol Pot policies. Today the Khmer Rouge tribunal has become an important topic of international and local discussions, especially for Cambodians. In Cambodia there are different views on this tribunal. I agree that the tribunal should happen, but I do not think it can bring real justice to the Cambodian victims of the Khmer Rouge. I believe this for many reasons.
Firstly, as far as I am concerned, some government leaders are former Khmer Rouge leaders or members. Even though the Pol Pot regime has been eliminated, it does not mean that all the Khmer Rouge leaders and important members have been arrested and punished yet. On the contrary, some high ranking Khmer Rouge leaders are now living a luxurious life and holding high positions in the government. How can they sentence themselves? Do they want to seriously hold this tribunal? The logical answer that comes to my mind is NO! The tribunal court is being prepared by the government, so I do not think the court will have enough independence in their decision-making.
Secondly I am inclined to believe that the Khmer Rouge leaders who have already died are going to be held personally responsible for the massacre. It means that Pol Pot and his comrades who have died already will be found guilty for what was committed against the victims. This is the way, I think, the government and related countries plan to carry out the tribunal. The government has promise some Khmer Rouge leaders that the government would let them go free or cancel accusations and punishment if they joined the government. So I think the responsibility for this massacre will be placed on Pol Pot and his comrades who have already died, or perhaps some leaders who are still alive but may die soon.
Finally I do not think the super power countries and neighboring countries which related to the Khmer Rouge and provided support will be brought into the court and punished. For instance China was one of those countries which supported the Pol Pot regime in terms of weapons, technical training skills, experts, and others things. Moreover the present Cambodian government right now has much influence from these countries, so the real murderers will not be shown. One more thing is that the UN also needs to respond about this because the UN recognized this regime from 1975 until 1991. Even though the UN is helping to prepare the tribunal, I think it is just like a drama to show to the world and the Cambodian people so they might forget and stop talking.
To sum up I agree to that the Khmer Rouge tribunal should be held. I hate this killing regime that destroyed my country. However I do not think that this tribunal will find justice for Cambodian victims because the court will be dominated by some former Khmer Rouge leaders who are holding high positions in the government and have a good relationship to the powerful countries that will influence the tribunal process.
A Cambodian student