Leakhena Nou (Photo: AP)By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
03 April 2008
Nou Leakhena founded the Applied Social Research Institute of Cambodia as a way to bring Cambodians together, to help them heal, and teach them to trust .
Working with those traumatized by the brutality of Cambodia's wars, the Khmer Rouge or the current government, Nou Leakhena , who is Cambodian-American, is slowly building a community of understanding, healing, and, she hopes, justice.
The Institute is also compiling data on trauma suffered by Cambodians.
"The root of the problem is that the people themselves don’t trust each other, even the Khmer people in America," Nou Leakhena, PhD, said in a recent interview. "The key factor for the local Khmer people in seeking justice is whether they should be united between Khmer and Khmer and build up strong solidarity among each other, then demand justice by itself before asking for assistantce from outside.”
The Institute is recording information from victims of the Khmer Rouge, and helping people identify whether, under the laws of the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Phnom Penh, they are victims.
The Institute held a forum in March that gathered around 100 participants, who shared their experiences and testimonies.
"It is our belief that the testimonials given will not only benefit the mental health of the participants in the immediate and long term, but they will also help provide critical evidence to be used in the prosecuting Khmer Rouge leaders in captivity," Nou Leakhena said.
The Institute not only wanted to help tribunal proceedings, but to assist modern Cambodia.
"There are all kinds of human rights violations happening in Cambodia now," she said. "The powerful and rich violate the poor and the powerless."
Koy Saveun, a participant for the Institute's March forum, said the gathering was important to help him "clearly identify what justice is."
"Before you seek justice in society, you had better seek justice from yourself and your family," he said.
Working with those traumatized by the brutality of Cambodia's wars, the Khmer Rouge or the current government, Nou Leakhena , who is Cambodian-American, is slowly building a community of understanding, healing, and, she hopes, justice.
The Institute is also compiling data on trauma suffered by Cambodians.
"The root of the problem is that the people themselves don’t trust each other, even the Khmer people in America," Nou Leakhena, PhD, said in a recent interview. "The key factor for the local Khmer people in seeking justice is whether they should be united between Khmer and Khmer and build up strong solidarity among each other, then demand justice by itself before asking for assistantce from outside.”
The Institute is recording information from victims of the Khmer Rouge, and helping people identify whether, under the laws of the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Phnom Penh, they are victims.
The Institute held a forum in March that gathered around 100 participants, who shared their experiences and testimonies.
"It is our belief that the testimonials given will not only benefit the mental health of the participants in the immediate and long term, but they will also help provide critical evidence to be used in the prosecuting Khmer Rouge leaders in captivity," Nou Leakhena said.
The Institute not only wanted to help tribunal proceedings, but to assist modern Cambodia.
"There are all kinds of human rights violations happening in Cambodia now," she said. "The powerful and rich violate the poor and the powerless."
Koy Saveun, a participant for the Institute's March forum, said the gathering was important to help him "clearly identify what justice is."
"Before you seek justice in society, you had better seek justice from yourself and your family," he said.
7 comments:
It is less than 2 weeks, 17th April 1975 - the darkest anniversariy in Cambodia history to mark the begining of the end of the once so called Isle of Peace, when KR soldiers march in the Capital city of Phnom penh and just hours later the forceful evacution started.
"The root of the problem is that the people themselves don’t trust each other, even the Khmer people in America.
People have less trust in or virtually have no trust in each other since the day the KR was in power, for many reasons, in order to stay alive and survive the harsh conditions imposed by the regime [childern was trained to be spy and aginst their parents, neigbours against neighbours Etc..] and was worsen during the aftermath of KR being driven out from power due to hatred amd revenge for whom have been treated them unfairly and harshly which to taking law into their hands [killing of those former youth and village leaders under the KR regime].
"It is our belief that the testimonials given will not only benefit the mental health of the participants in the immediate and long term, but they will also help provide critical evidence to be used in the prosecuting Khmer Rouge leaders in captivity," Nou Leakhena said.
It will benefit the mental health if people concerned can talk and try to put their past nightmare behind them and start new fresh life again [which might be hard but is still achievable, from experience of a victim].
Can anyone tell me what relationship between Leakhena Nou and Pich Nissai Nou in Tuol Kork?
just another scam!
Scam កូនកណ្ឌួយម៉ែអាឯងអី អា 12:23 PM?
Mr. Koy Saveun,
What do you mean by your speech here? Quote: "Before you seek justice in society, you had better seek justice from yourself and your family," he said.
Do you mean to sue your own family? Why do you need to seek justice from yourself and family? Do you do anything illigal yourself? Did you commit the killing in KR regime? If not, why seek justice from yourself?
I don't need to attend the forum to understand the KR tribunal in Cambodia. I hope this tribunal will show Hun Sen not to be above the law and kill other opponents. One day he will sit in the hot sit as Saddam Hussein did by hanging Hun Sen.
yes, thanks for doing a good cause for cambodia and humanity.
You ought to gather from every survivor their CV(their histories)and
give to UN.
khmer love khmer(leu,krom,sorin,us,fr...)
thanks!
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