By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer Original report from Washington
10 March 2010
The Khmer Rouge tribunal should be considered beyond its legal proceedings and in the context of the healing process for Cambodians, a rights activist and civil party complainant said Friday.
“If we see this court as just a group of 15 or 20 people with prosecutors discussing among themselves, it is very weak, fragile, and wasting so much money,” Seng Theary, a Cambodian-American lawyer, told an audience at the National Press Club in Washington. “But we have seen that this court has provided lots of benefits to the public.”
“These include inspiring people to talk about their past, encouraging them to participate as civil party representatives or investigation or watch the court from a distance,” she said. “These are the advantages that should be expanded.”Seng Theary, who lost family members to the regime and is participating in trials of its leaders, said that many people who had never spoken about their suffering under the Khmer Rouge had begun to discuss it now. Some were even documenting their past for a younger generation to study.
Five Khmer Rouge leaders, including Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, are awaiting trial at the UN-backed tribunal, in the court’s second case. The verdict from the first case, against prison chief Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, is expected this month.
The court has cost between $40 million and $50 million per year, and donors have approved a budget of $85 million for the next two years.
Along the way, Seng Theary said, civil society organizations have conducted public forums to explain the importance of the court and seek ways to heal their wounds.
“Public forums organized by the center that I moderated and by other civil society organizations are working as a bridge for the court to provide important updates from the court to public,” she said. “It is not just about four or five people in custody, but about the benefit of the whole nation.
”Brandon Howard, who participated in Friday’s discussion, said the pursuit of justice could cause problems, “but seeking healing you’ll be able to move forwards.”
“If we see this court as just a group of 15 or 20 people with prosecutors discussing among themselves, it is very weak, fragile, and wasting so much money,” Seng Theary, a Cambodian-American lawyer, told an audience at the National Press Club in Washington. “But we have seen that this court has provided lots of benefits to the public.”
“These include inspiring people to talk about their past, encouraging them to participate as civil party representatives or investigation or watch the court from a distance,” she said. “These are the advantages that should be expanded.”Seng Theary, who lost family members to the regime and is participating in trials of its leaders, said that many people who had never spoken about their suffering under the Khmer Rouge had begun to discuss it now. Some were even documenting their past for a younger generation to study.
Five Khmer Rouge leaders, including Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, are awaiting trial at the UN-backed tribunal, in the court’s second case. The verdict from the first case, against prison chief Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, is expected this month.
The court has cost between $40 million and $50 million per year, and donors have approved a budget of $85 million for the next two years.
Along the way, Seng Theary said, civil society organizations have conducted public forums to explain the importance of the court and seek ways to heal their wounds.
“Public forums organized by the center that I moderated and by other civil society organizations are working as a bridge for the court to provide important updates from the court to public,” she said. “It is not just about four or five people in custody, but about the benefit of the whole nation.
”Brandon Howard, who participated in Friday’s discussion, said the pursuit of justice could cause problems, “but seeking healing you’ll be able to move forwards.”
11 comments:
Theary: Looks at Kenneth So he never post his picture in his columns and Dr. Pheng he's use only small size (same one) photo and you should not post any dif pics at all because right here is not where you should promote yourself or sell your pictures.
Man, she did not post the photos herself. It is KI team. Be fair with her, my friend.
LAMO@9:52AM...hahaha!
Being that Cambodia is a Buddhist nation and that a hallmark of Buddhism is a detachment concept: Why has that concept been apply so healing could have taken place long ago? Having a tribunal court residing over the past crime of few people is flying in the face of Buddhists teaching "only you can save yourself and no others will?"
Why aren't the people put to action what they always had believe in?
If the monks can become "holy" by separating themselves from the world than they themselves should able to sanctify that which is
unholy. In this case, they could sanctify the sick minds of the those who suffered loss of family members during the KR.
Why not emphasize the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold paths instead of dragging the whole world into Cambodia to deal with this problem?
This Khmer Rouge Triunal thing is a waiste of time and funds. It has been waisted millions of dollar and continues to waiste hundreds more million dollars.
ECCC are pathetic! They afraid of Hun Sen and his high crimal officials. If the international constitution unable to over-ruled Cambodia, Hun Sen's law; then it's useless. Pathetic!
Theary Seng, Ms. smart ass should have use her time where directly benefits Cambodia and Cambodians. Otherwise she just a bullshit phylosopher.
I have read some of her works and articles it sounds very very good and impressive. But so far..... that's all there is to it. Just sounds good! Hope she would implement her phylosophies for the good cause of great rolemodel as she always brag. Words alone never enough!
Is mrs theary saying (promoting) that ecc is good for cambodia and cambodian people? honestly, mrs theary seng has a hard time to clear up her brain regard to things happened around her to find her way out.i admire her courage but really feel sorry for this woman
The wounds cant be healed unless those big shots from CPP are brought to justice.
theary seng has some level of education, she should understand why international community rather wants a local symbolic trial under khmer rouge cpp/viets direction than an adequate international standart court. Many influenced people, institutions and states had involved in Khmer rouge genocide against Khmer people. These people, institutions and countries had brought khmer rouge/Vietcong t o power to kill Khmer people. These people, institutions and countries must have their part of responsibility for crimes and complicity of crime against Khmer people.
Having said, Khmer rouge genocide against Khmer people is A CRIME against humanity, Khmer humanity which involved international crime involvement so why this little khmer rouge kangaroo court instead? Leaders of international community MUST TAKE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY before they ask some people they considered as little and criminals to take responsibility face to their acts.
Dear Seng Theary,
My name Mr:Chung the Cambodian Victim from 1975 to 1979 during KHMER ROUGE / POL POT regime under A Yuonese / Vietnamese hidden faces behind the killing fields, how are you? do you marry yet? I look at your Pictur in KI media very beautiful girl, how long you has been living in America? do you know who behind the killing field? do you believing that Yuonese / Vietnamese was been killed the Cambodian Victim from 1975 to 1979? from the real Khmer Victim Australia
Yes i am single, but not availble.
Yes i am single, but not availble.
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