Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Tribunal Complainant Urges Healing

Seng Theary (Photo: RFA)

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
09 March 2010



A Cambodian-American lawyer and civil party for the Khmer Rogue tribunal recommended that people participate in the legal process as leaders of the regime head to trial, rather than resorting to violent rhetoric.

Seng Theary, founder of the Center for Justice and Reconciliation, spoke on “Hello VOA” from a studio in Washington, where she marked International Women’s Day.

“I wish to encourage and ask our brothers and sisters to release their anger through monitoring, expressing their opinion from the bottoms of their hearts,” she said. “Don’t use violence, but turn our violence into release through legal protests, as the existing right of people living in a society moving toward democracy.”

Seng Theary was responding to a caller who asked whether Khmer Rouge leaders would be punished the same way they punished those under them when they rose to power.

She said she was facing the same feeling as other victims, but said people should allow anger and the psychological impact of the regime dominate their thinking.

“If there is anger in our minds, there will not be development,” she said, adding that healing was a worthwhile, if difficult, goal to pursue.

Seng Theary, who lost family members to the Khmer Rouge and is a civil party complainant at the UN-backed court, said not all leaders of the regime would be tried, due to limited resources of the court, but those now under arrest were symbolic of justice.

Were all Khmer Rouge involved in killings to be tried, the country could see instability, she said, echoing concerns of Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Cambodian court officials.

Meanwhile, women need a greater role in politics, Seng Theary said.

“If women played roles as politicians and celebrities, they could provide a model to the entire society,” she said. “Especially young women who are thinking of the choices for their lives.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you ever see the video of Khmer women beat up by Hun Xen bodyguards! And killed in grenate attack durring peacefull LEGAL demonstration!

May god bless their soles anf make lighning strike the evils!

Anonymous said...

Ms. Theary Seng, you are bunch of phylosophy! Bullshit!

You keep saying for the citizens to use legal democracy in Cambodia. Who are you speaking for? Hun Sen, the perpetraitor or Cambodian citizens, the victims?

It has been almost three decades! Diplomatic methods will not work against the rival gang, Hun Sen.

Now it got to the point that you must use fire to put out fire. Cambodians have try to use water for so long and obviously it has not work. If people keep doing the same thing then don't expect different result.

You one of the smart ass lawyer who street brawl fight with the street gang in their territory. Who you think will win? By the time law inforcement (assuming the officer is not one of them) arrived you and your colleagues will be dead. What make it worst for Cambodia because all law officials is the perpetraitor, directly or indirectly. This is why Hun Sen still in power today!

Ethics, rules and laws only good to resolve with who respect them.

Anonymous said...

According to Theary Seng: "Were all Khmer Rouge involved in killings to be tried, the country could see instability, she said, echoing concerns of Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Cambodian court officials."

The statement above plays into mr. hun sen's manipulation of the khmer rouge tribunal. Over 1.7 millions lost their lives during the khmer rouge, yet Mr. hun sen cleverly manipulates the court by using the excuse such as "instability". Does the khmer rouge tribunal work for Mr. hun sen? No one should be exempted from the crime against humanity. If you committed a crime you must be punished, regardless of circumstances.

Anonymous said...

Theary Seng, go suck Hun Sen's dick!

Freedom is not easy and Freedom is not free. It must be paid with blood.

With your democracy tactics is just another form of being coward. Currently in Cambodia, strenght beats brain!

Your coward methods is sad for the future generations. It is not fair for the future generations have to continue to sufers.

Anonymous said...

You people need to relax!
Ms. Seng is compassionate and talented! She's a role model for all Cambodian women. In terms of Khmer Rouge, give them to the court and its lawyers. Whatever the outcome is, accept it and deal with it. Everybody I know lost their loved ones during this regime. So try not to think abut the past and let's focus about the future!

Good Luck Ms. send, you have my support! Women rule!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

5:23am, Theary Seng is your idol so you should worship her every morning, okay.

Anonymous said...

4:58 AM Exactly right!

If we want to win, we must PAID WITH BLOOD if we don't come together we will BLEED to dead.

Anonymous said...

When there is a dictator who rules, peaceful protest will not work. If it wasn't for the Revolution in 1776, America will be under British rule still. I wish our home country can change and join the 21st century. Money is the root of all evil. Corruption runs cambodia. Until we have true leaders, our country will be poor for another generation or two.

Stateside

Anonymous said...

"Democracy" fits the current regime: The Mop Rule. You got your democracy.

Theary Seng works for the World International Court. I hate the UN, they are a false institution working to bring chaos in the world.

Anonymous said...

If I were in charge I would execute everyone of them by now and be done with and move on. It's not violence, it's call justice done in my book!
Life for life, foot for foot, tooth for tooth and perhaps the curse would been over by now. No need for expert lawyers to lie around for 20 yrs.

Anonymous said...

“If women played roles as politicians and celebrities, they could provide a model to the entire society,” = “If a woman played roles as politician and celebrity, She could provide a model to the entire society,” She= Theary Seng

Anonymous said...

The audio is pretty poor, and i lost my interest in listening of it. Hope you can improve it in the future.

Anonymous said...

Theary Seng, I hope you won't disappoint us. You are a criminal lawyer and your parents were killed by the brainless Khmer Rouge cadres. During that time, KR enjoy killing millions of innocent khmers, and now your job is to get them behind bar with no exception and start a new chapter. Don't be brainwashed by those in power. Don't let them took it for granted.

Anonymous said...

Why are you guys bashing her? If you people don't like the way she does her job, then why don't you guys do it yourself. Instead of contributing useless words, why not go and perform some action. Talk is cheap as always.

Anonymous said...

Where did she get an idea that Cambodia was democratic? Didn't she know Cambodia have king? Also, if the stranger rape her, she willing to accepted that guy to be her husband, and said that she not going to get angry with him? So, therefore,if she get angry her life not secure? This mean she love the raper then. You know, some people just born to be a chicken bitch, under a man dick. She don't know what freedom of speech is.