Chhang Youk, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (Photo: Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer)Cambodia remains a fractured society, with people divided amongst themselves and differing on how they might one day, if ever, have national reconciliation, a leading researcher told a US university on Monday.
Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
New Jersey Thursday, 22 April 2010
Chhang Youk, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, told a gathering at New Jersey’s Rutgers University that survivors prefer different ways to seek reconciliation and justice.
Some only require a simple apology; some seek the full truth; some want legal punishment for the perpetrators; still others would prefer the country move beyond a trial of Khmer Rouge leaders.
“So you can see that Cambodia is not just only broken but also [Cambodians] are divided as an individual, as a family, as a nation,” Chhang Youk said. “And that’s [not] because we don’t care about justice—because we do care about justice, so much.”
Cambodians don’t want to see atrocities like those of the Khmer Rouge repeated, because these are difficult to reconcile, and at times “impossible,” he said.
Chhang Youk’s Documentation Center has worked for years to compile evidence of Khmer Rouge atrocities. This has included interviews with survivors, documenting their accounts, and writing a book of history on the regime.
Chhang Youk told the audience Monday that the prevention of genocide was the responsibility of every individual, university, institution and nation. Once genocide occurs, reconciliation of a nation’s suffering is hard to find.
The Khmer Rouge ruled for only four years, but it has taken more than 30 to relieve the trauma, he said. And it’s still there.
Still, he said, all is not lost.
“It sounds very disappointing about Cambodia with the number of people killed, with the infrastructures that have been destroyed, with poverty, corruption, good governance, and so forth, but there’s hope,” he said. “There’s hope for change.”
That change requires action now, he said, or the trauma will remain, not just within victims, but in their children.
Currently, the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal is holding five leaders of the regime. It has completed the trial of one, Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, and is working on its second case, which involves Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith.
Proponents of the trials, which have cost the international community millions of dollars and been plagued with delays, say they will bring a measure of reconciliation. Skeptics say this may not be so, at least not entirely.
“With genocide, I don’t know if the people will get closure with the tribunal,” said Marco Oliviera, a third-year student of criminal justice and political science who attended the lecture. “The way, I think, is a simple apology, [which] will largely bring closure, and we have to move on.”
“Too often, I think, people think the tribunal is somehow going to bring truth and reconciliation, and that is setting the tribunal up for failure,” Alexander Hinton, director of the Center for the Study of Conflict Resolution and Human Rights, told VOA Khmer. “We have to recognize the tribunal for what it is.”
The tribunal can accomplish some things, such as bringing forward evidence and understanding of the past, as well as holding leaders responsible for their actions, he said. “But it can’t do everything.”
Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
New Jersey Thursday, 22 April 2010
“So you can see that Cambodia is not just only broken but also [Cambodians] are divided as an individual, as a family, as a nation.”Cambodia remains a fractured society, with people divided amongst themselves and differing on how they might one day, if ever, have national reconciliation, a leading researcher told a US university on Monday.
Chhang Youk, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, told a gathering at New Jersey’s Rutgers University that survivors prefer different ways to seek reconciliation and justice.
Some only require a simple apology; some seek the full truth; some want legal punishment for the perpetrators; still others would prefer the country move beyond a trial of Khmer Rouge leaders.
“So you can see that Cambodia is not just only broken but also [Cambodians] are divided as an individual, as a family, as a nation,” Chhang Youk said. “And that’s [not] because we don’t care about justice—because we do care about justice, so much.”
Cambodians don’t want to see atrocities like those of the Khmer Rouge repeated, because these are difficult to reconcile, and at times “impossible,” he said.
Chhang Youk’s Documentation Center has worked for years to compile evidence of Khmer Rouge atrocities. This has included interviews with survivors, documenting their accounts, and writing a book of history on the regime.
Chhang Youk told the audience Monday that the prevention of genocide was the responsibility of every individual, university, institution and nation. Once genocide occurs, reconciliation of a nation’s suffering is hard to find.
The Khmer Rouge ruled for only four years, but it has taken more than 30 to relieve the trauma, he said. And it’s still there.
Still, he said, all is not lost.
“It sounds very disappointing about Cambodia with the number of people killed, with the infrastructures that have been destroyed, with poverty, corruption, good governance, and so forth, but there’s hope,” he said. “There’s hope for change.”
That change requires action now, he said, or the trauma will remain, not just within victims, but in their children.
Currently, the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal is holding five leaders of the regime. It has completed the trial of one, Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, and is working on its second case, which involves Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith.
Proponents of the trials, which have cost the international community millions of dollars and been plagued with delays, say they will bring a measure of reconciliation. Skeptics say this may not be so, at least not entirely.
“With genocide, I don’t know if the people will get closure with the tribunal,” said Marco Oliviera, a third-year student of criminal justice and political science who attended the lecture. “The way, I think, is a simple apology, [which] will largely bring closure, and we have to move on.”
“Too often, I think, people think the tribunal is somehow going to bring truth and reconciliation, and that is setting the tribunal up for failure,” Alexander Hinton, director of the Center for the Study of Conflict Resolution and Human Rights, told VOA Khmer. “We have to recognize the tribunal for what it is.”
The tribunal can accomplish some things, such as bringing forward evidence and understanding of the past, as well as holding leaders responsible for their actions, he said. “But it can’t do everything.”
5 comments:
it's not a cured all, but it's a start to bring justice to the victims of the KR rule. cambodia and the world cannot ignore what happened during the stupid KR rule. we definitely do not want this kind of history to repeat itself. you don't destroy the rule of law like the idiot, stupid KR people did. if you do, you only open the pandora box of hell; that's extraly what happened under the fanatic, stone age or dark age mentality of the sinful KR and their short-lived regime! cambodia and khmer people deserve better. god bless cambodia.
whether KR regime killed Khmer quickly in a short period of time...or the HS regime kill khmer slowly without the visible weapon...than that is the question...which one have more dangerouse to Khmer people...the current regime mights shows off their development in road and building...but in the L-run,there will be no Khmer people live in the city...only foreign with Khmer citizen(?)...well as one can see the current situation in Thailand...Thai govt. can no long hidden behind supposetly their King God...when the red third people try to distroy the financial districk which is the life a blood of the elite...the govt. will use the soliders to kill the people in the name of business, and finacial districk...If the HS regime in power...just look at Thai regine right now...it is very good example that Khmer people have to learn and hope to learn it well...if khmer people do not want the history to repeat itself....
Dang it whatever happens to Yuok Chhang. The guy used to look good with dark hair and handsome. Now he is all white haired. What happens to the dude. Why does he age so so fast and so so much. Hun Sen has been living in Cambodia for such a long time and he has not any white/grey hair just yet. I think Yuok Chang has some kind of illness that turns his dark hair to white. Seeing Youk Chhang becoming old like this make me lose interest in him.
Hay 9:43am,
Not just Yuok Chhang getting everybody getting old...event you...so if you look at yourself in the mirror...you will see youself old too...that if life...no one can get away from old age...even Hun Sen...sad reality ha!
The court allows Chhang and friends to fill their pockets while the Khmer living in hunger and misery!
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