Friday, January 21, 2011

Cambodian attorney fighting for justice got start in Grand Rapids


Theary Seng speaking at The January Series at Calvin College (Michigan, 7 Jan. 2011) to a packed auditorium seating 1,100, an overflow in the College's Chapel with another 400, an overflow in the Students Commons, in addition to 30 simulcasts across the States, Canada and as far flung as Lithuania.
January 12, 2011
by Cynthia Price
Legal News (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA)

In the 1970s, the name Pol Pot was synonymous with “violent dictatorship.” The global community looked on and deplored the Cambodian leader’s tactics, but attorney Theary Seng has a different perspective: she lived through it.

Her parents, unfortunately, did not. Her father was murdered early on, and the Khmer Rouge soldiers whisked her mother away almost literally out from under her and killed her in a prison camp when Seng was eight years old.

The following morning, guards allowed Seng and her four brothers to leave the camp. When Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979, ending the regime, Seng was among thousands who escaped through the jungle, entering Thailand, eventually traveling to the United States. Her destination: Grand Rapids.

Seng told her story as part of the well-known annual January Series of lectures at Calvin College.


Thirty years after her first arrival here as a young child, she stepped off the ground at Gerald R. Ford Airport once again to participate in the series, and reunited with some of the people from the church community who sponsored her as a refugee and nurtured her to adulthood.

After high school, she attended Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and received a bachelor’s degree in International Politics. She came back to Michigan to obtain her Juris Doctor from University of Michigan Law School, which she was granted in 2000. She is still a member of the American Bar Association and the New York Bar.

But Seng’s heart was in her homeland, and she returned to Cambodia full-time in 2004, after visiting repeatedly and doing volunteer work since 1995. She founded the organization Center for Justice and Reconciliation, and serves as its board president.

In 2005, her book Daughter of the Killing Fields was published in London. The well-received book is a harrowing account of the human cost of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia, and after her presentation at the January Series dozens of people wanted Seng to sign their copy.

Barnes and Thornburg sponsored her talk. According to firm partner Michael Snapper, “Barnes and Thornburg has sponsored the January Series program for several years. We think it’s a great service to the Grand Rapids community as well as the college community.” Snapper said that as a long-term sponsor, Barnes and Thornburg is allowed some input over the selection of the speaker sponsored, but there was no direct connection with Seng.

She started out her hour in front of a full house at Calvin College by showing about ten minutes of a video made about the current trial in Cambodia prosecuting Khieu Samphan, the head of state during the Khmer Rouge regime, for crimes against the people. The clip showed Seng confronting Khieu Samphan and comforting other victims who spoke out. It also detailed some of the absurdities of his defense: French attorney Jacques Vergès, the subject of a documentary called Terror’s Advocate, did his best to subvert the proceedings by making requests such as the translation of tens of thousands of pages of documents into French.

After the film clip, petite Theary Seng came to the podium. The audience paid rapt attention.

Seng has an excellent command of the English language, and her speech was impassioned and deeply-felt, as well as analytical — full of the type of detail that would interest an attorney working through the court system.

The way the tribunal was set up is interesting in and of itself. Rather than try the criminals at the International Criminal Court, the U.N. and the Royal Government of Cambodia set up a special court in Cambodia, which proceeds under Cambodian legal rules. In fact the court is so special that it is called Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, or ECCC. The tribunal was set up specifically to cover “serious violations of Cambodian penal law, international humanitarian law and custom, and violation of international conventions recognized by Cambodia” during the Khmer Rouge reign.

The tribunal does utilize both U.N. and Cambodian judges and key personnel equally. The court decided to try only two categories of members of the regime: first, senior Khmer Rouge leaders; second, those most responsible for atrocities and illegalities at that time. Khieu Samphan’s trial is the second to take place.

Seng was the first ECCC-recognized civil party to testify in the first of the tribunal’s hearings, which she referred to as Case 001, against the most senior surviving leader, Nuon Chea.

Seng very stridently made the point that she finds the structure and many of the proceedings to be flawed. “There are many, many bloody hands, but the court can only provide symbolic justice.” However, she is very hopeful about the proceedings’ potential for making change in the court of public opinion. “It’s a way that we can repudiate the Khmer Rouge publicly, show our disgust,” she said.

She found the existence of the film shown at the outset, and its wide distribution, an example of how the tribunal can make a difference, saying that such publicity can serve “poetic justice.”

And Seng feels passionately that the nation is in need of cleansing, primarily as a way of healing the damage caused to generations who grew up with no parents or with destroyed communities in a country where one third of the population was murdered. She feels it is important that the country engage in dialogue which includes the victims, and wants to see an end to the practice of sweeping that period under the carpet.

She said she feels as if most people of that generation show signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and are dishonored by pretending it never happened.

At one point her staff accused her of “thinking that all Cambodians were mentally ill,” but as more and more of those who lived through the period camd forward, the staff acquired some of Seng’s urgency in seeking justice.

Seng’s strategy is to push for the victims of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge to be admitted as parties to the tribunal proceedings. She vows to continue her struggle to have the victims’ voices heard until national reconciliation is a reality.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

article is well written and I support Theary's idea to have greater witness voice in the proceedings. It does keep annoying me how much she is the focus of her own work, that she would show a clip showing herself during a lecture supposed to be about the court but again, mostly about her. Would be better if she would focus on the work at hand instead of self-promotion.

Anonymous said...

Do you even know what she showed and the context?

She's in many different documentaries, some with other victims.

If she is among her family and friends, a community familiar to her, why would she show clips from other films about other people?

Anonymous said...

Very nice!

Anonymous said...

All the armchair critics stew with envy as Theary goes into the world and makes a difference.

Anonymous said...

Dear Theary,please search in this yutube,perhap the killer of your parent are among them:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42RpbMAeiO4&feature=related

Anonymous said...

a child with make-believes. she is craving for the never ending attention for herself. she even flip flops to suit her position. she has a very bad dis-order for all intends and purposes.

Anonymous said...

Seriously, what can she do beside speaking and protesting?...
I know she has lots of potential. Given that she graduated from a superpower nation, she should be able to use her vast knowledge to help Cambodia at least in term of HR Development. But it haven't look rightly so.
Just one example:
How about just to teach in a local university rather than standing and speaking in front of those who know less about Cambodia? Everyone scream that our local education system is poor in quality and local produced PhDs are nothing but "degree buyers". Yeah, I agree..But here I am not talking about those "Degree buyers"..I am talking about several poor Khmers come from provinces in searching for knowledge.. They need good and quality teachers, professors..But how many western graduates are willing to give them high quality lecture with the cheap price that they pay for their study?...
So far, very few..and Ms Seng is not one of those few.
So, I have to agree with 4:33 PM that what she has done is more on self-promotion..

Anonymous said...

6:17pm,

You seem to be educated yourself...why don't you start to do something for Cambodia for a change! Why don't you just volunteer to teach in Cambodian for the summer or so...that will be good for you to learn more about your motherland as well as the students that you ask Theary to teach!

Let Ms. Theary be what she want to be. She is free to be who she is! Whether she stand in front of thousands of people or defending one Koun Khmer in the village is more power to her. The two things that you mention about Ms. Theary - it should be a mutual inclusive of her activities!

You shouldn't pull Theary down, instead, you should pull yourself up...

Good day made!

Anonymous said...

OoooP! picture again! can she post naked?

Anonymous said...

i think everyone of us who are well-educated should take constructive criticism as a continued learning process, etc... we all can reform ourselves through the analogy or criticism from others. anyway, that said, i admire ms seng theary for her intelligent, ambitious approach to make a real, lasting difference in the cambodia judicial system that hopefully one day will be truly independent and from gov't influence in order to better serve cambodia and the khmer people and citizens there. yes, everyone like her can all help to make a real difference through education, profession and long term goal, etc... may god bless ms. seng theary and her beloved original country of cambodia.

Anonymous said...

OK! she intelligent! but can she cut of the pictures of thousand words?????

Anonymous said...

Dear Friends,
Theary pictures again in KI, well we are talking to cow avoiding self promoted of Ms. Seng too much or Khmer words said "Chak Teuk Leu Kbal Tear"..
May be Doctor Chamtao Theary Seng will be the next Doctor Chantao, arrogance, rock head..
If she also fight hard to unite people against YOUN Khmer lands encroachment and mass killing of K5it might be helpful to her seft promoted too much...

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm Mike, I'm an idiot, please help me, thank you. Mike.

Anonymous said...

what you call "self-promote" comes with education and related work. of course, it is natural for her to promote her work and herself with it; it goes hand in hand, you know! that kind of criticism is more like a personal issue of the critickers e.g. jealousy of others' success, character issues, academic issues, etc, etc. anyway, cambodia and the world for that matter can use more people like ms. theary seng, you know! god bless her.

agree to disagree!

Anonymous said...

some critickers focus more on the technical aspect and appearance, while other focus more energy on their work, education and make a real, lasting difference, etc... i mean, someone has gotten to do it; that's what set a smart, intelligent, ambitious person from the crowd, you know! it's not the job for everybody, really! so, more power to those who are interest in this type of work, etc. good job, ms. theary seng! continue to do god's work and god will take care of you.

Anonymous said...

In U.S in order to sign a retaining agreement with an attorney searching for a competent one to represent you, otherwise time and money waste nothing, here is the typical for qualified attorney backgrounds will be applied in Cambodia KR tribunal court if they are from U.S:
- Pass state Bar Association
- Attorney License
- Experiences
- Expertise (Civil, Criminal Cases, Family law Ect..)
- prior backgrounds of your attorney law firm

- how many cases attorney have been retained and how many cases they WON or Lost.
We knew that Theary graduate from Law school but please do not only show your degree in SROK Khmer please also show Fait Accompli and resolved so far..
Misinformed and sound big hope to be served the less fortunate Khmers to prevent disappointing; in our modern society now we need more open communication to choose at least an average qualified, honest, good ethical conducts attorney to represent the less fortunate Khmers...

Anonymous said...

that's right! everyone of us got to start somehere, somehow, you know. experience is not heredity. if you've been there, you should know this! the difference is she works hard and tirelessly to make a real, lasting difference for the unfortunate people of cambodia. a work like this can take one anywhere in cambodia, you know! plus, why not cambodia because there are a lot of good cases in cambodia that the students in american can gain work experience, work ethics, and so forth from. there are a few ways to abtain college degree, one through practical internship and the other through academic research, etc... so even a highly skilled surgeon has to go through lots of trainings and work experienc, too, you know, before he can train others and gain that reputation of highly experience doctor, etc, you know! same concept with lawyers, and so forth, really! anyway, that's besides the point, ok!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm Mike, I'm an idiot. Please halp me, thank you, Mike.

Anonymous said...

Hello ,I am Mike,
I do not know my wife do not sleep with me ,she call me an idiotic talk shit too much and doing noting at home to help her to run the whore house,yes of course I don't help her one way but I like to help her sex workers instead,I need help.
Mike

Anonymous said...

Theary's fait and her Texts posted in KI since January 2010 at this points raised many questions:

Her "THANK YOU YOUN" as she stated " THANK YOU VIETNAM for Cambodia Liberation "
Was that not a YOUN CAMBODIA VIETNAMIZATION January 7, 1979 ????

- Her Statement about Budhhist offense Buddhism belief which buddhist paths haved been used by Mahatma Gundhi in India, MLK in America and Holy Dalai Lama for Reconciliation and PEACE for Tibet;
Here are a texts in KI:

" reconciliation has a religious connotation to it as well. I think is has been adapted by other religions but I really think that it’s more a Christian concept. I believe Buddhism is a philosophy, first of all; it’s a philosophy, not a religion. In the Buddhist concept everything is based on fate, so why do you need to reconcile if that is just the way it is? I don’t know enough about the other religions to speak on them, but because I know Christianity well, it’s hard to think about reconciliation without thinking of it as a Christian concept, even though it can be implemented and is being implemented in a very Buddhist society".

Just a thoughts

Anonymous said...

Cambodian KR Victims do not want traning attorney to represent them we want to win the cases against Mass Killers including K5 victims of YOuns and Samrin clan too..

Anonymous said...

10:33 PM,

I am not well educated enough like her to teach others, because I am myself a student and I have been living in Cambodia since I was born...So I think I have faced enough hardship in my study. While I see many so called western-educated people haven't done nothing much to help us rather than cursing other people to get money..
Don't worry dude, I love Cambodia more than anywhere else coz I have nowhere to go, if there is a war or fighting again..Unlike some guys who have two or three passports can get rid of whatever happen in Cambodia by just running into their "embassies" or make their way to airport on time..

Dude, I am in Cambodia..and a poor student and hopefully I can graduate soon to teach some Khmer students..
I didn't pull her down..I am not qualified enough to do so...she should know more than I do, given her degree..But it is hard to wake up a person who pretend to be asleep..

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

4:40AM! Keep dreaming, boy! It may never come true to a stupid dude like you!

Anonymous said...

3:14AM! your English is extra supperb for some one who not living in English speaking country!

Hope you can teach all your student to use all the American (idiom?)speaking words!

Sorry with your hight knowledge you have to live under a Dickhead of ah Kwac hun Xen!

May lightning strike the mother fucker soon so people like you can bring prosperity to the country!

Anonymous said...

3:14AM
In your words:
"since I was born...So I think I have faced enough hardship in my study. While I see many so called western-educated people haven't done nothing much to help us rather than cursing other people to get money.."
Very Respectful that you love our motherland and you love your country more than anywhere else;
Pol POT Mass killers and Sen K5 killing innocent civilians also claimed loving their country, Cambodia too.
Many decent people abroad so far share to help Cambodia too and some desire to be retired there but some return home as you knew Cambodia was among 25 countries whose freedom levels plunged in 2010, an erosion of civil righta and political liberties in S.E Asia. The pooer is poorer and the richer is richer...
Many from U.S, European were trying to help Srok Khmers but unabled to choose corruption and GUN ON people head by authoritarian..
In U.S, Khmer american help their family in Cambodia to send annually five hundred millions dollars at least to Cambodia economy.
Many retirees plan to retire in their national origin country, Cambodia, but seeing no progress in legal system, environment, health issue ect...
People abroad appealed to the whole world to help our country by signing petition in 1989 in order to have UNTAC 1993 election and now many nationalists and compatriots have spent times and money appeal to the world to make our country better Freedom and liberty for the unfortunate..

We love our country just like you but we can not accept CAMBODIA VEITNAMIZATION, Chinese or Western Controlling our political and Economical system.

Cambodian People must Rule the Country own destiny and serve its people.
People Power NOT NEPOTISM

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

6:02 am,

You are worst than a dog...the way you speak, I don't think Theary associate with you! Can you find the worst name to call yourself than a dog...let me know!

Anonymous said...

8:19AM,
Sure, just ask your Mama what name she called me when I was banging her behind.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.