Daniel Schearf, VOA | Phnom Penh
"We didn’t expect much from the Cambodian officials but we expected a lot more from the United Nations."
The United Nations-backed trial of former senior Khmer Rouge leaders in Cambodia aims to bring some degree of justice after decades of impunity for their bloody revolution. For the victims, the trial has re-opened painful wounds but also brings hope for healing.
Kup Aishah, a minority Cham Muslim, turns the pages of a large-print copy of the Koran.
Wearing a traditional navy blue headscarf she fondly recalls how she has had this Koran since she was 12 year old.
During Cambodia’s bloody Khmer Rouge era in the 1970s, when religion was outlawed, she wrapped it in plastic, dug a hole in her yard and hid it.
Kup Aishah says she was targeted for her beliefs and forced to eat dog meat and pork. She only dared to unearth her Koran after the end of the Khmer Rouge.
She says it is difficult for her to talk about the communist extremists, because in their fervor to form a peasant utopia they killed most of her family.
She asks if the families of those leaders were killed, would they not suffer? Did they not have families too?
Kup Aishah is attending the long-awaited war crimes trial in Phnom Penh of four former Khmer Rouge senior leaders whose policies she, like many, says directed the killing of up to two million Cambodians.
They are Khieu Samphan, then head of state, Ieng Sary, the foreign minister, his wife, Ieng Thirith, who was minister of social affairs, and Nuon Chea, known as “brother number two” for his position as second in command to Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot.
They say they are innocent of all charges and Prime Minister Hun Sen, himself a former Khmer Rouge, has said the trial, only the second, should also be the last.
Theary Seng is president of the Association of Khmer Rouge Victims in Cambodia. Outside of the tribunal Monday Seng said the United Nations-backed court - in resisting new cases - is giving in to his government’s pressure.
“So, this is what is really unacceptable and disgusting. The U.N. is basically violating its own principle of international standards, its own principle of judicial independence," he said. "We didn’t expect much from the Cambodian officials but we expected a lot more from the United Nations."
Several foreign staff at the court in June quit their jobs over the conflict. Court officials deny there has been any political interference.
On the first day of the trial Monday, hundreds of people filed in to watch the proceedings, including Kup Aishah.
Whether or not more leaders are brought to justice, it is clear that thousands of lower-level Khmer Rouge responsible for killings will never see trial.
But critics agree seeing any of the Khmer Rouge leaders in court after so many years is still a step forward in helping their victims to heal.
For Kup Aishah, she says there will only be justice if they are all found guilty and spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
2 comments:
i believe in the process, of course, it will open old wounds; however it is a necessary procedure in order to set forth good governance and the use of rule of law in cambodia and khmer society from now on into the long future ahead of us. i hope the UN and the superpower nations will help cambodia push this forward and find real justice for all the KR victims. we have to know and understand the truth, why the KR did what they did, etc. of course, there will be blaming game and finger pointing everywhere, however that shouldn't deterred us from pushing it forward in the name of justice, education, prevention of future atrocity, etc, etc... cambodia needs the UN and the superpower help to carry on this court process. please help cambodia through this, it is the least the UN and the superpower nations can do after causing cambodia to suffer so much in the past. it is for humanity as well and good governance and rule of law, etc in cambodia. may god bless cambodia.
Mr Sam Rainsy, Why don't you sue PM Hun Sen as you promise to us Cambodian people and your true supporters?
Are you tried to bargain or negotiate with PM Hun Sen again like 2005 lawsuit at America??? Why?? Why??
We want to see Mr Sam Rainsy act as he said to sue PM Hun Sen in every democracy Countries court of justice around the world.
We want the results as transparency, from your progress in suing PM Hun Sen in every court of justices!!!
We are Cambodian people afraid that you are just using the lawsuit to scare PM Hun Sen than when PM Hun Sen gives you (Mr Sam Rainsy) green light. You again, hang your Lawsuit like 2005.
Mr Sam Rainsy, You must do as you said, otherwise you the same as Mr Kim Soka.
Mr Sam Rainsy, where are your law suit VS Hun SEn in America Court of justice? We want to see and hear the stories transparency because we afraid that you are just try to bargain with Hun Sen like 2005 again.
We Cambodian people as well as your supporters are waiting to see your real action in suing PM Hun Sen (In America Court of justice, all countries’ court of justice in Europe, Japan Court of justice, Australia Court of justice, New Zealand court of justice, Canada court of Justice, UN court of justice, World Human Right court of justice, NATO court of justice…) as you Mr Sam Rainsy said.
Mr Sam Rainsy must do as you said OK. Don’t you dare to bargain with PM Hun Sen like 2005 again?
May be you can’t be Prime Minister of Cambodia because of unfair election as 5-6 million Vietnamese votes for Hun Sen and Hun Sen add up his cheating skill in every election but you can be a great Khmer Hero by suing PM Hun Sen about the facts that he has done to Cambodia and Cambodian people so far.
If you Can’t be Prime Miniter due unfair election all the times but Mr Sam Rainsy, you can gives a great stain to PM Hun Sen and CPP Vietnam slave about their crimes against Cambodian people since 1970 until today.
Mr Sam Rainsy What are you waiting for, sir ? PLease do it for the khmer victims and khmer nation ?
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