Khmer Rouge’s killing fields revisited…

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Neichu D. Angami
The Morung Express (India)

After years of tussle between the Cambodian Government and the International Community led by the United Nations over who should control the Tribunal Court for the Khmer Rouge trial, the UN finally gave the go-ahead for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), in 2005. ECCC is the name given to the joint tribunal. The first person who stood the charge was none other than the chief torturer, famously known as Duch, who was convicted with war crimes and crimes against humanity in March of this year. He is one among the top five infirm Khmer Rouge cadres facing various charges. The verdict of the trial is expected later this year. These cadres under the leadership of Pol Pot are responsible for the death of over 2 million Cambodians between 1975 to 1979.

During the time when I lived and worked in Cambodia, 1997-98, I had great difficulty visiting the torture museum known as Toul Sleng and the famous killing fields. My own closest colleague then, Phana, had lost all her three sons, husband, parents and siblings to the regime and would not bring herself to even discussing the horror of those days, let alone visit the places where it all happened. However, on the eve of my departure after one and half year stay in the country, I felt a strong urge to visit the killing fields not so much to see another genocide memorial museum but more so for the need to embrace the suffering and pain of the people I so very much grew to love and respect. That visit became a pilgrimage for me. Since then, I have been to Cambodia for short visits a few times and I make it a point to return to these places. Last week I made another short visit to the country, just to take a break from work in Myanmar, visit friends and do some touristy things. My friend and I visited the killing fields again. And I felt a difference this time.

Although I am acutely aware of the limitations and the lengthy processes of such a trial, I for the first time, felt that this process may be helping the Cambodians to talk about what happened during the Khmer Rouge regime. I saw young Cambodians visiting the sites, something I have never seen before.

We do not know yet how this ongoing trial will affect the Cambodians. We do know that survivors and civic bodies can file motions through their lawyers and will be allowed to ask questions. Some survivors hope the trials will bring an end to their grief and will lead the country to an era of peace. Most importantly, many hope that the trial will educate the young people about an era they know so little about.

But there has been a set back – a very sad set-back, indeed. Cambodia’s prosecutor opposed a bid to go after more suspects citing the need for national reconciliation. Many critics are aware that there is a political move to stop the court from digging too deep for fear of implicating former Khmer Rouge figures who are active in the government. Another limitation of the court is that it can only try individuals for crimes committed in Cambodia between April 17, 1975 to January 6, 1979 and cannot try countries or organizations.

There is always something new to learn when visiting Cambodia. We were invited to dinner by a former colleague and as we were sharing about our day’s tour of the city and visit to the killing fields, he said, “Oh, you know what?, we found our father after 30 years”. I was stunned. He had lost his mother and brother during the Khmer Rouge regime. He survived with few other siblings. His fathers’ whereabouts was never known as he left the country for business purposes just before the Khmer Rouge took over and they never saw him again. They assumed that their father may have been caught and killed somewhere. However, when the surviving children did return to Phnom Penh after the war, they tried to seek information about their father but to no avail.

Their father escaped the regime and has been coming back to Cambodia for many years believing that at least some of his children must be alive. Last year, through an unexpected encounter with someone who suspected that there could be a relation between the Cambodian man he know in Macau and the guy he met in Phnom Penh, connected them, and the two realized they were father and son separated for over 30 years. ‘I have always written in my bio-data that my father was deceased ’, ‘can you believe it?’ he said. I could see a spark in his eyes. I can only marvel…

‘What do you think of the trial?’ We asked him. ‘Oh I don’t believe it’. ‘It’s a waste of money. I am deeply hurt and I am still bitter. I have had a very difficult life. I don’t believe I will see justice in my life time’. For the sake of this man and millions others who survived but are still bleeding, the world family must seek justice in Cambodia. Can there be reconciliation or lasting peace without justice? Can people heal without being acknowledged of their pain and suffering?

As Walter S. Landor reminds, ‘delay of justice is injustice’.