The Cambodian genocide
Between 1975 and 1979, the Communist regime Khmer Rouge was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7
to 2.5 million Cambodians. These deaths had a variety of different causes, starvation, overwork, and outright mass murder achieved in torture chambers and killing fields. Tuol Seng was one of the most notorious torture chambers, where an estimated 14,000 victims were killed including non Cambodians (2 Australians). A total estimated 25% of the Cambodian population died during this time of terror.
“One unique aspect of the Cambodian genocide is that the victims and perpetrators were mostly the same people” (Totten, 173). However, there was violence particularly directed at certain ethnic and religious groups, such as the ethnic Vietnamese, Muslims, ethnic Chinese, and Buddhists. As many of half of the Muslims and ethnic Chinese were killed, and there were no ethnic Vietnamese remaining in Cambodia by the end of 1978, all having been killed or part of the 150,000 that fled abroad. (Totten 173).
to 2.5 million Cambodians. These deaths had a variety of different causes, starvation, overwork, and outright mass murder achieved in torture chambers and killing fields. Tuol Seng was one of the most notorious torture chambers, where an estimated 14,000 victims were killed including non Cambodians (2 Australians). A total estimated 25% of the Cambodian population died during this time of terror.
“One unique aspect of the Cambodian genocide is that the victims and perpetrators were mostly the same people” (Totten, 173). However, there was violence particularly directed at certain ethnic and religious groups, such as the ethnic Vietnamese, Muslims, ethnic Chinese, and Buddhists. As many of half of the Muslims and ethnic Chinese were killed, and there were no ethnic Vietnamese remaining in Cambodia by the end of 1978, all having been killed or part of the 150,000 that fled abroad. (Totten 173).
A Current Update
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (Photo Credit: UN News Website)
Sadly, justice has not been forthcoming for the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime’s acts of genocide. “As of
October 2012, the question of whether genocide occurred in Cambodia within the
meaning of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention is pending before the
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)” (Sainati, 161). The debate rages on about whether or not the term genocide can be broadened to
include mass killings of political groups. Only five to ten trials will be allowed to take place, due to severe restrictions negotiated by Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander (Roasa, 2). The focus is on major leaders and those who orchestrated policies that led to the murders. Pol Pot, the infamous Khmer Rouge leader, died in 1998, but will not be symbolically placed on trial.
The United States has recently made major symbolic diplomatic efforts to
reach out to Cambodia, the most recent being President Obama’s visit and the US Defense Secretary’s visit that could be interpreted as a reaffirmation of military ties. During the Defense Secretary’s visit, he cautiously emphasized U.S. commitment for “the protection of human rights,” rhetoric that some human rights groups might say is empty considering the fact that Prime Minister Sen’s record is being largely ignored. “A Human Rights Watch report released this week recounted numerous killings of labor leaders, journalists and opposition leaders in Cambodia over the last 20 years” (Bumiller, Elizabeth). The U.S. concern for Cambodia could be interpreted as a political move aimed at countering China’s influence, and only serves to drive home the real and sad fact: “geopolitical concerns have a great impact in shaping responses to serious violations of human rights than do humanitarian concerns about the welfare of human beings” (Totten, 174).
The most recent ECCC (Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia) decision was made in February of this year, and Comrade Duch( who led the infamous torture prison Tuol Seng) was sentenced to life in prison. He is the only senior Khmer Rouge leader to be formally convicted and sentenced.
-Raquel Levy
Works Cited:
Bumiller, Elisabeth. "U.S. Reaffirms Military Ties To Cambodia." The New York
Times. (November 17, 2012 Saturday ): 567 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2012/12/04.
Roasa, Dustin. "Cambodia: At Last, a Tribunal for Khmer Rouge Atrocities." The American Scholar. Phi Betta Kappa Society, Autumn 2007. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.
Sainati, Tatiana E. "Toward a comparative approach to the crime of genocide." Duke Law Journal Oct. 2012: 161+. Academic OneFile. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.
Totten, Samuel. Teaching about Genocide: Issues, Approaches, and Resources.
Greenwich, CT: Information Age Pub., 2004. Print.
October 2012, the question of whether genocide occurred in Cambodia within the
meaning of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention is pending before the
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)” (Sainati, 161). The debate rages on about whether or not the term genocide can be broadened to
include mass killings of political groups. Only five to ten trials will be allowed to take place, due to severe restrictions negotiated by Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander (Roasa, 2). The focus is on major leaders and those who orchestrated policies that led to the murders. Pol Pot, the infamous Khmer Rouge leader, died in 1998, but will not be symbolically placed on trial.
The United States has recently made major symbolic diplomatic efforts to
reach out to Cambodia, the most recent being President Obama’s visit and the US Defense Secretary’s visit that could be interpreted as a reaffirmation of military ties. During the Defense Secretary’s visit, he cautiously emphasized U.S. commitment for “the protection of human rights,” rhetoric that some human rights groups might say is empty considering the fact that Prime Minister Sen’s record is being largely ignored. “A Human Rights Watch report released this week recounted numerous killings of labor leaders, journalists and opposition leaders in Cambodia over the last 20 years” (Bumiller, Elizabeth). The U.S. concern for Cambodia could be interpreted as a political move aimed at countering China’s influence, and only serves to drive home the real and sad fact: “geopolitical concerns have a great impact in shaping responses to serious violations of human rights than do humanitarian concerns about the welfare of human beings” (Totten, 174).
The most recent ECCC (Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia) decision was made in February of this year, and Comrade Duch( who led the infamous torture prison Tuol Seng) was sentenced to life in prison. He is the only senior Khmer Rouge leader to be formally convicted and sentenced.
-Raquel Levy
Works Cited:
Bumiller, Elisabeth. "U.S. Reaffirms Military Ties To Cambodia." The New York
Times. (November 17, 2012 Saturday ): 567 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2012/12/04.
Roasa, Dustin. "Cambodia: At Last, a Tribunal for Khmer Rouge Atrocities." The American Scholar. Phi Betta Kappa Society, Autumn 2007. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.
Sainati, Tatiana E. "Toward a comparative approach to the crime of genocide." Duke Law Journal Oct. 2012: 161+. Academic OneFile. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.
Totten, Samuel. Teaching about Genocide: Issues, Approaches, and Resources.
Greenwich, CT: Information Age Pub., 2004. Print.