Last week, the Trial Chamber heard the testimony of some of the few survivors from Tuol Sleng prison (S-21) in the trial of prison chief Kaing Guek Eav (a.k.a. Duch) currently underway in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). Toul Sleng was the notorious detention center in Phnom Penh during the Pol Pot regime where tens of thousands of Cambodians, mostly intellectuals, met an untimely death after being subjected to gruelling torture. Many of witnesses broke down in tears when trying to recount the grisly details of their time spent at the prison, and were asked by the Trial Chamber President to calm down.
These proceedings are monumental for the history and the future of Cambodia, as many of the younger Cambodians know nothing of this traumatic part of Cambodian history, as it was not taught in schools. They heard whispers of it from their elders (those who survived - a large proportion of the poplation having been wiped out in the killing fields - over 50% of the population is under 17), but never knew for sure if any of this was true. This silence and denial (amongst other things), enabled former Khmer Rouge to rise to high positions within the government, many of them still hold government posts today. The nation has long lived in the shadows of this dark past, and now - finally - the time has come to shed some light on it.
To learn more about the Court and the court proceedings, click on one of the links below:
www.eccc.gov.kh
http://www.cambodiatribunal.org/
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/component/option,com_myblog/Itemid,44/
1 comment:
very good post! thank you! I read a short article in the NYTimes about one survivor giving testimony but there was very little other detail.Good job!
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