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Searching for the truth. TABLE OF CONTENTS Magazine of the Documentation Center of Cambodia Special English Edition, Second Quarter 2005 EDITORIAL What Remains to be Done 1 Letters from Youk Chhang: A Role for ASEAN in the Forthcoming Khmer Rouge Tribunal 2 How Did I Survive the Khmer Rouge? 6 DOCUMENTATION DC-CAM Appeals for the Release of Archives for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal 8 Circular on the Preservation of Remains of the Victims of the Genocide 9 Confession Summary : Poul Toeun 10 Confession Summary : Ty Srin 12 HISTORY Buddhist Cremation Traditions and the Need to Preserve Forensic Evidence 14 A Cambodian-Vietnamese Couple under the Khmer Rouge 19 From a Soldier to a Prisoner of the Khmer Rouge 22 A Look Back to the Horrible Past 23 Son Sen, Democratic Kampuchea Minister of Defense, posted along the border of Thailand. He was assassinated in 1997. LEGAL 50 How the EC Can Learn from the ICTR 24 Copyright © 50 Documentation Center of Cambodia 50 UBLIC EBATE P D All rights reserved. 50 Rwanda: Is There a Hope for that Place? 27 Licensed by the Ministry of Information of 100 Trial Agreement Takes Effect 49 the Royal Government of Cambodia, 100 Statement on the Cambodian-UN Agreement 49 Prakas No.0291 P.M99, 100 Statement on Security for Witnesses and 2 August 1999. Victims at the EC 50 100 Victim and Witness Protection 52 Photographs by 100 the Documentation Center of Cambodia 100 FAMILY TRACING and My Father 55 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Black Contributors: Wynne Cougill, Sorya Sim, Savina Sirik, Socheat Nhean, Simon O’Connell, Ah-Jung Yellow Lee, H.E. Sok An, Prum Samun. Staff Writers: Sophal Ly, Farina So, Kalyan Sann. Co-English Editor- Magenta in-CChief: Terith Chy. Editor-iin-CChief and Publisher: Youk Chhang. Graphic Designer: Sopheak Sim. Cyan Distributor: Bunthann Meas. Email: [email protected], Homepage: www.dccam.org SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH EDITORIALS EDITORIAL: WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE To understand what remains to be done to support the collection of evidence needed to convict find justice for the victims of the Khmer Rouge, one the architects of the Khmer Rouge's atrocities - has must try to figure out what has already been done not made any pledges towards the EC. But it has towards the establishment of the Extraordinary expressed its willingness to step in once the tribunal Chambers (EC). This UN-aided tribunal is to try senior proves to be credible. Khmer Rouge leaders and those most responsible However, the Cambodian government for the loss of nearly two million Cambodian lives, announced last month that it could only pay $1.5 and for the unthinkable hardship and trauma million of its expected share and was seeking bilateral experienced by the genocide's survivors. assistance to bridge its $11.8 million shortfall. It First, one should look at two legal documents: then sought help from Japan, which had already the Law on the Establishment of the EC (promulgated pledged the largest portion of the EC's budget. What on October 27, 2004 by acting head of state Chea everyone thought was the last hurdle to the creation Sim) and the UN-Cambodia agreement on the trial of the EC was crossed on June 21, 2005 with the (entered into effect on April 29, 2005) and its budget. announcement of Foreign Minister Hor Namhong After delays of nearly seven years, the legal that Cambodia will use a special fund set up by Japan requirements for establishing the tribunal have been to cover its shortfall. According to The Cambodia fulfilled, as Deputy Prime Minister Sok An announced Daily, on June 22, Hor Namhong announced that on November 16, 2004 and UN Secretary-General "money is no longer an issue," but the government Kofi Annan announced on April 29, 2005. has said that the tribunal cannot move forward until And now that enough funds for operating the the full $56.3 million has been secured and is in the three-year proceedings have been raised, both the bank. Following Hor Namhong’s announcement Japan Cambodian government and UN have announced stated that it will not cover the whole shortfall, and that no efforts will be spared to begin the EC promptly. has appealed for other countries to help as well. The estimated budget for the EC has been set at US When will the delays end? Taking the ages of 50 $56.3 million, $43 million of which will be shouldered the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders into account, it 50 by donors to the UN and the remainder by the is obvious that the EC must begin to operate without 50 Cambodian government. Nearly $42 million has been delay. Everyone agrees that the legal requirements 50 collected from the international community since the have been satisfied, but having all the money for 100 pledging conference held in New York on March 28, the tribunal secured in a bank before the trials begin 100 with the latest contributions coming from France, could prove to be a major obstacle. Once this issue 100 Belgium and Germany. The European Union has is dealt with, the EC can begin to function. We remain 100 pledged $1.3 million, but has not yet confirmed optimistic that this last hurdle can be overcome and 100 whether the money would go to the UN budget that the trials will begin next year. package or the government of Cambodia’s package. 100 If the EU contribution goes to the UN, its full $43 ________________________ Black million share will be met. The United States - which Terith Chy is the co-English editor-in-chief of the Yellow has paid $7 million over the last decade to help special English edition of Searching for the Truth. Magenta DOCUMENTATION CENTER OF CAMBODIA (DC-CAM) 1 Cyan SPECIAL ENGLISH EDITION, SECOND QUARTER 2005 LETTERS FROM YOUK CHHANG: A ROLE FOR ASEAN IN THE FORTHCOMING KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL The quarter of Cambodia’s population killed its own ranks and killing many of its own. by the Khmer Rouge constitutes the largest death Over the next four years, the Communist Party toll in percentage terms of all the genocides in modern of Kampuchea was directly or indirectly responsible history. It has been more than 25 years since the for the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians from Khmer Rouge regime was overthrown, yet not a starvation, disease, overwork, and outright execution. single credible trial of its leaders has been held. Throughout history, other governments have killed Cambodians’ expectations and questions for large numbers of their own people, but none has the upcoming tribunal – which is anticipated to begin approached the almost unimaginable toll exacted in 2006 –differ widely. It is doubtful that everyone’s by the Khmer Rouge. The Nazis, for example, killed expectations for justice can be realized, but there about 6% of the people in the parts of Europe they will nevertheless be tangible benefits to holding occupied, and Rwandans butchered 14% of their trials. While ASEAN’s member states have not made people in 1994. In contrast, the Khmer Rouge were financial contributions to the tribunal, they can still responsible for the deaths of between a quarter and play important non-monetary roles. a third of Cambodia’s population. On April 17, 1975 the Khmer Rouge, which Another distinguishing feature of this period had controlled most of Cambodia’s rural areas for of Cambodian history is that not a single credible trial several years, entered Phnom Penh and completed of its former leaders has ever been held. Members their takeover of the country. Cambodia had been of Hitler’s Nazi regime were brought to justice in the embroiled in a civil war since 1970, so the capital’s late 1940s, and more recently, international tribunals citizens welcomed the new regime, thinking they have been held for atrocities in the former Yugoslavia, would at last find peace for their country. But their Rwanda, East Timor, and elsewhere. But with the elation was short-lived. Within a few days, the Khmer exception of what have been widely regarded as Rouge evacuated Cambodia’s cities and towns, and “show trials” held by the successor government to 50 forced over 3 million people into the countryside to the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s and a few cases 50 labor in the fields and carry out the vision of a where villagers took justice into their own hands 50 completely agrarian society for Democratic Kampuchea. 50 All schools and universities, pagodas and mosques, banks and businesses were forced to close. 100 Freedom of religion, press, private property, speech 100 and movement were eliminated by the Maoist- 100 inspired Khmer Rouge. And with the emptying of the 100 cities came the first wave of killings. Those associated 100 with the previous Lon Nol regime were the first to 100 die. Next came the Khmer Rouge’s perceived enemies: Black supposed members or associates of the US CIA, Russia’s KGB, and the Vietnamese. Later, the regime Yellow Pol Pot and a Vietnamese Delegation (1975-779) turned on itself, seeing enemies everywhere within Magenta Cyan DOCUMENTATION CENTER OF CAMBODIA (DC-CAM) 2 SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH LETTER actions, the prospects for a tribunal for the regime’s senior leaders finally came within reach. Cambodia and the United Nations have nearly completed the next phase of preparations for the tribunal: raising a budget of $56 million. The UN has received pledges for a little over $41 million of the international community’s slated contribution of $43 million. The Cambodian government was to pay $13 million in cash and kind, but belatedly stated that it could only contribute $1.5 million.