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Category Archives: KR Trial

January 7 and the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

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January 7 and the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Ms. Theary Seng, Dec. 2011

January 11, 2012
By Theary Seng
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post

Dear Editor,
January 7 is indeed a significant day for survivors of the Khmer Rouge. It arrested the macabre convulsions that would have swallowed all of us into a hellish hole if the Vietnamese military had not intervened.
It is a bittersweet day of commemoration through invasion.
And now, unfortunately, it is a day propagandised to be solely the Day of Liberation, neatly sweeping away the equally important fact of it being simultaneously the inaugurating day of an occupation that would last for the next decade.
That occupation began with the barricading of Phnom Penh to facilitate the plundering of its wealth by convoys of trucks heading to Vietnam and the mass crimes of the K5 plan.
My hairdresser remembers returning from Battambang to his home in Boeung Keng Kang I on February 3, 1979, only to find that all the wealthy neighbourhoods of villas and jewellery stores were still barricaded off.
It was an occupation cut short only by the meltdown of the Cold War – specifically, the break-up of the Soviet Union, which funded the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia.

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Help me applaud the social-oriented teamwork of Khmer Youth Association in Canada

Posted on by Posted in Culture, Economics, Education, KR Trial, Politics, Researches, Social

Khmer Youth Association of Alberta
7011 Ogden Road SE
Calgary, AB, T2C 1B5
Phone: 403-455-8294
Email: info@khmeryouth.cambodianview.com

October 23, 2011

Dear members and participants;

First of all, I would like to sincerely express my deep gratitude and thanks for your volunteering and attending on the commemoration of 20th Anniversary of Paris Peace Agreement. It is a very successful gathering day. We are very proud on this collective effort to make us more aware and knowledgeable on this day. This 20th Anniversary gathering is mainly expecting to achieve education for our youths, adults, seniors and main stream local people. As a result, every one has learnt a lot from this day. Other goals for us is to ensure that community members have been aware of this day, the United Nations and the government of Canada have persistently paid attention with the current Cambodian government to abide by the stipulations it has signed with the international communities in making this Peace Agreement successful. Among rigorous issues in Cambodia, the need for the genuine democracy of pluralism, the enforcement of the rule of law, the judiciary independence, the sustainable development and the independence of Khmer Rouge Tribunal are imperative for engagement from all signatory countries.

In summary, we are enlightened by the speech by Mr. Doug Page who is delivering a message on behalf of Canadian government. As quoted “Today, Canada and Cambodia work together on a variety of issue, such as strengthening democracy, promoting human rights and rule of law, development cooperation in sustainable economic growth, food security, and global and religion security”; “I am impressed, although not surprised, to see the Khmer Youth Association of Alberta take the time to remember and honour the work that was done to bring about stability, peace and democracy to Cambodia. Although you have made Canada your home, you retain your ties to your first homeland”. Mrs. Amtul inspired us by her thought on the common ground of religion in building peace and understanding. Mr. Roeung greatly reflected on the importance of involving ourselves with politic as quoted “if we don’t do politics, others will do politics; when others do politics, they will take everything away from us”. Mr. Pheng made us clear on the violation of Paris Peace Agreement by the government of Cambodia who has re-instated all illegal agreements made between Republic of Cambodia and Republic of Vietnam during the occupation of Vietnamese troops in Cambodia. Vicheth initiatively called for the attention of Canadian government to open its embassy office in Cambodia, so it could accommodate many Cambodians to easily apply for visa to Canada. Mr. Len reminded us on the importance of engaging with politics by youths of Cambodian-Canadian origin and the narratives of his experiences in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Southeast Asia is very encouraging for all of us. At the end, the Venerable Chief Monk, Preah Krou Keo Hong urged us to commemorate such event consistently and we must unify all Khmers together regardless of Khmer Leu, Khmer Kandal or Khmer Krom in the purpose to rise up the fame and reputation of the Khmer people.

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UN’s briefing today about the ECCC of Cambodia

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TOP U.N. LEGAL OFFICIAL MEETS WITH CAMBODIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  • The Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, Sok An, and Patricia O’Brien, Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs, the Legal Counsel, met on Thursday afternoon to discuss recent developments at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
  • The Legal Counsel referred to the Secretary-General’s strong support for the work of the Extraordinary Chambers. The Legal Counsel expressed concern regarding recent developments at the Extraordinary Chambers.  She reiterated the United Nations’ consistent call upon all persons to respect and support the integrity and independence of the ECCC judicial process.
  • The Legal Counsel strongly urged the Royal Government of Cambodia to refrain from statements opposing the progress of Cases 003 and 004 and to refrain from interfering in any way whatsoever with the judicial process.  She emphasised the obligation of the Royal Government of Cambodia to cooperate fully with the Extraordinary Chambers.

Source: UN Archive

Silencing Cambodia’s Honest Brokers

Posted on by Posted in Education, KR Trial, Politics, Researches, Social
In Paris, the framework for Cambodia’s democracy was a much debated element of the peace accords. That debate led to Cambodia’s Constitution and its guarantee of freedom of association and speech. The proposed law on civil society would deprive these independent Cambodian groups of those rights and undermine much of their work representing the country’s most vulnerable citizens — advocating for their rights and dispensing aid, largely paid for with foreign donations. Most recently, these civil society groups exposed the government’s eviction of the poor from valuable land in Phnom Penh. As a result, the World Bank is suspending all new loans to Cambodia until those made homeless receive proper housing.
I.H.T. Op-Ed Contributor
By
Published: August 17, 2011

WASHINGTON — This year is the 20th anniversary of the Paris peace accords that ended the Cambodian war and any further threat from the murderous Khmer Rouge. It required all the major powers — the United States, leading European countries, the former Soviet Union and China — as well as most Asian nations to come up with an accord, a rare achievement. In a speech last week, Gareth Evans said that during his eight years as the Australian foreign minister “nothing has given me more pleasure and pride than the Paris peace agreement concluded in 1991.”

I reported from Paris on the negotiations, which took several years of convoluted diplomacy since few countries or political parties had clean hands in the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge. When the deal was finally signed in October of 1991 there were self-congratulations all around, champagne and a huge sigh of relief that Cambodia could move on to peace and democracy.

It didn’t turn out that way. Cambodia today is essentially ruled by a single political party with little room for an opposition, has a weak and corrupt judiciary, and the country’s most effective union leaders have been murdered.

That wasn’t the scenario envisioned in Paris. Now, just as 20th anniversary commemorations are approaching, one of the few groups still enjoying the freedoms created under the peace accords are about to be silenced. The government of Cambodia is poised to enact a law that will effectively hamstring the country’s lively civil society and NGOs, among the last independent voices in Cambodia.

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