Substantive Civil Party Testimony Ends While Procedural Battle Begins

Over the past week, the court in the trial of Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch) received testimony from 16 civil parties. These civil parties represented both foreign and Cambodian nationals. They all lost family members at Tuol Sleng prison (S-21) during the period of Democratic Kampuchea. They represented parents, siblings, cousins, in- laws, and children of the victims. Some of the children never had a chance to know their parents. Several civil parties had themselves been detained and sent to re-education camps during this period. Within that group, some had even joined the revolution and worked for the regime before their arrest and detention.

Despite these many differences, several common sentiments were expressed by the civil parties. They appeared before the tribunal in search of truth and justice rather than vengeance and revenge. They inquired about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of their loved ones. They searched for a rationale to explain these deaths when no justifiable cause existed. Contrary to the old adage that time heals all wounds, the civil parties explained that their pain and suffering only increases with time. As expert witness Chhim Sotheara testified in the morning session, the pain and suffering of the civil parties is a microcosm of the whole of Cambodian society…

Read more: ctm_blog_8-25-2009