The
Phnom Penh Post has a blog running to keep track of news coming from the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (
KRT). Today, I caught up on weeks of news. It's been extremely frustrating watching the Tribunal from the outset. It's a joint UN/Cambodian venture, which, from the outset spells a recipe for disaster. The only body I know less equipped to deal with such a venture besides the Cambodian government is the United Nations. Yet, over thirty years later, here we are, trying almost senile old men for genocide. The Cambodian people are barely aware of the tribunal, and the reaction is mixed among those who do. Some want the entire Khmer Rouge era to pass without delay, some want justice for the hardships they endured, for torture, for the deaths of their loved ones. One bit of news stuck out, however, in the never-ending parade of embarrassments for the
ECCC. In an effort to become more connected to the Cambodian People, the
KRT decided to open a Victim's Unit to collect testimony. There's already a wonderful organisation in place, DC-CAM, which, run by Cambodian
Youk Chhang, has collected thousands of victim's testimonials. The Court, in its infinite wisdom, however, decided to appoint a Westerner, Dr. Jarvis, to run the office. Many Cambodians, rightfully, have apprehensions about a woman who never experienced the horrors of Khmer Rouge regime running the office. Most involved believe Mr.
Chhang is far better equipped, who is in addition to being a well recognised scholar of the regime, is also a victim of it. The greater, issue, however, is that Dr. Jarvis is also an avowed
Marxist. That's right. She is a subscriber to the same ideology as the Khmer Rouge. And she is supposed to be the
advocat of the victims of her own philosophy? Just three years ago she was the co-signer of a letter which stated the following:
"We too are Marxists and believe that 'the ends justify the means.' In time of
revolution and civil war, the most extreme measures will sometimes become
necessary and justified. Against the bourgeoisie and their state agencies we
don't respect their laws and their fake moral principles."
I'm not sure what else I can say. I really don't have any idea. If we do not learn from the evils of Leftism and Marxism, history is going to continue to repeat itself. The legacy of this ideology is strewn with the bodies of millions upon millions of its victims. The partially UN-run tribunal is the same UN which continued to recognise the Khmer Rouge as the government of Cambodia for years the
Vietnamese ended their rule, at which time the true nature of their crimes become apparent to the world.
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