Flag this message First Khmer Rouge Tribunal Verdict -- Screening in 7 Provinces

Documentation Center of Cambodia Preparation for Provincial Screenings of the



First Khmer Rouge Tribunal Verdict -- Screening in 7 Provinces



The first verdict of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) will be announced on July 26, 2010. The seven-month trial of Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch for crimes committed in connection with the infamous S-21/Tuol Sleng prison, although limited to one detention site, provided the first opportunity for Cambodians to hear public discussion and debate on policies of the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) period that resulted in the deaths of nearly two million people in only three years, eight months, and twenty days. Thousands of survivors personally attended the hearings and nearly a hundred directly participated in the trial as civil parties. Duch’s confession of his crimes and the Court’s judgment of his actions is meaningful even for survivors unconnected to S-21, as they speak to the responsibility of the many other prison chiefs still living who will never be held accountable for similar acts.



The second trial, or Case 002, although more significant because it will judge the four living senior leaders (Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, and Ieng Thirith) and the responsibility of the DK leadership, is not expected to begin until 2011 and no verdict will be issued before 2012, by which time the four accused will all be in their early to mid 80s. Due to the long delay before the Case 002 trial and verdict, and the uncertainty if all accused will live to see judgment, the verdict in the Duch case will not only be the first legal reckoning for DK crimes, but also may be the only formal accounting of the abuses of that period.



In recognition of the historic significance of this event for all Cambodians, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) will host live and also replayed screenings of the verdict and other films over two days at each of seven provincial locations. Although the ECCC courtroom is the largest of all international/hybrid courts, its capacity is limited to 500 persons, not nearly enough to accommodate all those with an interest in hearing the Court’s judgment. Already the Office of Public Affairs is planning to provide video links on the Court’s grounds to accommodate the overflow. For less expense than bringing 500 people to Phnom Penh, DC-Cam plans to bring the verdict to 300 or more people in each screening location. These screenings will take place either at a pagoda or at a local school. There will also be live playing of the verdict broadcast at two café shops in each province. These small-scale café screenings will allow more people to watch the live broadcast including regular café goers and those unable to attend the large screenings.



Four DC-Cam staff members will facilitate the event at each location and document participants’ reactions through interviews, photographs, and video recordings. Staff will distribute to all attendees free copies of DC-Cam’s monthly Khmer language magazine, Searching for the Truth, and a new illustrated booklet entitled, “Genocide: The Importance of Case 002,” describing the biographies and alleged responsibility of the Case 002 accused.



Due to limited resources the Center has selected only seven provincial locations, chosen because they are the home districts of commune and village chiefs and victims and former perpetrators who have been actively engaging their communities in the ECCC proceedings. The sites are also historically significant.



The seven screening locations by province are:



1. Pursat province: Bralay Rumdeng village, Rumlech sub-district, Bakan district

2. Banteay Meanchey province: Choeung Wat village, Preah Net Preah sub-district, Preah Net Preah district

3. Kampong Thom province: Prek Sbov village, Khum O Kunthor sub-district, Krong Stung Sen district

4. Kampong Cham province: Svay Khleang village/Bram village, Svay Khleang sub-district, Kroch Cham district

5. Svay Rieng province: Thmey village, Svay Chek sub-district, Rumduol district

6. Takeo province: Cha village, Cha sub-district, Prey Kabass district

7. Kandal province: Anlong Pann village, Prek Kdey sub-district, Koh Thom district



The program at all sites will be lead by former KR victims, with the exception of the screening in Kandal, which will be managed by a former S-21 prison guard. The location at Svay Khleang is home to a primarily Cham Muslim population and the screening there will be overseen by a Cham village chief.



Although the Center believes that seeing with one’s own eyes and hearing with one’s own ears is itself a form of justice and therefore plans to bring a small group of 50 to see the verdict in person, it strongly encourages other NGOs to provide similar screening opportunities around the country as a more cost effective way of sharing this event with large numbers of people than bringing them to the ECCC where only limited courtroom seating will be available. NGOs, donors and Ambassadors will be able to assess more accurately the Cambodian public’s response to the verdict if they participate in such local events.



For more information, please contact DC-Cam Outreach Team:



· Overall Project: Savina Sirik, 012-688 046

* Pursat province: Savina Sirik, 012-688 046
* Banteay Meanchey province: Sovanndany Kim, 012-711 123
* Kampong Thom province: Farina So, 012-586 293
* Kampong Cham province: Sayana Ser, 092-763 272
* Svay Rieng province: Bunthorn Som, 012-996 750
* Takeo province: Socheat Nhean, 016-876 692
* Kandal province: Khamboly Dy, 017-883 967



The screenings will be held in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and funded by U.S. Department of States', Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) with the core support from USAID and Sweden. Denmark and Norway provided the screening materials.



THE LIVING DOCUMENTS PROJECT http://www.dccam.org/Projects/Living_Doc/Living_Documents.htm



Independently Searching for the Truth since 1997.
MEMORY & JUSTICE

“...a society cannot know itself if it does not have an accurate memory of its own history.”

Youk Chhang, Director
Documentation Center of Cambodia
66 Sihanouk Blvd.,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia