Getting Away With Genocide: Cambodia's Long Struggle Against the Khmer Rouge

by Tom Fawthrop, Helen Jarvis

This book covers the history of Cambodia since 1979 and the various attempts by the US and China to stop the Cambodian people from bringing the Khmer Rouge to justice. After Vietnam ousted the hated Khmer Rouge regime, much of the evidence needed for a full-scale tribunal became available. In 1979 the US and UK governments, rather than working for human rights justice and setting up a special tribunal, opted instead to back the Khmer Rouge at the UN, and approved the re-supply of Pol Pot's army in Thailand. Tom Fawthrop and Helen Jarvis reveal why it took 18 years for the UN to recognise the mass murder and crimes against humanity that took place under the Killing Fields regime from 1975-78. They explore in detail the role of the UN and the various countries involved, and they assess what chance still remains of holding a Cambodian trial under international law - especially in the light of the recent development of International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia.

Genres: History

350 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2004

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tough book to read. Not because of its style - I really appreciated the animated way it was written, and the passion behind the points the authors were making. It was tough because it made me so angry and stripped away the few illusions I still had about how things work in the international community. I suppose it was something of a 'coming of age' read. Not that I haven't been aware of how complex and inhumane international politiking can be ... but to have a whole story laid out in this journalistic way, to see the layers of injustice upon injustice upon injustice, perpetrated with such strategic self interest ... I am not talking about the Khmer Rouge, but the UN and the powerful parties within it who contributed to the ongoing culture of impunity within Cambodia following the toppling of that genocidal regime.

Since the book was published there has been only one - so far - conviction by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. When we visited the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh in August there was a significant exhibition about the trial of Kang Kek Lew, known as 'Comrade Duch', who oversaw internal security and the awful S-21 Tuol Sleng prison, as well as prison camps where people were systematically tortured and executed. The Cambodian people seem to be pleased about Duch's conviction and supportive of the trials, though the process has taken so so long and they are weary of it. Only five people have been indicted, and one of those was released this September - 80 year old Leng Thirith - because she is suffering from dementia. Many of the worst perpetrators, including Pol Pot himself, have died of old age in the 30+ years it has taken to reach this point.

On the last page of the book, Youk Chhang of the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, a survivor of the genocide, summed up his feelings :-

"... we still suffer from the legacy of Pol Pot, we have so many terrible experiences bottled inside us. I am not free. The only way to free us is to have a complete accounting, a real justice. Until that happens our psychological wounds cannot be healed. Without justice we will never have peace of mind."

The book finished with the words of S-21 survivor Chhum Mey, whom we met in August when we visited the prison. During an interview about his experiences he broke down in tears :-

"If there is no tribunal I will keep crying until there is a trial. Only then will I stop crying".

So many traumatised people in this world are forced to cry forever or find a way forward in life without 'real justice'. I find myself wondering what 'real justice' looks like, whether we are capable of delivering it for one another ... and what, if anything, can ever be enough to redeem the terrible suffering and abandonment of the Cambodian people.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Ro...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kang_Kek...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.ph...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic...

[Ian McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book a fascinating and, at times, depressing read. I liked that the book didn't cover the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge but picked up the story of Cambodia and the quest for justice from 1979 onwards. The coverage of the international reaction post-1979 and the geopolitical wrangling in 1980s Cold War politics was very detailed and, sadly, embarrassing reading for citizens of Britain, USA, EU member states, China, Australia and New Zealand (to name only a few). My current country of residence, Thailand, also comes out very poorly as the outlines of collusion and support of the Khmer Rouge are outlined. What strikes is the absurdity - but truth - of the Khmer Rouge *keeping* Cambodia's seat at the United Nations throughout the 1980s (and early-1990s) whilst the new government rebuild and sought international aid. The way in which powerful nations politicked to ensure the status quo was maintained, ignoring please from inside the country, and that ordinary Cambodians were denied all of the benefits of full membership of the UN was anger-indicing. Hun Sen's government has gone on to be far from virtuous in its management and governance of Cambodia - and a criticism of this book (published in 2004) is that it is quite sympathetic to him and his government - but the 'what if' question still remains. The UN does not come out of this book well with detailed and fully referenced contradictions of their position well made here by Fawthorp.
Finally, the 'legalese' which is included here is slightly heavy going at times but it is necessary for the level of detail and for the full explanation. I sincerely hope there is a fully updated version of this book with information on the conclusion of the trials (and mainly deaths) of the protagonists. It certainly made me research more on 'what happened next' and it gave a superb insight into Cold War behind the scenes diplomacy - it has been articulated many times before but to see it here in all its distasteful intricacy was a real eye-openner.

[Waylon Cambodia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A scholarly explanation of how the best efforts of the 'free world'[sic] were manipulated first by internal politics and then destroyed by International politics. Hard to find but worth it.

[Lwiza94gmail.Com · Rating 4 out of 5]

The UN failed Cambodia, justice has not been given to the Cambodians. This book has highlighted how human rights is only applied when it favours the UN. It's sick to see how human rights/UN, something we uphold as the holy grail of human laws can be discarded so easily to serve the interests of realpolitik.
Cambodia should have never suffered a day under the KR. It's evident most things that happened could have been prevented if self interest were put aside.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exposes the long an complicated history of getting the Khmer Rouge Tribunal up and running- and of the shameful spoiler roles played by the US, the UN and organisations like Human Rights Watch- the same organisations who now in an Orwellian twist blame the Cambodian Government for all the delays in setting up the tribunal...