Since I started writing columns exactly a year ago, all but one has been political-I took a break to explain a recent medical diagnosis in September (things went extremely well). But don't worry; I didn't stray too far-still relating the disease to my ethnicity and the political ramifications of being adopted. I have written about the significance of political framing, boycotting the Beijing Olympics and Putin's consolidation of the media in Russia. The rest have been a plethora of human rights advocacy as if I were working for Amnesty International. Well, hallelujah, looks like my columns paid off. Okay, not really-I highly doubt that Ban Ki-moon picks up The Student and leisurely glances over the op-ed page. Nevertheless, voices have been heard and victims' prayers are answered. Feb. 17 marked the day of the first trial of five Khmer Rouge officials who perpetrated and committed atrocious crimes against humanity three decades ago.
At least 1.7 million Cambodians lost their lives from the brutal communist regime led by Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot when they stormed the country in 1975. Some reports estimate that up to a one-third of Cambodia's population fell to the hands of the Khmer Rouge. The five on trial (Pol Pot died in 1998) are senior officials of the insurgency, each responsible for their own share of massive graves. The first defendant, Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, and commander of the Tuol Sleng prison, sent at least 14,000 to their death according to The New York Times.
The UN-backed Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), a hybrid tribunal including international and Cambodian judges has already faced several allegations of political corruption since the beginning of Duch's trial. Backed by influential donors such as the United States, Japan, Australia and France-the ECCC depends on donor money to support its operations. According to Human Rights Watch, the slightest hint of corruption or political manipulation will undermine the effectiveness and credibility of the court.
While no one wants to see the trial debunked by scandal, this tribunal represents justice and hopefully retribution for the millions who died and the handful of survivors. It symbolizes that the global community can work together to prosecute international criminals. No trial is ever perfect-ever seen "Runaway Jury?" After all, the U initially opposed a tribunal encompassing Cambodian judges. Apparently they're corrupt with low professional standards. Sound familiar?
Duch may be the first, but he won't be the last. The other four trials are reportedly scheduled for next year. This may not be an ironclad system with perfect judges, but this is a system. It's a full working, operating tribunal pledged to prosecute flagrant war criminals who have inflicted suffering on men, women and children. This system is the best we have at this moment. Let's embrace this moment and let the past reconcile with the present.
