Social Needs and Justice Outreach

In the Time of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal:

An International Center for Conciliation-Cambodia Intervention

2007

An Overview of The Social Needs and Justice Outreach Project
of the International Center for Conciliation

Cambodia is a country that very much continues to struggle with facing its past and moving forward and has established an office that operates out of Phnom Penh semi-autonomously.  ICfC-Cambodia is currently working on becoming a registered local NGO in Cambodia and operating in the region as such.  Through our work in Cambodia, ICfC aims to increase the capacity of the older generation of Cambodia that was affected by the Khmer Rouge to discuss and face their personal, regional and national histories and to increase the capacity of future generations to know their history in order to be able to move beyond it. By facing the history of Cambodia that is deeply embedded in conflict we hope to promote sustainable peace in the country.  

Introduction:
Much of the outreach about the justice system in Cambodia—including the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, more commonly known as the Khmer Rouge Trial (hereafter referred to as the “KRT,” “Extraordinary Chambers,” or “ECCC”)—relies on a quantitative perspective.  The priority in these quantitatively based projects is on the number of participants reached by the outreach and not on the extent to which the outreach is relevant and useful for rural Cambodians.  Such outreach programs risk making an inaccurate presumption about how rural Cambodians interpret the concepts of justice, truth, and reconciliation.

This is to suggest that a wide gap remains between the needs of Cambodians in regards to their efforts to deal with the last decades of violent history and current outreach programs designed to educate Cambodians about transitional justice.  Indeed there are no initiatives designed to determine the needs of Cambodians—particularly those living in rural areas (85% of the country)—in regards to how history and justice affect their daily lives. 
In response to this, the International Center for Conciliation-Cambodia created a qualitative outreach program based on a theory of community development where the outreach material and discussion comes from the needs expressed by rural Cambodians themselves.  The major goal of this project is to present relevant information about justice and history to interested villagers and to determine their needs in regards to these concepts. 

The Project Goals are to:

• Understand how Cambodians living in rural and remote areas discuss issues of history and justice in their everyday lives;
• Give rural Cambodians a platform for sharing their opinions about such issues in a safe space;
• Bring the voice of this marginalized population to those authorities and officials in a position to meet their needs; and
• Help provincial non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local authorities meet the needs of their populations regarding efforts to deal with history and justice.

The project has five phases:

• Preliminary research: We conduct ongoing research into the state of outreach about the Khmer Rogue Tribunal to the public.
• Village Selection: The villages that we select for this project are noteworthy for their abnormally high rate of suffering during the Khmer Rouge era (1975 to 1979) and the characteristics of the village chief.  We want to make sure that the background of local authorities throughout the recent periods of Cambodia’s history includes involvement in conflict.  We also work in villages that are located in areas in which we can partner with local community development NGOs. 
• Village assessment: ICfC staff spends two to three weeks in each community acting as a “participant observer”.  Staff lives in the home of a family in the village and spends a great deal of time talking to the villagers and assessing their needs related to justice, history and the ECCC.
• Activity: ICfC staff works with villagers and the local NGO partner to organize an activity based on the needs of the villagers. Activities include (but are not limited to) village-wide dialogues, a visit to Phnom Penh to tour sites like the KRT court, the Tuol Sleng genocide museum and the Killing Fields, and coordinating a visit by government or KRT officials to the village.
• Information exchange, publication, and evaluation: ICfC staff presents public feedback about the KRT to the relevant NGOs and KRT.  We aim to publish three papers per year based on our findings from assessments and activities. These papers include recommendations on how outreach related to the KRT can better fulfill the needs of rural Cambodians.

The Key Outcomes are:

• An initial understanding of needs in three villages regarding to the concepts of history and justice and how these influence their daily lives;
• Feedback from the Cambodian public regarding contemporary justice and history issues such as the ECCC.  Such feedback can be used to inform court officials at the ECCC who lack a clear idea of public attitudes;  
• A series of small reports that will be used to inform relevant parties such as the ECCC, the Ministry of Justice, and civil society organizations about the needs and attitudes of those participants in our village locations (which are starting at 3 for the next 6 months); and
• A network of individuals, organizations, and locations in remote parts of Cambodia where the ICFC has built a foundation of trust on which it can build further projects.

Ampil village located in the Ream Commune of Rameasheak district in Svay Rieng province is the first village that ICfC-Cambodia began to work in.  ICfC staff signed a memorandum of understanding with the Por Thom Elders Association (PTEA), a small local NGO based alongside Ampil village, in May 2007 and began working in partnership immediately. 

The First Ground Preparation Report: Svay Rieng Province
In March 2007 ICfC staff traveled to Svay Rieng province to meet with local NGOs and begin selecting a village in which to work.  After visiting three villages, it was decided that Ampil village would be a great village to work with because of the helpful local NGO that is based alongside the village and has a good relationship with the villagers, the harsh conditions that the residents endured during the Khmer Rouge time and the ability to get permission to work in the area from the local authority.

The First Assessment in Ampil Village: May 23rd-31st, 2007
Two ICfC staff members traveled to Ampil village in late-May 2007 for the first assessment.  They stayed with a host family in the village and assisted the villagers with sowing their rice and working in the fields.  While helping the villagers with their work, ICfC staff listened to many stories about the Khmer Rouge time and what it was like for the people of the village. They learned that the village was also affected by the American bombings as it sits close to the border with Vietnam.  Most of the villagers did not know that the Khmer Rouge Tribunal existed, but they expressed an interest in wanting to know more.  One villager expressed concern that the younger generations will not learn much about history and the Khmer Rouge in their village because a local memorial site was removed and few people know about historical places like Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields.  It was very apparent that people in the village did discuss the Khmer Rouge time amongst themselves and that they did not know about the KRT or any of the sites that exist to memorialize and pay tribute to the tragic time.  It was also overwhelmingly clear that the villagers wanted to learn and see more and work to face history. 

The Second Assessment in Ampil Village: July 4th-8th, 2007
In early July ICfC staff traveled to Ampil village to complete a second assessment.  On this trip to the village, staff heard many deep stories from the villagers about their experiences during the Khmer Rouge period.  Staff was also informed of current struggles that the villagers face to meet basic social and economic needs.  Staff held a meeting with the villagers to determine the activities that they would like to organize.  The villagers named four activities: a dialogue amongst themselves in the village, a trip to Tuol Sleng, the Killing Fields and the KRT court building, a visit from ICfC and KRT officials to show the KRT flip chart and inform them about the structure and activities of the court, and a film screening featuring a film about the Khmer Rouge time.  ICfC staff left the village on July 8th prepared to begin planning for the activities.

The Village Dialogue and Film Screening: August 5th-9th, 2007
After the first assessment in May, ICfC staff was clear that the villagers wished to participate in a village dialogue and in a trip to Phnom Penh to tour Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields.  The first activity, the village dialogue, took place on August 7th.  Two members of the ICfC staff facilitated the dialogue with some assistance from PTEA staff.  Together, the villagers and ICfC staff made local snacks for everyone to make people feel comfortable and further strengthen the relationship between ICfC and Ampil Village.  ICfC staff then set up space for them to gather near their houses.  After welcoming the twenty-five participants, ICfC staff reminded everyone of the goal of the dialogue:  to talk in a safe space and to release stress and pain caused by painful experiences that they endured in their past.  The large group was divided into two groups to allow everyone to have a chance to share their stories. 

Some of the statements from participants during the dialogue that discuss their struggles in their life affected by the Khmer Rouge:

Following the dialogue ICfC screened a film for the villagers.  During the assessments, people in the village expressed that they wanted to see films about the Khmer Rouge.  In response to this request, ICfC staff invited everyone to watch a film about the Khmer Rouge period, “The Past that Cannot be Forgotten” that was produced by the Khmer Institute for Democracy (KID).  During the film all of the participants remained silent.  They did not speak for nearly twenty minutes after the film was over.  When they started to speak, they said that the images in the film reminded them of their painful experiences during the Khmer Rouge and made them feel like it had occurred recently.  After discussing the film, the participants asked questions about the ECCC.  They wanted to know when the hearings were going to start and who was going to be tried: everyone who followed orders or just the top leaders.  The response to the dialogue and the film screening were very positive.  People wanted to participate in more dialogues and they asked ICfC to screen the film again for the younger people in the village to watch and learn from.

ICfC staff arrived to Ampil village on the 30th of August. They spent the next day visiting the villagers who were going on the trip to Phnom Penh.  PTEA staff told ICfC that the villagers had been counting down the days until the trip for over a month!  People were well prepared for the trip; they had their clothes packed in suitcases and fresh hair cuts.  In the morning of the 1st of September, the 18 program participants were joined by others from the same village at the temple for a chanting and praying ceremony. At this time the villagers were thinking a lot about their relatives and friends who died during the Khmer Rouge. They knew that the trip to Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields would remind them of the dead again so they decided to do something to honor their loved ones. In Buddhism, it is believed that people can send food and words to the souls of the dead people through monks so the villagers invited 8 monks to the ceremony and brought desserts and fruit.
Everyone was excited the next morning to travel to Phnom Penh. Upon arrival to Phnom Penh, people checked into a guesthouse and enjoyed dinner and a quick city tour before going to sleep. The next morning started early with a meeting with TPO.  TPO (Transcultural Psychosocial Organization) is an
organization that works in Phnom Penh on many psychosocial issues, including those related to post-conflict situations and trauma.  ICfC asked TPO staff to assist them with the villagers’ trip to Phnom Penh and the events at Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields.  The purpose of the initial meeting was to prepare the villagers for the day of facing the history of the Khmer Rouge and their personal pasts. TPO asked the villagers to discuss what they expected to see and what feelings and emotions they thought they might encounter and their thoughts about how they would handle the deep emotions and the strong feelings. TPO advised that they might get headaches, feel their bodies shaking, start crying and even have difficulty breathing and the staff assured the villagers that these reactions were normal.  They also advised the villagers to remember the present; that they are living in 2007 and the Pol Pot regime is over and that Pol Pot has died.  “Think of the present time and breathe in deeply,” TPO staff said, “Be conscious that all was in the past and that you are living in the present.  You are safe now.” The villagers listened carefully without showing any reaction but signs of acceptance.

Four members of the TPO staff (one French member of the staff and three Khmer) came with the group to Tuol Sleng and they were incredibly helpful in dealing with the emotional aspects of the trip.  A female guide took the group through Tuol Sleng and told stories of the S-21(Tuol Sleng) and the Khmer Rouge time.
The tour was difficult for many of the villagers.  Some participants stopped and sat quietly on the floor after the tour started. They took a short rest and soon joined the group.  It was difficult for the participants to see the torture devices and the many pictures of former inmates that are on display.  O ne of the participants found a photo of her cousin inside one of the old classrooms. She said that participating in many Buddhist ceremonies in the village for her cousin helped her to wish him a good next life with great peace and to feel at peace herself. Inside the museum the villagers also found a photo of the man who was the chief of their commune during the Khmer Rouge.  Seeing his photo shocked the villagers because they remembered him as a very nice guy who helped people in the village.  People felt very sorry for him.
Below are words of the villagers after they visited Tuol Sleng:

“It shocked me to see and hear the stories from the guide about all these pictures. They are so cruel.”

“When I go back to my village, I have stories to tell. I wish the children in my village were able to see these pictures. Then they would believe me.”

“I am sorry to see all of this tragedy. It brought me back of my own experience, but I am glad to see Tuol Sleng with my own eyes.”

“One of my purposes to join the trip was to find my relatives. Unfortunately, I could not find them. My relatives must have died somewhere else.”

“I knew people who were killed during the Khmer Rouge but I did not know exactly how they were killed.  Now I know.”

In the afternoon the villagers and TPO and ICfC staff traveled outside of Phnom Penh to tour the Killing Fields.  A guide showed our group around the site. Everyone stopped at the tall stupa where the skulls and bones of many Khmer Rouge victims are kept. While looking at the stupa, ICfC staff noticed tears in the eyes of the PTEA staff member and some of the villagers.  The PTEA staff member put candies and water on the ground near the stupa to send to the ghosts of the Khmer Rouge victims. She believed that the victims died of starvation and was pleased to be able to give them something to eat. Everyone lit incense in front of the stupa.

The Second Meeting with TPO:

Following the trip to the Killing Fields, everyone returned to Phnom Penh for another meeting with TPO.  TPO staff asked the villagers how they felt after the visits to Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields. They all spoke about their feelings.  At this time they also asked about the Khmer Rouge Tribunal and when it was scheduled to take place and who would be tried.  Below are some of the villagers’ impressions:

In response to the villagers’ interest to see the royal palace, ICfC organized a trip to the Royal Palace Tuesday morning before the villagers had to return home. The king is the most respected person in Cambodia and the palace is known as the most beautiful place in the country. ICfC staff took photos of all of the villagers in front of the palace buildings. They smiled broadly and were very happy to enjoy the experience. They learned many interesting things about Khmer culture and the history of the royal family. 
After visiting the Royal Palace we asked villagers to take a rest under a tree and provide us with any comments and reflections.  Many started by expressing words of thanks to ICfC. They said that they were thankful to learn a lot about the history of the Khmer Rouge time and the violence and tragedy that Cambodia endured.   Some of the comments were:

After the trip, two ICfC staff members traveled to the village to spend time with the program participants and their families and hear how everyone was feeling and observe the impact of the trip on the greater community.
ICfC staff arrived to the village in the early afternoon on the 19th. They stayed at the home of two of the villagers who joined the Phnom Penh trip. Soon after their arrival, they had lunch with the host family and quickly took off by foot to visit the program participants at their homes. 

A Visit to PTEA

In the morning, the next day, ICfC staff walked to the PTEA office to meet up with Mr. Puch Man who is the director of the association. Mr. Puch Man said the villagers were very proud of their trip to Phnom Penh.  They told many people in their village and neighboring villages about their experience.  There was an event at the pagoda after their return with more than 100 people present.  The participants shared their experiences from the trip to Phnom Penh and spoke deeply about overcoming their sad feelings.  They told everyone about how they have now begun to feel better as a result of feeling at peace with themselves and their pasts. They reported that they were thankful to the TPO staff for giving them tips to release their stress and pain and to ICfC for making the trip possible.
Mr. Puch Man said that he noticed a deep change in the attitude of the whole village after they returned from Phnom Penh. The trip broke the thirty years of silence in the village as people returned and started to openly share their bitter past with one another after keeping silent for so many years. 
After meeting, ICfC staff went to have lunch at Uncle Ngor’s home in response to an invitation that they received earlier in the day. Several people attended the lunch and brought delicious dishes!  Uncle Chhoy, the chief of the village came with his wife, and Uncle Chea, Uncle Sakun and his wife came as well.  The family members of Uncle Ngor completed the group.  While eating, people looked through the photo books and talked about their experiences on the trip and the recent reports about the KRT that they heard on the radio.
After lunch, ICfC visited Uncle Sakun’s home. Uncle Sakun and his wife said many people around the village and the pagoda asked them about their trip to Phnom Penh.  All of the people said that they would like to travel to Phnom Penh with ICfC and experience going to Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields.  They said that they also lost their relatives during the Khmer Rouge regime. Mr. Sakun and his wife asked ICfC to show the film about the Khmer Rouge that they showed in August to the young people in the village. They think that it is important for the young people in the village to believe their stories about the Khmer Rouge and that the video will help.  The couple said that the pictures and stories from the Phnom Penh trip helped a lot.
In the evening, ICfC staff was invited to have a dinner at Uncle Pek’s home. His wife Rom, his children and his neighbors were there as well.  Everyone looked through the photos and Uncle Pek and his wife told stories about each picture.
After a good night’s sleep, ICfC staff went around the village and distributed the photos from the books to all of the participants.  They said good-bye to the villagers and departed to Phnom Penh.

The ongoing intervention in Ampil village is proving to be extremely successful.  By introducing ICfC to the village over an extended period of time and through the home-stay system, ICfC staff was able to develop a strong and positive relationship with the villagers.  This allowed ICfC to construct an effective program that had a deep impact on all of the participants and spread to the other people in Ampil village and neighboring villages as well.  ICfC believes that initial goals have been met and we see this through the enthusiasm of the program participants and the words of Mr. Puch Man when he declared that a major attitude change has taken place in the village.
ICfC also recognizes that there is more work to be done. The villagers are anxious to know more about the Khmer Rouge Tribunal as it works to bring justice to Cambodians affected by the Khmer Rouge.  They also want to continue to meet with the organization and participate in dialogue activities.  All of the participants were also quick to point out that other people in their community who were affected by the Khmer Rouge would benefit greatly from activities like the village dialogue and the trip to Phnom Penh. 
ICfC staff continues to visit Ampil village on a regular basis and has started similar interventions in villages in Takeo and Battambang provinces.