Details

Gemeinsam mit der Galerie Meta House veranstaltet die KAS eine Podiumsdiskussion über Kambodscha des Jahrzehnts der verspielten Möglichkeiten in den 1980er als das Land einem Embargo des Westens unterworfen war und die Khmer Rouge immer noch versuchten ihre verlorene Macht zurück zu gewinnen.

Program (only in English available):

“DEBATES AND FORUMS ON THE KHMER ROUGE LEGACY- GENOCIDE,

JUSTICE AND THE KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL”

at PSIS Conference Hall

No. 18 A, Street 370 & 19 E, Street 380

on February 11 2008, 7 PM

SESSION 2 CAMBODIA 1979: After the Khmer Rouge Regime was toppled

Our panel of experts includes those who lived in Phnom Penh during the extraordinary times in the 1980s. Among the issues and topics that will be covered:

1979 -rebuilding a nation from year Zero, a task made infinitely far more difficult by a Western embargo that prohibited any development aid even UN aid from reaching Cambodia.

Efforts to hold the ousted Pol Pot regime accountable for their crimes against humanity

The impact of the continued recognition of the Pol Pot regime in the UN and Western support for the Khmer Rouge against Vietnam.

The Vietnamese-inspired Peoples Revolutionary Tribunal held in August 1979– Was it a ‘show-trial’? Did it have any validity?

The Renakse – known as ‘the million petitions’ from the victims of the Killing Fields –an attempt to draw world attention and end the impunity granted to the Khmer Rouge at the UN.

Schedule

19:00 – 19:05 Greetings by Meta House, Introduction of guest speakers and moderator

19:05 – 19:10 Greetings by Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF)

19:10 – 19:20 Introduction to the topic

19:20 – 19:35 First speaker Pen Samitthy –editor of Rasmei Kampuchea

5 minutes Break for audience reflection

19:40 – 19:55 Youk Chhang director of DC-Cam genocide documentation centre

5 minutes Break for audience reflection

20:00 – 20:15 Chantou Boua executive director of NGO Padek

Some reflections of Chheng Pong former arts and theatre director and at one time Minister of Culture 1988-89

5 minutes Break for audience reflection

20:20 – 20:30 Summary by moderator

20:30 – 21:00 Open group discussion

Short biography of the speakers and moderator:

Chantou Boua (Cambodia, Director of PADEK)

Chanthou Boua was born in Kompong Cham province. After attending Phnom PenhUniversity in the early 1970's she went to Australia, where she gained degrees in economic, education and sociology. She returned to Cambodia for the first time in 1979. After that, she returned to visit and work periodically. She is author of Children of the Killing Fields (University of Wollongong, 1990) and co-author of Peasants and Politics in Kampuchea, 1942 - 1981(London and New York, 1982).

After the formation of the Cambodian government in 1993, she became a Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Women's Affairs of the Royal Government of Cambodia. She has worked on various development programme in Cambodia and has been Padek's Director since 1996.

Pen Samitthy (Cambodia, Editor of Rasmei Kampuchea)

A survivor of the Killing Fields. In 1980 he came from the provinces to work as a reporter on the journal ‘Kampuchea’ and in 1983 he became the editor of ‘Phnom Penh‘ a weekly newspaper. He is the current president of CCJ-Club of Cambodian Journalists formed in the 1990s.CCJ is committed to upholding professional ethics, and strengthening press freedom and responsibility.

Youk Chhang (Cambodia, Director of the Documentation center of Cambodia/ DC-CAM)

Youk suffered under the Khmer Rouge regime and after his family went to the USA. After compelting his studies Youk returned to his homeland to work for UNTAC mission. In 1994 the Cambodia

Genocide project was set up at YaleUniversity. By 1997 its research arm in Phnom Penh - The Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam) became a fully independent body under the leadership of its director Youk Chhang.

Chair person/ Moderator Tom Fawthrop (UK based in Thailand: Writer/Journalist and director of TV documentaries)

Tom Fawthrop first reported from Phnom Penh in December 1980 for the Guardian UK newspaper and has returned many times for UK media. He filmed the documentary “Dreams & Nightmares” covering Cambodia’s dream of peace, but still confronted by the nightmare Pol Pot’s threat to return (1989 Channel 4 UK). In 2004 he published with co-author Helen Jarvis the book ‘Getting away with Genocide?” on the Cambodian struggle for justice since 1979 up the formation of the tribunal.

SPECIAL GUESTS Chheng Phon (Cambodia, Dramatist, Artist)

Former theatre director who led the cultural revival of Khmer art, music and theatre in the 1980s and later became Minister of Culture in 1987-88, Professor Chheng Phon is certainly one of the artists and men of culture in whom Asia takes great pride. In the aftermath of his nation's devastating tragedy,

he played a key role in restoration of Khmer culture and the revitalization of the people's spirit. He is highly acclaimed for his excellent achievements in presenting and compiling theoretical yet practical frameworks for the preservation of traditional culture in Asia.