Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge – Part III: Crime without Punishment

After the death of Pol Pot and the implosion of the the Khmer Rouge, a revival of national culture and religion took place in Cambodia. Still, the hideous actions of the Khmer Rouge remain vivid in the nightmares of Cambodian families. As organizations such as the Documentation Center of Cambodia are still searching for the remains of thousands of victims in mass graves, its crucial to pay attention to the atrocities of Democratic Kampuchea and to bring its criminals to justice. This episode brings out the painful heritage of the Khmer Rouge and the complexity of the contemporary political situation in Cambodia.

Scenes

National culture day Cambodia 1999

This clip contains images of the celebrations of National Culture Day on 3 April 1999 with king Sihanouk.

Hun Sen visiting rural Cambodian population

Here, prime minister Hun Sen is seen visiting peasants in the rural areas of Cambodia.

Investigation by Cambodian Documentation Center

The Documentation Center of Cambodia is working hard to get as much prove against the Khmer Rouge as possible. Here, the team is investigating a temple once used as an interrogation center by the Khmer Rouge. The director of the Center hopes the former leaders of the Khmer Rouge will be brought to justice in a trial.

Death of Pisith Pilika

Famous actress and dancer Pisith Pilika was assassinated in 1998. This clip contains a fragment of her cremation ceremony.

Looting temples and corruption

Here we see the illegal trafficking of looted temple statues in Cambodia. It is clearly difficult to fight corruption even though checkpoints are installed.

Government and corruption

The feeble system of government since 1993 is making it difficult for the Cambodian population to trust the government. We hear the prime minister Hun Sen, as well as king Sihanouk opinion on the crimes of the Khmer Rouge.

Kieu Samphan and Nuon Chea in the 90s

In 1991 ex Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan was almost lynched by angry Cambodians. Later, he returns to Cambodia with Nuon Chea. The footage shows both ex Khmer Rouge leaders making statements about the past, but they also talk about the prime minister Hun Sen.

Temple next to mass grave

This pagoda, built next to a Khmer Rouge mass grave, keeps the bones of the victims of the extermination center ‘Crows Beak’. A venerable who works there is explaining why people visit the temple.

Khmer Rouge: Cambodians traumatized

The traumatic past of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975-1979 has left deep wounds in the lives of the Cambodian people. In this clip, we see how these people try to cope with their emotions and psychological problems.

Office of War Crimes Issues about Cambodia

The Office of War Crimes Issues in the United States was formed in order to bring the Khmer Rouge perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide to justice. The clip includes the statement of ambassador David Scheffer about the period after the Vietnam War, as well as other prominent people such as Hun Sen.

Trial against leaders Khmer Rouge

The Documentation Center of Cambodia, Madeline Albright and Hun Sen all stress the importance of bringing the former Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. One of the former Khmer Rouge leaders, Ta Mok, was arrested. However, will there ever be an international tribunal?

Ieng Sary

As a former Khmer Rouge leader, Ieng Sary is once again a political figure in Cambodia. How does he look at his past? Here, he talks about the actions of the Khmer Rouge.