Uncooked Rice: Justice and Victimhood at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and Beyond

Abstract

This chapter considers how the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, known formally as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), has shaped victimhood in Cambodia. Firstly, it examines the failure of the ECCC to meet victims’ expectations, which led to victims mobilising and working together to publicly voice their protest. It shows that victims were far from a unified group on a number of issues. The non-judicial projects implemented by the Victims Support Section divided victims with differing opinions on appropriate memorialisation. Similarly, victims were also in disagreement on the types of acceptable reparations. With the ECCC unable to provide an adequate forum for the expression of victimhood, the second part of the chapter looks beyond the ECCC. It examines the stories of three different survivors and how they claimed their victimhood without participating as civil parties at the ECCC. It finally explores the work of NGOs and the problem of representing victimhood in the country and how local commemoration and grassroots projects by NGOs provide a community alternative for victims.