01.09.2008
August 25, 2008 (the date of publication in Russian)
Ruslan Kostyuk, Alexander Rublev
THE KHMER ROUGE ARE FACING THEIR NUREMBERG
Cambodia is drawing a line under the era of genocide that the United States refused to admit
Today, then the United States and its allies refuse to admit that fact of genocide, committed by the pro-Western regime of Georgia against the people of South Ossetia, we recall a similar collision that took place forty years earlier. In 1979, the army of Vietnam assisted the forces of Cambodian opposition in overthrowing one of the bloodiest dictatorships in the mankind's history – the "Democratic Kampuchea" regime of Pol Pot (Saloth Sar). During three years of their rule, the Khmer Rouge rulers, styling themselves as Communists though educated in European universities, exterminated, according to various estimates, between 3 and 3.5 million citizens of their own country. Only the overthrow of their regime could cease the ruthless social experiment supposed to re-introduce the primordial XI-century agrarian utopia. However, neither the United States nor West European countries would admit the fact of genocide. Instead, they displayed reluctance to recognize the new government of Heng Samrin and Hun Sen that was trying to bring the country back to normal life.
At that time – it is hard to imagine such a combination today – the major Western nations teamed up with China and North Korea in ostracism of Vietnam over the "occupation" of Cambodia. Moreover, Western powers maintained diplomatic relations with the Khmer Rouge-dominated "government of Democratic Kampuchea in exile".
Since that time, Cambodia managed to re-introduce constitutional monarchy, combined with a multi-party democratic system. The elections of this year were legitimately won by the Popular Party of Cambodia, chaired by Prime Minister Hun Sen – the very person whom the global community did not want to recognize, labeling him "a stooge of Vietnamese occupants" for the only reason of close relations between Vietnam and the USSR.
The Popular Party returned to power in late 1990s. In the last elections, it won 58% of the vote. That was natural: Hun Sen's government managed to guarantee the long-expected social stability, finally putting an end to the Khmer Rouge holdouts that continued to terrorize various districts of the country for a decade. Cambodia's economic development is harmonious and stable. During the last three years, it displayed a 10% annual surplus of GDP. Foreign trade turnover has significantly increased, being determined with export of rice and production of light, tobacco, and food industry. The recent price hike for rice was an unexpected advantage for Cambodian peasants and for the nation in a whole, as 80% of Cambodia is comprised of rural population. The country has elevated its role in the framework of ASEAN, attracting more foreign investments.
Social problems are still serious, the monthly income of a citizen not exceeding $60. The steady increase of real estate prices in Phnom Penh (by 100% during the last year) reflects social stratification. Transparency International's indexes feature Cambodia as a champion in corruption.
Still, the population continues to support the government in its economic, as well as social policy. Public polls reflected approval of the government's firm stance in the longtime territorial debate with Thailand. Despite a strong nationalist sentiment, the nation maintains its partnership with the neighboring Vietnam in both military and economic spheres.
Political experts believe that the outcome of the elections rather favored the Prime Minister than King Norodom Sihamoni who acceded to the throne after the abdication of his father Norodom Sihanouk. In this year, the royalist Funsinpec party got only one seat in the Parliament, being surpassed both by the Popular Party and the liberal Sam Rainsy Party.
Safeguarding the nation from new political cataclysms, Hun Sen managed to succeed in the effort he initiated four decades ago: the organizers of the 1975-79 genocide are detained and going to be tried by UN's International Tribunal. Pol Pot's cronies, who were granted high-level acceptance in Washington in 1980s, are facing their Nuremberg. The trial is expected to draw a line under the bloody era of genocide that extinguished every third citizen of Cambodia.
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