Justice for Peace, Unity and National Development

The process of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) to judge the crimes committed in the regime of the Democratic Kampuchea is going on smoothly with the participation of the national and international judges, attorneys and lawyers to bring about justice to victims under the Democratic Kampuchea led by Pol Pot. The historic extraordinary trial will provide to the whole world its lessons learned and experiences; and will strengthen human memories of the atrocious crimes committed by the leaders of a political regime who had betrayed people’s will. Based on it, there will be joint efforts to prevent the renewal of such tremendous tragedy in the world.

Everyone remembers that from 1975-1978 Cambodia plunged into disastrous death row and tragedy never happened in the human history - the dark era when the Cambodian people became slaves and victims of genocide committed by the leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea. For 3 years 8 months and 20 days (from 17 April 1975 to 6 January 1979), those leaders smashed almost completely the country, more than 3 million people were killed and died due to famine, illness, heavy labor, torture and mass massacre. In such severe atrocious situation, not any country, or force or movement responded to the appeal of the Cambodian people who were screaming for help and rescue their lives from that most barbarous regime. It was only the United Front for National Salvation of Cambodia led by the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) who stood up and led struggle with tremendous assistance of Vietnamese volunteering armed forces to topple down the genocidal regime until gaining victory on 7 January 1979.

After the liberation day of 7 January, whilst striving hard to restore the nation and to prevent the return of the genocide, the CPP has actively urged the process to bring about justice to the Cambodian people who had suffered from the genocidal regime. In August 1979, the people’s revolutionary court of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea opened its trial session to judge, with the participation of international judges, a number of high ranking personalities of the Democratic Kampuchea. The process went successfully within the rules and procedures of the national and international laws, but that efforts did not meet with the interests of the United Nations and a number of countries; on the contrary, they supported the murderers staining hands with blood to continue occupying the Cambodia seat at the United Nations and ignored righteous claim from the People’s Republic of Kampuchea. Such false acts encouraged the murderers to continue waging war in Cambodia for another decade. But the truth never loses, the magnificent causes of the CPP has gained continuous successes from one stage to another, whilst any current goes against the will of the people always dooms to failure.

To date, whilst the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia goes on progressively, there is a number of Cambodian and foreign ill will people who boast themselves saying that due to them the ECCC process could go on; they even keep on accusing the CPP that the latter has no willingness in encouraging the ECCC process. Moreover, such ill will circle wishes to push the ECCC process to go beyond the legal framework of Cambodia to reach its attempt expanding the scope of investigation on other target groups who were not the top leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea. The law for the trial rules out very clearly that the ones who should brought to the trial only those who were the top leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea committing crimes in the period between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979; the accused were arrested already by the ECCC with the assistance and cooperation from the Royal Government of Cambodia.

If such attempt achieved, chaos would have arisen and brought about serious consequences to peace, stability, national reunification and development, and stemming from that Cambodia would have to face a new disaster. The ill will circle has never taken into account the interest of the Cambodian people, its ultimate aim is to topple down the CPP, and to use Cambodia to achieve its attempt.

The CPP and the Cambodian People have strived together to overcome uncountable number of obstacles since the fall of the genocidal regime so that the rebirth of the people, the restoration and rehabilitation of the country have been well safeguarded, and hence complete peace, national reunification and development in all aspects are achieved so far. Currently, the Cambodian people live in peace with hope for their future and have made utmost efforts exerting all physical and spiritual strength to build, develop and defend their homeland. We all make resolute determination to safeguard every achievement gained in the last 30 years through untold sacrifice of life and blood by our combatants and people; we oppose all hostile acts ruining the progress of our nation, in particular opposing any attempt through ECCC.

At the recent 34th Assembly of the Central Committee in its 5th Legislature, CPP proclaimed its renewed support to urge the process of the ECCC to final success over the crimes committed by the top leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea. The CPP considers that the result of the current trial is complimentary to the efforts bringing justice to the victims made by the CPP since the fall of the genocide regime.

To conclude, the Cambodian people are in need of justice to strengthen peace, unity and national development, but not in need of any other act causing loss to peace, unity and national development.