Final days in Phnom Penh - By Faith Savoie

Our trip to Thailand and Cambodia was almost over just when I had finally adjusted to the time difference. I woke up earlier then usual and used the extra time to reflect on what I had seen, witnessed and participated in over the past few weeks. Yesterday had been difficult and emotionally draining. The morning had started early for me, and came too soon for others.

It was about 2:30am when I woke up and at first I thought it was time to get ready. However, the sky was still dark and realized that I had woken up because of the loud voice outside of our hotel. I could hear muffled screams or yelling in the background, but the voice over the loud speaker was making it difficult to make out what the other voices were. I turned around to see if Ashley had been awoken by the noise outside. Ashley had tossed around earlier so I leaned over and woke her up. “Yeah”, she said in a groggy voice and I asked her if she could hear the noise, which felt like it was right outside of our window. She sat up, listened briefly, and said she could hear something but turned back into the sheets and fell back asleep. By that time it was about 3:30 in the morning and I was jealous that Ashley could sleep through all of the noise outside.

I looked out my window and tried my best to see if I could see anything in the dark. It wasn’t very successful because I had taken out my contacts and I can’t see anything far away. Yet, I did notice that there were no headlights on the street next to our hotel and I thought I could see people walking down the road. I didn’t know what to make of it. Were they celebrating the Chinese New Year? Do Khmer people stay out late on the week days and not the weekend, I didn’t get it. The voice was still speaking in Khmer over the loud speaker and I still couldn’t make out the muffled voices in the distance. All of a sudden it seemed as if the voice was getting louder and the music came on and the voice stopped. The Khmer music played over the loud speaker until the sun came up, and then it stopped.

I wasn’t able to fall asleep so I just laid there waiting for the alarm to go off, the music and voice to stop and for Ashley to wake up so I could complain a little. As soon as she woke up, I told her about what I had heard and had seen and was amazed that she had slept through all of that. We made our way downstairs for breakfast and noticed that our hotel was busier then usual. In my mind I thought something was taking place for the Chinese New Year so I didn’t stop and take my time to look at the people who had wandered into our hotel. Ashley and I walked outside to a rather chaotic scene. One of the main roads had been barricaded and closed out to the public and only police and military personal were allowed to enter and leave. What was all of this? People had gathered up and down the streets and were pressing up against the barracade to try and get a closer look at what was happening down the road.

In the crowd of people, I saw journalists, people wearing different color vests and each person wore a distinct look of disgust on their face. I turned to Sarah and Brandon and asked if they knew what was going on and Sarah just looked at me and said, “It’s a humanitarian disaster”. What did she mean by that? I looked at Brandon and he said that they were evacuating the “slum” on this street and that was all that he knew. I ran up stairs and grabbed the flip camera and made my way into the crowd with Ashley and started to talk to anyone and everyone we could to try and understand what was going on.

From the short time that we had outside until we got on our bus and made our way to S 21 (the genocide museum) and then the killing fields, we had gathered several short interviews and a great deal of facts on the situation. The situation had come to the end. The people in that area had been negotiating and fighting with the government for rights to the land, compensation if they moved, and where they would be moved to. Basically the government ordered the families there to pack up their belongings on a truck and then they would be taken to another area where they could rebuild their homes and such. However, some of the human rights observers mentioned that the military and police had been using mild violence to move the families and that many families would not see any form of compensation. I realize situations like this happen all over the world and that some of the biggest cities in the United States were built this way. However, it’s always shocking to see something like what these people were going through.

We gathered everyone in our group and got onto the bus to meet Emma at the genocide museum. We took a detour since the road we had used yesterday was blocked off and made our way around the crooked streets and torn roads. We arrived at S21 and immediately I felt a chill come over my body. As we made our way into the museum, Emma described the history, set-up and purpose of the torture center. Even though I was in front while Emma was speaking, I couldn’t pay attention to what she was saying. I didn’t want to listen anymore about the torture and cruelty that took place here. It had only been about 10 or 15 minutes and already I had a knot in my stomach and a strange feeling about the museum. She lead us to an area where there were a dozen or so white stones and she told us that only 14 deaths occurred at Tuol Sleng. When the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia and pushed the Khmer Rouge further north in Cambodia, the cadre left the prisoners in the rooms. By the time the Vietnamese army arrived, they 14 prisoners had been tortured so badly that they died before they could be liberated. A photographer had been traveling with the Vietnamese army to record the first entry into Phnom Penh since the Khmer Rouge had evacuated everyone out.

He took the photographs of the tortured prisoners and those photos are placed in each room displaying how the bodies were found. Personally, I don’t have the stomach or the words to describe to you what those pictures looked liked. I only saw a few before I was overcome with emotion and just needed to step outside for some air. We continued to make our way around the museum, but had been delayed several times because of the French group that was in front of us. Emma showed us the rooms with all of the pictures of the victims and the cadre and the youth soldiers. She showed us the rooms where the prisoners were kept and what they had been strapped to the floor with. One of the most disturbing things about that part of the museum is there is still blood on the floors and walls from the prisoners who were held there. We took a quick look upstairs and looked out onto the grounds of the former high school through the holes in the barbwire fence. We made our way downstairs, discussed briefly what we had seen or felt (briefly discussed because not many people in the group wanted to talk about what they had seen) and went across the street to a restaurant operated by street children.

Lunch was a relief for me because it gave me an hour or so to put Tuol Sleng in the back of my mind and try to comprehend what I had just seen. By the time I could even start processing what I had seen, it was time to go to the killing fields. The drive to the killing fields was short and we were given time to walk around and reflect about the time we had spent at the museum. As I made my way through the paths surrounding the holes were hundreds upon thousands of bodies had once be tossed away like trash, I noticed something coming out of the ground near a tree. Was I really looking at human bones coming out of the ground? I had not been prepared to see something like that while I was here. I turned around and made my way back to the bus, trying to erase an image that would be burned into my memory for a very long time.

A Moment in Time or Future Foothold? Time will Be The Greatest Determinant Of That Fork In The Road.

**The following entry is solely founded on personal reflections, thoughts and insights. It is no way indicative or representative of the group as a whole, nor is it a means of explaining or defining the trip for any other person other than myself.***

It's rather difficult to assess what defines a particular trip or a particular moment in time. For some it's a compilation of all the stories heard, all the people interchanged and all the roads paved, within a particular time that begins to define the life spent in one particular locale. Yet for others, the definition lies within the symbolism they find in the nature of the land, the spirit of the people, the work, both unrealized and successful of board members and grassroots players alike, and the empathy within oneself, as they slowly find a way to dissect everything that a populous has lived through and all they are able to learn about themselves in that time. Even for others, it is not enough to journey to unfamiliar territory and attempt to embed oneself in the life and culture of the place around them, but more so, there must be a time to reflect, ponder and assess all the little things that slowly filtered into one another that laid a foundation for a truly defining excursion to land unfamiliar and a people foreign and new. However, whatever the journey means to one person most likely than not, like most things in this life, it simply does not mean the same to another.

Similar to most defining instances, although two people cannot truly occupy the same space, two people can experience the precise and exact same moment in time and the same second of action or inaction, yet come out the other end with two completely polar perspectives, reactions and definitions of truth, justice, reconciliation, and reality. Therein, we are left to dissect this journey to Thailand and Cambodia (even Vietnam & Korea) and find a way to define not only what it has meant to each of us individually, but also, what is has meant to us collectively. Even far greater, we are left to dissect what it has meant for us as both human beings occupying space in this world and what it will mean to us professionally in our quest to secure our foothold in this vortex we call life.

As I reflect on the journey and what I am able to take from the trip to the Southeast, I am still at a loss for what this will mean for my future: will it be a defining mark on my professional journey or simply a reflection on time spent in a Southeast Land during my academic career? One the hand, there is the very real possibility that this trip with all its’ frustration and education alike will simply be a small spec on my personal journey that will be a token of reflection in regards to a trip I took during my last few months of school. Yet, on the other, there is heartily the potential for this to be a stepping-stone of professional recognition and direction, in whatever capacity and avenue that may be, that I needed in order to channel my energy in the direction where I find myself to be the most useful. The hope, of course, is for the former to become realized.

In retrospect then, I have come to realize that this trip was much more than shopping, tuk-tuk’s, monks, palace, slum evacuations, tribunals, government officials and NGO meetings. It was more than a testament to personal will and preservation in calculating how long a person is able to go without screeching out in frustration over recycled clothes, tangled and oily hair, lack of personal space and sleep deprivation. If anything, and in the purest of terms, this trip was. Even in it’s simplest terms, it was under the veil of an educational case study designed to present us a coversheet perspective of both the successes and failures of peace-building from the bottom-up and vice-versa and the preserved and broken relationships embedded within that umbrella. It was a trip defined by the caveat of “let nothing surprise you, but hope that some things still shock you.” And ultimately, it was trip that will forever be left to us to constantly redefine and reassess.

As we all begin to reintegrate ourselves into a semester of reading assignments, presentations and midterms, we will come to a sense of perspective about what we choose to take from such an endeavor. Whether we see it as an educational experience for which it was intended, i.e. an opportunity to grasp the challenges of peace-building, or whether we see it as small foothold in the greater picture of what professional direction we choose to follow, inevitably it will mean something to us all. And, only we can answer those questions. As for me, I have yet to devise a game plan for what parts of the trip I will use and what simply are. In my mind, I must truly understand, comprehend and evaluate the trip as a whole in order to understand what role it will play in my broader scope of professional existence. But, as I reflect and attempt to assess and evaluate such a daunting ideological stance, I am simply left with the idea that perhaps neither today nor next year will I truly comprehend the place this trip has for me.

Ultimately, whether that message is vocalized or not, I have faith that in the most convenient of definitions and in the simplest and most influential manner possible, that the true vision I need and blueprint I hope to devise, will avail itself in either in collaboration or in competition with this trip. In the end, I hope to somehow and someway have a secure foothold, either with a pen or shovel in hand, or possibly alternating between the two, as a result of the days spent learning and listening to the voices and the echo’s of the Khmer people, evaluating and questioning those who choose to find a way to impact these lives, of walking away from the stale aroma of dried blood in S-21 and the killing fields, and for better or worse, day in and day out, of being reminded of how the other half of the world lives and in what capacity they are still able to find their smile and the personal fortitude to rebuild their lives.

Cambodia: A final reflection

I read some where that when you go to Phnom Penh you both learn to love and hate the city. To be perfectly honest, my feelings about this broken, yet hopeful, city reside some where in the middle. It holds an incredible amount of some of the most gruesome history belonging to the Khmer people and at the same time it represents how the city, much like the Khmer people, are trying to rebuild what was taken away so many years ago. The Killing Fields and S-21 constituted the backdrop to the several NGOs which are attempting to bring some sense of justice, reconciliation and even peace to a culture of silence that yearns to be broken. Our visit to the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies began with a much welcomed and in-depth historical background of the conflict and subsequently touched on a critical insight about the Khmer culture, namely the important role of symbolism. Once you can understand what symbolism means to the people you can understand that what from an objective point of view might look like a disconnect from history, is in actuality peacebuilding at the grassroots level - a la Khmer.

Not realizing my own sense of ignorance, I walked in with my own notions of what peacebuilding should look like and was taken back once I heard Emma talk about how the Cambodians were slowly but surely finding creative methods to reconcile their past. I tried to take this perspective with me when we went to visit the tribunals. The tribunals as a concept, however, proved to be a point of contention, not only among the Khmer people, but among our group as well. The last question to the Court Officer (who was delivering the presentation about the tribunals) asked whether, in his personal opinion, the tribunal would bring justice? He replied by saying that the tribunals would bring fair justice, but not perfect justice.

Statements like these, so simple yet powerful, remain etched in my memory promising to make a permanent home. They begin to define and break down what continues to be a largely complicated conflict into fragments - each with its own truth, justice and story to tell....

The Role of the Government in Conflict Resolution?

**This blog is my personal opinion based on my studies, readings, and experiences in Conflict Resolution. I have only studied this field for one semester. It is also based on conversations from outside students studying conflict resolution at different schools. **

During my semester of Intro to Conflict Resolution and on the Cambodia trip, I have often wondered about how the government fits into this field. I wonder because as a conflict resolution student, I rarely hear about the government. I do not think this is because of lack of work in the field by governments around the world. The field likes to use terms like social reconciliation, for example the Cambodian government's partial funding of the Khmer Rouge trials or Australia's apology to the Aborigines people. Restorative Justice can be seen in judicial systems in South America that have incorporated indigenous practices into the legal system. This is similar to the United States justice system that uses community conferencing (similar to mediation) for juvenile cases, because it has proven to have more effective results in keeping youth out of the prison cycle. Perhaps this perspective is taught in more advanced conflict resolution classes and if so, I look forward to learning it.

The perspective I have learned is mainly that of an NGO perspective. Much of the teachings during the course were illustrated through programs facilitated by NGOs and independent practitioners. I encountered this same aspect during our Cambodia trip. The majority of the organizations we visited were NGOs. Besides visiting the Khmer Rouge trial location, there was no other governmental visit.

One of the best qualities of our class was it's careful analysis of conflicts, incorporating historical, social, and political factors. It is very good in understanding the many levels of a conflict. It is also very conceptual, with terms like social reconciliation, trauma, justice, truth, symbolism, memory. I found our Cambodia group was very good at asking the right questions to Khmer people about some of these topics. They are important in a a society attempting to recover from a genocide. However, there was no talk about what to do with that information. How does this play into policy? What exactly do these programs look like?Recognition of the importance of some of these topics is the first step. The next step is formulating that information into effective policy.

Thank you for reading the thoughts of a student who believes wholeheartedly in the utility and necessity of conflict resolution. I will continue to push for a wider perspective and a government angle that can maximize the effectiveness of the teachings of this field.

Last evening in Phnom Penh

Looking back

This amazing trip has now come to a close and some of us will go back to the US immediately, while others stay behind to travel some more before we return to MIIS for a brand new semester. This, to me, is the hardest part of traveling- returning to your normal life...a life where you forget to look at the bigger picture, appreciate the small things, and live simply so that others may simply live. I am already forgetting small details or insights that I didn't have the chance to write down on the blog, but for the ones I do remember, I will document them now.

One statement I found interesting was that apparently arranged marriages in the Khmer Rouge outlasted most of the other Cambodian marriages. These people were basically lined up and paired together to produce more Khmer Rouge children for the survival of the group, but I am told that because these couples endured a lot of hardship together that that is one of the main reasons they are still married.

The driving is insane here- you are constantly dodging motos, swerving from hitting small children, dogs, or tuk-tuks, etc. Most of the time I just closed my eyes and hoped for the best, but apparently there is some sort of license plate hierarchy according to Sitha. She mentioned that bikes are the lowest on the totempole, followed by motos, then tuk-tuks, taxis, vans, buses, police, other government cars. Although this is not apparent to the foreign eye at first, I did begin to notice a vague sense of order amongst all the chaos and even discovered that some license plates are labled as an NGO or UN vehicle and they have priority over most but of course, the Cambodian gov plates get the right of way in the end.

At S21 and the Killing Fields, there are still traces of the lives lost during this tragedy. Blood still stains some of the prison cells, along with a faint smell. The killing fields are still adorned with pieces of clothing, a few bones sticking out of the ground from those who have not been burried properly, and just knowing that the tree labled "the killing tree" is where babies were flung against and shot is enough to make you sick to your stomach. Most Cambodians believe in the spiritual realm, so there have at least been cleansings performed by the monks to get rid of the "restless ghosts" from the past.

I plan to finish this a little later, but I'm still in Asia, so stay tuned.

Shared Responsibility in Peacebuilding

There are many areas in Khmer society that share the responsibility for peacebuilding to ensure a future stability within Cambodia. Non-governmental organizations, the national government, and independent institutions are all players in a multi-front movement towards peacebuilding for the Khmer society. They are inherently connected and without effort from one, the entire peacebuilding process is lacking. Peacebuilding is intrinsically connected to culture and history, making it a complex and long-term process. Highlighted below are examples of efforts from these three different sectors.

Non-governmental Organizations

Tean Thor is an educational and vocational school that also is a a refuge for AIDS patients. The organization addresses this taboo issue by educating young children about AIDS, how it is contracted,and how it is not contracted. They house, feed, provide medicine, and support AIDS victims. The children who have AIDS also take classes alongside children who are not infected. This NGO, like many, faces budgetary constraints and a lack of assistance from the government. It is also battling a social stigma and cultural resistance to addressing this issue. It has done an impressive job with the resources it has, from engaging the once distant monks to work with AIDS victims. The monks are an integral part of Khmer society and have a far reaching influence amongst the Khmer people.

Independent Organizations

The National Election Committee (NEC) has the responsibility of organizing and facilitating "free and fair" elections, held for the first time in 1993, with the support of the United Nations Transitional Authority for Cambodia (UNTAC) . As international organizations and NGOs have descended onto this country, there is huge international pressure upon this institution. I cannot comment on how free or fair the elections are, there have been numerous criticisms from the international community as the NEC has attempted to meet international standards. There is also skepticism and a lack of trust in institutions that are connected to the government among the Khmer people (the Cambodian government contributes funds to the NEC). As many institutions in this country, they seem to have done remarkably well against extreme odds, with much work still to be done.

Government

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) will try five former members of the top commanders in the Khmer Rouge. There are several challenges that have beset the court thus far. Both high costs and the lagging trial schedule are sources of criticism from the international community. Currently, they are one year behind the original set date for the trial of Guek Eav Kaing, or Duch, the former head of the torture center, Toul Sleng or S21. Duch is the only one who has confessed; the pretrial is due to begin in February 2009, while another application for extension is due. The current projected cost for the court is approximately $90 million over three years.

Cambodians themselves have characterized their culture as one of impunity and silence. Symbolism is very important in the Khmer society, much more so than in western culture. This trial is important symbolically for the Khmer people. First, to address the genocide committed by the Khmer Rouge, whose leaders have lived under impunity for thirty years. Second, it is important in the personal healing process of Khmer because it provides a venue and a reason to talk about the atrocities committed against them. As one NGO employee stated, "the first challenge for addressing the genocide is getting people to open their mouths." Whether it justifies the amount of money the tribunal costs is another issue. Many Khmer feel that that money could be better invested in the health care system, the economy, or social programs.

These are just three examples of institutions we visited during our time in Cambodia. For a more in depth look at the government perspective, or lack there of, in peacebuilding, look out for the next blog to come....