Khmer Rouge: A Simple Matter of Justice

In 2006, the Cambodian government and the United Nations established the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), a judicial body tasked with bringing to trial the surviving members of the Khmer Rouge leadership. This documentary by Rémi Lainé and Jean Reynaud follows the work of the ECCC's co-investigating judges—Marcel Lemonde of France and You Bunleng of Cambodia—in their pursuit of Kang Kek lew, also known as “Comrade Duch,” who oversaw the infamous S-21 prison. But despite the extraordinary carnage inflicted on Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge years—one-third of the population perished—the nation is mostly uncomfortable with raking up its deadly past. Survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime prefer not to speak about what occurred, while two out of three Cambodians were born after the 1979 overthrow of the Khmer Rouge and thus have no firsthand knowledge of the atrocities. Even more challenging are the conflicting approaches advocated by Lemonde and You, particularly in regard to the judicial concept of genocidal crimes. Nonetheless, the two methodically pursue Kang and other Khmer Rouge officials, including former foreign minister Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, the latter informally known as “Brother Number Two” to dictator Pol Pot. Offering fascinating insights into the challenges of bringing the elusive perpetrators of modern war crimes to justice, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)