Cambodia & History: A certain vision of 7 January 1979

As Cambodians commemorate the fall of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime on January 7, it is important that we reflect upon some of the questions that continue to arise in debating this history today.

Celebration of 7 January Victory Day held on 25 January 1979 at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh. Photo AKP

Par Youk Chhang

There is no question that even a half century after the regime has fallen, the effects of this period continue to be seen throughout Cambodia. There is no Cambodian family, community, or institution that was not impacted by this regime, and it would not be difficult to observe the subtle effects of this period in culture and institutions today.

If there is any universal insight to be gleaned, it is that the effects of atrocity crimes do not disappear or even fade on any predictable timeframe.

There are other insights from 7 January that warrant reflection, such as why was the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime on January 7, 1979, and not January 7, 1978, 1977, or 1976? Why were the Khmer Rouge even able to take over Cambodia and why did they persist as a force that challenged the government and people over a decade after their collapse? These questions are frequently asked, if not aloud, then silently, in nearly all public educational forums organized by the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) staff. Unfortunately, the answers are not reassuring.

Humanity has been and remains divided on when violence, atrocity crimes and genocide warrant a committed response. In fact, atrocity crimes continue to be perpetrated even today in multiple countries and conflicts around the world. The single greatest question we need to ask is not whether and when to act, but why not and how?

There are many reasons that have been articulated for why not, which range from economic costs and considerations to political, legal and military implications of engagements that put good people at risk and international concepts of sovereignty and order into question.

These reasons are not misplaced, but they are inadequate. They are inadequate to a wife whose husband was arrested and tortured. They are inadequate to a father who watched his child starve to death. They are inadequate to a mother whose child was murdered. And they are inadequate to children today who ask why their parents and grandparents died for no reason.

As we reflect on January 7, we should reflect not only on questions that start with what happened, why and what could have been, but also why not and how. Cambodia can lead the world in this debate, not only as victims and survivors of atrocity crimes but also victors.

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Youk Chhang is Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam)

and a genocide survivor of the Khmer Rouge’s killing fields.