Lessons from the Cambodian Experience with Truth and Reconciliation

26 Pages Posted: 8 Jun 2012 Last revised: 5 Oct 2012

See all articles by Jaya Ramji-Nogales

Jaya Ramji-Nogales

Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law

John D. Ciorciari

Indiana University Bloomington - School of Global & International Studies

Date Written: June 8, 2012

Abstract

Written for a symposium on truth and reconciliation in South Korea, this article offers lessons from the Cambodian experience with truth and reconciliation. Cambodia might be a counter-intuitive case study given that it has never convened a formal truth and reconciliation commission, yet offers important lessons for South Korea and other states seeking to meet the needs of survivors of abusive regimes. We present two central claims drawn from the Cambodian experience of truth and reconciliation. First, local civil society should be engaged as a central player in truth and reconciliation initiatives. Second, the Cambodian example offers lessons about the role of institutional sequencing in transitional justice efforts, particularly the sometimes unexpected ways in which more traditional institutions create political space for more innovative and effective mechanisms.

Keywords: Cambodia, Khmer Rouge, truth and reconciliation commission

JEL Classification: K33

Suggested Citation

Ramji-Nogales, Jaya and Ciorciari, John D., Lessons from the Cambodian Experience with Truth and Reconciliation (June 8, 2012). Forthcoming, Buffalo Human Rights Law Review, Sept. 2012, Temple University Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2012-38, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2078982

Jaya Ramji-Nogales (Contact Author)

Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law ( email )

1719 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
United States
215-204-6430 (Phone)
215-204-1185 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.temple.edu/contact/jaya-ramji-nogales/

John D. Ciorciari

Indiana University Bloomington - School of Global & International Studies ( email )

Bloomington, IN
United States

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