Lessons from the Cambodian Experience with Truth and Reconciliation

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