Survivor's Voices, Virginia, Day 1

See a multimedia version of this story at this link.

On May 30 and 31, 2009, with the support of “Cambodian Americans for Human Rights” (CARHAD) and Asian/Pacific/American Institute at New York University, Leakhena Nou (a Professor of Sociology at California State University-Long Beach and the founder of ASRIC, the Applied Social Research Institute of Cambodia) has organized a workshop for the Cambodian American community of the Washington DC area.

Pictured left: Leakhena Nou, founder of ASRIC (the Applied Social Research Institute of Cambodia) and organizer of the workshop...

The goal of the “Cambodian Diaspora Victims’ Participation Project” is to educate the Cambodian Americans on the process of the ECCC-Khmer Rouge trial in Phnom Penh that has already started judging one of five KR responsibles held in custody. Eventually, the people who attend Nou’s workshops are proposed to participate in the trial by filing a complaint that could be presented to the ECCC ("Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia", the official term for the Khmer Rouge trial) within the next few months.
Nou’s numbers about the Cambodians from the diaspora who have filed claims are impressive: according to her just 17 Cambodians from France and Belgium have filed a complaint to be addressed to the ECCC. On her side here in the US, with her modest organization that has no real funding she has brought so far 22 Cambodians from Southern California to file a complaint. Northern California is still in process. In the fall 2009, Nou plans to organize a similar workshop in Lowell, Massachussets. If she could reach one hundred complaints by the end of the year, Nou would probably be more than satisfied…
On the first day of the workshop (noon to 5PM), Leakhena Nou explains the details of the ECCC, reviewing its historical background, how it currently works, using video materials that were originally produced for the Cambodians from Cambodia… Most important is her speech about the psychological consequences of the KR regime on those who have lived through it, as well as on their children even if they were born after the regime.

It seems everybody knows about it, but few people among the Cambodian American community really dare putting the focus on it and tell the truth that – if some have healed and made peace with what they have experienced in the past – an important proportion of people in this community are still really sick of what has happened 30 years ago: lack of confidence, sleep problems, suicidal tendencies, mental pain, permanent angriness, difficulty to trust, silent suffering, you name it... Nou’s background in medical sociology and field work observations in Cambodia corroborate the obvious similarity of symptoms between the Cambodians from home with the Cambodians from outside…

Pictured left: Tung Yap, President of “Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy” (CAHRAD)

Julie M. Sheker (pictured aboved left), a volunteer lawyer for ASRIC (“Applied Social Research Institute of Cambodia”) taking notes during the presentation of Leakhena Nou.

Sarann Lim (pictured above), 81, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, getting familiar with the administrative documents of the ECCC ("Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia", the official term for the Khmer Rouge trial)...

Survivors' Voices, Virginia, Day 2

See a multimedia version of this story at this link.

 

The second day of Nou’s workshop (noon to 5PM) is dedicated to the filing of the complaints. Nou’s call for volunteers to help her review the applicants’ testimony (and “interview” them to get the most detailed and accurate story) was heard. In addition to the members of CARHAD organization that have helped set up the weekend, 3 people are there to help Nou on the interviews on that day: two lawyers, Audrey Redmond (pictured below left), Julie Sheker, and a member from the community: Thilda Outhuok (pictured above left).

Pictured above: Leakhena Nou, founder of ASRIC (the Applied Social Research Institute of Cambodia) and organizer of the workshop.

At the end of the afternoon on this second day, Nou could add 12 more stories, testimonies and complaints to be addressed later to the ECCC ("Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia", the official term for the Khmer Rouge trial). A drop of water in the ocean of pain and sufferings that still overwhelms so many Cambodian. But Nou’s doing what she’s convinced she has to do, step by step, on the West Coast, on the East Coast, and she has not stopped yet…

Vannary Tan (pictured above), 45 - a mother of two and a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime - is filing a complaint for the ECCC ("Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia", the official term for the Khmer Rouge trial). Behind her stands Pearak Tan, 10, one of her sons.

Julie M. Sheker (pictured above right), a volunteer lawyer for ASRIC, helping Cambodian natives for the filing of their complaint for the ECCC ("Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia", the official term for the Khmer Rouge trial).

Leakhena Nou (pictured above left) supports Cambodian native Marie M. Chea (right), 56 - a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime - to file filing her complaint for the ECCC ("Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia", the official term for the Khmer Rouge trial).