The German Ambassador

KhIf any country has a right to weigh in on a genocide tribunal it has to be Germany, and in a featured interview with the Phnom Penh Post this weekend the German Ambassador, Pius Fischer, gives his view on the KRT. Some highlights from the interview;

...Considering Germany's recent history, does your nation have special lessons to impart to Cambodia, especially with regard to the Khmer Rouge Trial (KRT)?

The situation in Germany after World War II was very different from the situation in Cambodia following the removal of the Khmer Rouge regime. It is not our endeavor to teach any particular lessons, but we do have experiences that the [KRT] could benefit from. It is not just coincidence that we are one of the major donors to the KRT. We think it is very important for the Cambodian population to understand why this happened, who was responsible for it. Only if we understand history can we avoid making the same mistakes again in the future.

What do you hope to see come from the KRT?

First, we anticipate it having a cathartic effect. The population will learn about this part of Cambodian history, which, as I understand it, doesn't play a particularly important role in Cambodia's history books so far. Second, we hope it will send a message that there is no impunity even for those in the highest positions of political power. Finally, we hope that the trial will bring late redemption to the victims of genocide. We must not forget that over 1.7 million people, which was at the time more than a quarter of the Cambodian population, died at the hands of this murderous regime. In Germany we have had to deal with war crimes trials - not just the Nuremberg Trials but a whole series of criminal trials right up until today against former Nazi war criminals. Democratization in post-conflict Germany was a full success. We do hope that similar developments will take place in Cambodia and in our limited means we try to assist Cambodia on this path....

Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 21, October 20 - November 2, 2006

Education, Justice, Resolution. Those appear to be pretty good goals for the Court, though his hope that this will lead to the Democratization of Cambodia may be a bit ambitious.