Research

Research into Youth Views of the ECCC

Research has always been at the core of AIJI’s work. Most recently the Cambodia team conducted research into young Cambodians’ views on the ECCC and related educational programs. The report – entitled “So We Can Know What Happened”: The Educational Potential of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia – presents findings of focus group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted between July and December 2017. 

A key finding of the research was that, during conversations about the ECCC, students identified the potential for the Tribunal to educate their generation about the past as its biggest potential legacy; ranking this higher than judicial, psychological or capacity-building legacies. In light of this, another key finding of the report is the generally low level of awareness among youth concerning the existing programs and opportunities available to those who are interested in learning more about the past. Closing this gap in awareness would improve the effectiveness of existing programs and improve overall understanding of the Khmer Rouge period. The report was launched at a special event on 25 January 2018 at the National University of Management in Phnom Penh attended by over 200 students, educators, government officials and members of civil society. The report and launch was covered by local newspaper The Phnom Penh Post and a summary of the event is available here.  The full 62-page report, as well as four-page summaries in both English and Khmer are available here. This research was made possible through the generous support of the British Embassy in Phnom Penh and the East-West Center.

Legal Research and Analysis

AIJI has also published reports critically analyzing legal judgments of the ECCC. In August 2017, ‘Justice on Appeal’ was published, which analyzes the November 2016 Supreme Court Chamber Appeal Judgment in Case 002/01.  For more about the report and to access the full 28-page English language report, co-authored by Dr. David Cohen, Daniel Mattes and Caitlin McCaffrie, see here. 

Prior to that, in November 2015 AIJI published a legal analysis of the Case 002/01 Trial Judgment, in a report entitled: “A Well-Reasoned Opinion? Critical Analysis of the First Case Against the Alleged Senior Leaders of the Khmer Rouge.” This report was written by AIJI’s Dr. David Cohen, Melanie Hyde, and Penelope Van Tuyl, with the support of Stephanie Fung. For the full 98-page report, see English — Khmer (Executive summary). 

Both above reports build on the work of many individuals who consistently monitored and reported on each day of trial proceedings and events prior to the trial’s commencement in 2011.