Customer Reviews

After the Killing Fields: Lessons from the Cambodian Genocide (Modern Southeast Asia Series)

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This book focuses on the long struggle to bring the Khmer Rouge accountable for the auto-genocide that occurred in Cambodia in the late 1970s. Unlike most books on Cambodia, it does not focus on the history of the killings but how different actors in Cambodian society have dealt with the aftermath. It provides a very useful description of the Documentation Center for Cambodia's work collecting information on the killings. The last chapters discuss the politics behind bringing the Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. This is particularly interesting given the fact that the current tribunal has just begun hearings.

Etcheson tells this story as a true insider, as indeed he is. Not only has he been a longstanding advocate for justice for the Khmer Rouge, he now serves with the Khmer Rouge Tribunal he helped establish. As such, his writing is tinged with passion for his cause. Well worth the read for Cambodia scholars or those interested in seeking justice for mass human rights violations.