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Dealing With the Khmer Rouge Heritage

Although the ECCC’s main objective is to prosecute the senior leaders and the most responsible for the international crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975–1979, advocates for the Court also hope that the trials of the Khmer Rouge leaders will help victims to forgive perpetrators such as Duch for their crimes. Traumatic events have been shown to cause long-term harm to psychological well-being, and a number of studies demonstrate a link between forgiveness and improved psychological functioning (although mostly in the course of psychotherapy). Forgiveness and healing are also linked in transitional justice literature to social reconciliation and, ultimately, to long-term peace and stability. While many have suggested that a judicial process such as the ECCC could contribute to the healing of victims of the Khmer Rouge regime, others are skeptical of this claim, arguing that trials in general and international criminal trials specifically are not developed specially to achieve reconciliation, healing, or providing historical records. The ability of transitional justice to impact forgiveness has been challenged on the basis of empirical evidence (or lack thereof). In this context, an emerging interdisciplinary body of literature is exploring the meaning and practice of forgiveness after mass atrocities. This essay seeks to contribute to the understanding of forgiveness after mass