Well over 500,000 people died during the Khmer Rouge's reign.

Genocide tribunal delves into Cambodia's dark past

Posted Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:20pm AEDT
Updated Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:21pm AEDT

Well over 500,000 people died during the Khmer Rouge's reign. (Reuters: file photo)

The long-awaited prosecutions of former Khmer Rouge officials accused of genocide in the 1970s are reaching a crucial stage in Cambodia.

While some victims are keen to see justice done, many ordinary Cambodians would rather see the time and the money spent improving their lives.

This month marks 30 years since the Khmer Rouge; the red communist Cambodians were driven from power in Cambodia.

During their four-year reign well over 500,000 people died, accused of being spies for their country or for refusing to embrace the changes forced upon them by Pol Pot - the cold-blooded leader of the movement who wanted to build an agrarian utopia free of western influence and meddling.

Today tourists flock to the killing fields site in Phnom Penh and elsewhere to view piles of skulls and bones and to walk among the dusty graves.

And soon they'll be able to see the Khmer Rouge accused.

In December the Khmer Rouge head of state, Khieu Sampan, was in court for a procedural hearing.

He's now 77 and is ailing, but maintains his innocence.

He is one of five former members of the KR who are set to face trial under the extraordinary chambers in the courts of Cambodia - a United Nations-backed process more commonly known as the KR or genocide tribunal.

It is proving to be a laborious process, running several years and more than $100 million over budget.

It's been dogged funding shortfalls, internal bickering, and allegations of corruption, but within a matter of months the first trial should begin.

Bruno Carette is a Paris-based film maker who has released a feature film on the genocide tribunals. He believes the role China and the US played in the region at that time needs to be addressed.

He says there is little popular support for the tribunal process.

"Nowadays Cambodia is trying to join the world, they have been at war for 30 years... with this terrible story and most of the people are very poor and living with less than $1 per day - especially the farmers [who make up] 90 per cent of the population - and they don't think this trial is necessary," he said.

Cambodia has come a long way since the Khmer Rouge time.

It has one of the fastest growing economies in South East Asia and it's rapidly changing.

But the tribunal is now getting down to the serious end of business and regardless of the critics it will deal with the country's dark past.

Based on a report by Karen Percy for AM on January 16, 2009.