A historic and personal moment - September 20, 2007

In recent days, news that former Khmer Rouge leader Nuon Chea has been arrested and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity has made headlines around the world. For me, it brought me back to the day I visited Toul Sleng, the notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh. As I gazed at the photos of children who were imprisoned and tortured there, I remember the visceral anger and despair that washed over me -- Pol Pot was already dead and his comrades were in their 80s and not far behind. Would the perpetrators never have to answer for these unspeakable atrocities?

Now, I am elated and relieved. A few weeks ago, the Cambodian tribunal arrested Duch, the Toul Sleng commandant, and now with Nuon Chea they've got Pol Pot's second-in-command. Prosecutors have submitted the undisclosed identities of three other leaders who will soon be charged. Finally, after 30 long years, those responsible for murdering almost 2 million Cambodians will be brought to justice.

I am also happy for Youk Chhang, the Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, who I had the fortune to meet when I was in Phnom Penh. For the past decade, he has been doggedly compiling and recording information about the Khmer Rouge, much of which will be used as evidence in this tribunal. Mr. Youk was very friendly and helpful, and I admired his passion and perseverance, even in the face of unrelenting disagreements between the UN and the Cambodian government on how the tribunal should be formed and run. He played a huge role in gathering the information for the arrest warrants; I can only imagine how he must be feeling at this historic moment.

When I was in Phnom Penh, I also had a conversation with a young Cambodian about how he felt about the tribunal. At that time, it was still mired in procedural disagreements; he argued that the money would be better spent on building roads or fixing the education system. Our discussion was fairly academic - i.e., do tribunals such as these help heal the wounds of war torn countries; is the West trying to impose its judicial values on a culture that would rather move on and forget?

Now, as I pore over the details of Nuon Chea's arrest, my reaction is purely emotional as I realize how much I wanted this day to come. I'm not looking for blood or revenge or lengthy jail sentences. I don't even care if they confess or show their remorse (Nuon Chea has already claimed that he had no part or knowledge in the mass executions). I just want the leaders of the Khmer Rouge to stand up in a court of law and be forced to defend what they did to the people of Cambodia, including my own family, during their evil regime.