At long last, the people of Cambodia entertain hope of justice. Nearly a quarter of a century after the Khmer Rouge were forced from power, the Phnom Penh government and the United Nations have agreed on a tribunal to try former Khmer Rouge leaders. Some claim that the court is a sham, designed to pick scapegoats and insulate Prime Minister Hun Sen and his cronies from justice, and they blame the U.N. for approving this process. The court is not ideal, but it is a sign of progress nonetheless. It leads Cambodia down the road to justice long denied. It is not the endpoint, however.
The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. That brief interregnum was a horrific time as the government sought to purge Cambodia of Western influences and establish a new "pure" country. To do that, they declared Year Zero, evacuated cities in an attempt to build an agrarian utopia, and persecuted intellectuals and professionals who might dirty their ideal state. In the Khmer Rouge's twisted vision, even wearing glasses was enough to warrant a death sentence. It is estimated that as many 2 million people died in the campaign -- many tortured and murdered, many others the victims of starvation and sickness.
Although the Khmer Rouge never seriously contested for power after 1979, they remained a potent force in their distant strongholds, armed and capable of holding off government attempts to reclaim their territory. More significantly, they were courted by factions in Phnom Penh seeking their guns, their votes and their influence. In return for political support for leading parties, they were given immunity for past misdeeds. There were lone holdouts, and it is those unrepentant few that now face the prospect of a trial.