Search

1Cambodia's trials of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge raise the question of whether this process of historical accountability will have a broader impact on Cambodian political culture. A reasonable hypothesis is that the trials will restore Cambodians’ faith in the rule of law, a faith undermined by the failure of the state to take action against the miscreants for 30 years. Based on a 2007 nationally representative survey – conducted well before the trials began – the authors find that Cambodians hold a strong preference for strict adherence to legal universalism. Because support for the rule of law is so strong, the trials are unlikely to make it stronger. Understanding transitional justice processes requires that the state of society prior to the implementation of justice processes be understood so that change can be measured. Moreover, cultural values may be just as likely to be causes of transitional justice processes as results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which assessed the correlation of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and disability with perceived justice, desire for revenge and knowledge and attitudes toward the trials among adults in Cambodia. The study assembled a national probability sample of 1017 adults in Cambodia who had been exposed and had not been exposed to the Khmer Rouge era, and interviews were conducted with them between December 2006 and August 2007. It was revealed that the probable PTSD prevalence was 11.2% overall, 7.9% in the younger group and 14.2% in the older group. The study also concluded that probable PTSD was associated with mental disability.