HIST W335 History of Genocide

From Prof. Roseman: The transcripts of original documents including the three Moscow Show Trials, and contemporaneous reactions to them

From Prof. Roseman: A searchable PDF created from an exhibit at the Library of Congress made up of translated official Soviet documents covering a diverse array of topics including the Holodomor and Great Terror

As a young child, Kodaim Ear survived the suffering the Khmer Rouge inflicted on Cambodia. He lost his parents and three sisters and was saved by his cunning and determined grandfather who enabled the remaining family members to survive the rigors of forced labor in the countryside. Now thirty, and recently married, Kodaim resolves to revisit the land of his childhood, to re-trace his terrifying journey to freedom. He needs to "face the demons" by putting the images of terror to rest and restoring the memory of his parents. Along with Kodaim s personal story, this compelling documentary traces the history of Cambodia from the reign of King Sihanouk, to his overthrow, with American support, by Lon Nol, a right wing former police chief. This corrupt regime was toppled by the insurgent Khmer Rouge and the country spiraled downward into mayhem and genocide. We hear first hand how the cities were emptied out, and the professional class forced into rural areas to work the land. People starved, sickened and died. When war broke out between Vietnam and Cambodia, Kodaim and his grandfather fled to safety in Vietnamese-controlled Cambodia. But their odyssey did not end there and we learn how they picked their way through mine fields and trekked through mountains without food or water. The path of escape would lead to Thailand and finally to the safe haven of Canada. This vivid story of survival and human renewal is a memorable addition to audiovisual resources on southeast Asia.

In the mid-1970s, Cambodia was the victim of a brutal genocide, when the communist Pol Pot regime exterminated every fifth inhabitant. In less than four years, hundreds of thousands were murdered, and over a million died as a result of starvation and disease. We hear from those who lost their families as well as from former guards who perpetrated the crimes. A guard who beat prisoners claims he was forced to commit torture; the alternative would have been his own murder. He feels terribly guilty now and has confessed to his family. Sorya Sim of the Documentation Centre says "The purpose of documenting is justice and memory." The Centre collects material to prosecute the Khmer Rouge and to educate the younger generation about the events. Recently, a peace treaty paved the way for the first real evaluation of the Pol Pot regime - and perhaps for reconciliation. This process is difficult in a country like Cambodia, where it is seen as "wrong" to talk negatively about the past. The Institute for Social Development organized several peace marches and four reconciliation meetings and at one of these, a number of Khmer Rouge leaders apologized. For many people, and for the media, saying "I am sorry" was not enough. Kassie Neou of Cambodia's Institute for Human Rights, believes the peace marches promote the possibility of "... living together in understanding, and that way people can focus on harmonious ways of living." But many carry mental and physical wounds, too fearful to speak out about the atrocities of that tragic time.

From Prof. Roseman: A small collection of video testimonies of Cambodian woman and their experiences during the genocide. The videos are in Khmer, but translated transcripts are provided

From Prof. Roseman: Confession of Hu Nim, a full-length transcribed confession of a Cambodian inmate at Tuol Sleng prison

From Prof. Roseman: Three translated accounts from female survivors of the Cambodian Genocide [see also second account and third account]

From Prof. Roseman: The testimony of several survivors at genocide hearings in Madrid

From Prof. Roseman: An excerpt from a book that recounts a survivor’s experience of an army attack on a village

From Prof. Roseman: The International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia’s Court records. Contains thousands of documents, photos, and video related to war crimes committed in Bosnia. All documents are available for free with registration requiring a valid email address

From Prof. Roseman: A selection of drawings from children who witnessed attacks, and short testimonies from them and other survivors