Reflections on Cambodia: The Infamy of Complicity

Tonight, I'd like to draw your attention to a post by Heddy at Evolving Praxis, who reflects on the U.S.'s complicity in (or even, enabling of), the Cambodian genocide:

"When reflecting on genocide, I think the most pivotal part of this process is what happens after our initial revulsion of these events and our mental condemnation of the perpetrators (yea, that is the easy part).  The more difficult yet more important part of the question is reflecting on what did we do as a people and what would we do if we were there? This stuff is not bygone history - there are many many people simultaneously alive with us today who live with the scars of these horrific and incomprehensible crimes, and of course, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity rage on today. Hopefully consideration of these things by people today will bring a consciousness that will move people and governments towards action to be supportive and/or helpful in the healing process, to stop these things from happening now, and to do all we can to stop/prevent this from happening in the future.  Maybe I am naive, but yes, I do think it all starts with awareness, education and a consciousness within ourselves."

This moves beyond the oft-bemoaned international inaction in the face of genocide, and gets at the circle of actors that actively enable --- often through a feigned ignorance that is more accurately characterized as harshest and most callous manifestation of unilateral self-interest --- the reigns of terror of genocidaires and violent dictators.

As John Pilger writes in The Guardian (also referenced in the Evolving Praxis post), that circle of enablers --- and even protectors --- bear significant responsibility that should not be ignored as a genocide's individual perpetrators slowly make their way onto the scales of justice:

"Unless international justice is a farce, those who sided with Pol Pot's mass murderers ought to be summoned to the court in Phnom Penh: at the very least their names read into infamy's register."

Sadly, that register is a long one --- and growing.

[Photo: A man prays in front of a banner remembering the Cambodian genocide.]