Lessons from the Cambodian Genocide, presented by an R-N Professor

(NEWARK)-When completing research for his recently released book, Why Did They Kill? Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide (University of California Press 2005) Rutgers-Newark Anthropology professor and Glen Ridge resident Alex Hinton repeatedly encountered Cambodians who would ask how their fellow countrymen could kill each other. Their question soon became Hintons question which led to his examination of the violence that took place from April 1975 to January 1979 in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge.

The subject matter is particularly timely as Cambodia prepares to mark the 30th anniversary of the Khmer Rouges rise to power. The nation also is in the midst of preparations for a war crimes tribunal to investigate and punish those responsible for the part atrocities. In Why Did They Kill? Hinton explores the root causes of the Cambodian genocide so others can elicit broader lessons that can be applied in the future.

It is important to understand the factors contributing to past genocides because there is always a danger of recurrence, Hinton explains. There are also many lessons we can learn as well- some of the processes that contribute to genocide are present in our everyday lives.

Hinton became interested in the Cambodian genocide when first visiting the country in 1992. At the time, the nation was still recovering from the devastation wrought by years of civil war. More than 1.7 million of Cambodias 8 million inhabitants (nearly one quarter of the population) died from starvation, overwork, illness, malnutrition and execution resulting from the Khmer Rouges policies.

Signs of the Khmer Rouges brutal reign were present wherever he traveled. Schools riddled with bullet holes, roads made impassable by craters left behind by repeated bombings, and amputees wandering roads after stumbling upon one of the many landmines dotting the Cambodian countryside inspired Hinton to ask the questions about a horror that many still found too difficult to discuss.

Listening to the individual stories of survivors was one of the most memorable experiences for me, Hinton recalls. Whenever someone would tell his or her story in a room where other people were present, the entire room would become silent. It was a powerful experience. People would routinely tell stories about losing all of their family members and enduring physical and mental torture.

Many of the stories Hinton heard from Cambodians about their suffering under the Khmer Rouge would conclude with the question, How could this happen? It became the question I wanted to ask, Hinton explains. How does genocide take place? How can one human being do these unspeakable things to another person? I knew that I had to interview former perpetrators to get answers. Their replies are at the center of my book.

In seeking answers to these questions, Hinton believed it was essential to draw broader lessons from the Cambodian killings that could be applied to more recent genocides which have occurred in places like Rwanda.

Hinton explains, If we can understand and stop mystifying or creating the image of horrible, evil perpetrators, we can achieve openness to comprehending why genocides occur and why people do these things. And, we may gain a window of insight into ourselves and examine what similar qualities might exist in our worlds.

According to Hinton, genocides can be traced to several existing conditions within a society. Among the key factors are tremendous socioeconomic upheaval, a pre-existing social division within the country, and a political group with a radical idea of socially engineering the nation. Additionally, the structures of meaning are disrupted in the country and the political leadership creates an ideology of hate while dehumanizing and marginalizing certain groups within the population. Lastly, genocides often proceed where there is a lack of international response or indifference to the persecuted populations plight.

If you find all of these conditions present, there is a very strong likelihood of genocide, Hinton notes. A lack of international response is a very important factor. This can be the result of nations not being willing to accept the risk of intervention or they simply may not care that much. Look at what has been happening in Sudan.

The last factor- lack of international response- was present in genocides that occurred in places like Cambodia and Rwanda. However, this was not, in the end, the case in Bosnia. Hinton believes perceived cultural differences between the nations with the ability to intervene and those experiencing the carnage are contributing factors to the lack of international involvement.

Unfortunately, western nations sometimes believe they have little in common with people in nations such as Cambodia and Rwanda, Hinton notes. There is a tendency to consider the people involved in the conflicts more barbaric and primitive. The popular perception tends to be this is what savage people do to one another. Obviously, this is not the case, as the Holocaust and Bosnia attest, but it does factor in nations unwillingness to get involved.

Hinton, who earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Emory University, has explored genocides and the factors behind them for the better part of his academic career.

It is my hope that the insights I develop through my research in Cambodia may be applicable to other genocides, Hinton says. No outsider can fully understand what it means to live through genocide, but that does not mean you cannot understand the causes. Its important for us to do so.