On 9 May 2024, 31 officials from the Economics, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) paid a second visit to the ECCC Resource Centre to learn about the achievements, legacy, and residual functions of the ECCC.
H.E. Tony Kranh, Acting Director of Administration of the ECCC, warmly welcomed and expressed gratitude to the delegation for taking their valuable time to visit the ECCC Resource Centre. He emphasized that in its residual mandate, the ECCC's primary mission is to disseminate information extensively to the public, with a particular focus on students and the younger generation. His Excellency informed the delegates that, in fact, the Khmer Rouge Tribunal is a mechanism that the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations need to seek justice for the victims of Kampuchea Democratic regime.
“The suffering and loss of the people in the Khmer Rouge regime are enormous and must be addressed. Failure to address for the victims is leaving the suffering of the Cambodian people endless.” Said H.E. Tony.
"The Royal Government's support for the trials of those responsible for the Khmer Rouge regime is not only a focus and a concerted effort to seek justice for all and to implement the Royal Government's win-win policy, but also to end the Khmer Rouge movement.” H.E. Tony added.
The Acting Director recalled the delegations that the trial of the former Khmer Rouge leaders was completed by the end of 2022. He added that from 2023, an addendum between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations had agreed that the tribunal had the residual functions including maintain, preserve, and manage ECCC archives, declassification of documents and materials, protection of victims and witnesses, supervise the enforcement of sentences, monitor the enforcement of reparations awarded to Civil Parties, disseminate to the public regarding the ECCC and fulfilling other relevant duties for society to prevent serious crimes from occurring in various parts of Asia and the world by collaborating with other similar institutions, both domestic and foreign.
H.E. Kranh Tony emphasized that “In the residual stages of its functioning, ECCC has transformed itself from a mechanism for seeking justice to a useful outreach mechanism for all individuals, including the Cambodian people, researchers and students through setting up the complete resource center for the public.”
"I hope that this visit will be highly beneficial to Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, Ladies, and Gentlemen, particularly in gaining extensive knowledge from the diverse components of the ECCC Resource Centre. The wealth of knowledge and research resources available at the ECCC, along with potential future cooperation opportunities, will contribute significantly to the construction and development of the Kingdom of Cambodia." H.E. added.
Chaem Phalla, Vice President of the ECOSOCC, conveyed his gratitude and appreciation to the ECCC for arranging the visit for the members of the ECOSOCC. He expressed that the visit provided a valuable opportunity to learn about the work and mission of the ECCC, particularly in its residual mandate. He added that “On what we went through [the Khmer Rouge regime], the ECCC help us find the justice. We truly thank the ECCC”.
The visit proceeded with a presentation delivered by H.E. Thaung Socheat, the Senior Management Officer of the ECCC, focusing on the achievements, legacies, and work related to the ECCC during its residual mandate. Following this, H.E. Pich Ang, the National Lead Co-Lawyers for Civil Parties of Case 002, provided an additional presentation outlining an overview of the participation of Civil Parties during the trials. Subsequently, a question-and-answer session was organized, allowing officials from the ECOSOCC to engage with the presenters and further delve into the topics discussed.
Additionally, the ECCC management conducted a comprehensive tour for the delegations, showcasing various facilities within the premises. This included visits to the multipurpose room, the library, and archives repository, as well as the mobile resource center (the bus).
