Among the 62 civil parties residing in France, 40 received letters of appreciation for their participation in the judicial process from the ECCC's Victims Support Section (VSS). They were also informed about the outcomes of the proceedings in Case 002, along with other activities carried out by the ECCC during its residual functions.
The distribution of these letters and notifications took place from February 28, 2024, to April 30, 2024, through the ECCC's civil party lawyer, Ms. Chet Vanly, who conducted a mission in France. According to Ms. Chet Vanly, some civil parties have not yet been notified due to their lack of response or change of residence.
Pin Yathay, a Cambodian-French national and author of Stay Alive, My Son, was among those contacted. He expressed being “surprised and excited” upon receiving the letter of appreciation and learning about the ECCC's achievements. Yathay shared that he once feared he and other civil parties might be forgotten after the trial. "I'm grateful to have participated in the Khmer Rouge tribunal”, he said. “We didn’t prosecute everyone, but most importantly, we prosecuted key leaders to justice and raised awareness about the Khmer Rouge’s atrocities, both in Cambodia and worldwide. I'm happy with the outcome of the trial”. He also appreciated the ECCC’s outreach to younger generations during its residual functions.
His Excellency Tony Kranh, Secretary of State of the Office of the Council of Ministers and Acting Director of Administration of the ECCC, thanked the civil parties for their bravery and their roles in presenting facts to the Chambers, supporting the pursuit of justice for the victims. He also praised Mr. Pin Yathay for visiting the ECCC Resource Centre, engaging with 90 university students during an intergenerational dialogue and sharing his experiences as a civil party and his life under the Khmer Rouge regime. These dialogues are crucial for educating the younger generation and ensuring that such atrocities are never repeated in Cambodia.
Mr. Hang Vannak, head of the VSS, stated: “Civil parties are a key part of the judicial process. They have the right to participate directly in the judicial proceedings and to be informed of developments related to their cases. With the closure of the ECCC's judicial processes, we must update them on the results concerning their cases and take this opportunity to update them on the residual activities."
According to Mr. Hang Vannak, there are 3,865 civil parties recognized in Case 002. Among them, 3,371 have been notified, while 496 have not yet been informed. Of those who have not been notified, 412 are in Cambodia and 84 are abroad.
