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The Elimination: A Survivor of the Khmer Rouge Confronts His Past and the Commandant of the Killing Fields

Foreign Affairs | 2026-02-17 | society

Topics: China, Indo-Pacific

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English Summary

This account examines the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, arguing that the horrific violence was driven by individual choices and culpability, rather than merely systemic orders. Using personal narratives, the work details the suffering of victims and confronts perpetrators, such as Comrade Duch, who are shown to have actively chosen their path into becoming agents of violence. The central finding is that accountability must be focused on individual responsibility, emphasizing that perpetrators retained agency and choice even within a brutal regime. For policy, this underscores the critical importance of transitional justice mechanisms and individual criminal prosecution when addressing historical mass atrocities.

中文摘要

本研究考察了紅色高棉的暴行,主張其殘酷的暴力源於個體的選擇和罪責,而非僅僅是體制性的命令。該著作透過個人敘事,詳述了受害者的苦難,並直面了行為者,例如杜奇(Comrade Duch),指出他們是主動選擇走上成為暴力執行者的道路。核心發現是,問責制必須聚焦於個體責任,強調即使在殘酷的政權下,行為者仍保有能動性和選擇權。對於政策層面而言,這突顯了在處理歷史性大規模暴行時,過渡正義機制和個體刑事起訴的重要性。

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