What is it about?
The Khmer Rouge regime caused the deaths of millions of Cambodians between 1975 and 1979. Thousands of mass graves have been located across the country. The Khmer Rogue prisoners from S-21 (Tuol Sleng) were executed and buried at a mass gravesite called Choeung Ek. Tens of thousands of human skeletal remains were unearthed in 1979 and have been placed in a memorial. These remains were examined for physical evidence of violence. The scientific analysis of human remains played a very small part in the nearly ten years of the trials at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). Interacting with human remains from a genocide can be challenging when politics, culture, emotions, and history interact.
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Photo by Joseph Anson on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Anthropologists can scientifically evaluate human skeletal remains after a genocide to provide information about demographics (e.g., age, sex, height) and injuries. Although this information may not heal the wounds of the living, it can be important for the prosecution of those responsible. The ECCC did not promote this type of work even though combining scientific information with history can provide a more complete understanding of the Khmer Rouge’s violence.
Perspectives
Combining scientific information and historical accounts can create a more well-rounded perspective. However, there are always challenges and consequences when interacting with human skeletal remains and the legal system.
Dr. Julie Fleischman
Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Confronting the Dead: an Anthropologist’s Engagement with Human Remains at Choeung Ek, April 2024, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004536890_013.
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