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Today I did something different. Really different. Something that relatively few people get the opportunity to do, as there have been few of these occurrences over the last few generations. And that's a good thing.

Today I attended a war crime tribunal.

Earlier this year, after many years of waiting by the Cambodian people, the leaders of the Khmer Rouge were finally put on trial for the execution of tens of thousands of people in the late '70's. A special court was created in a joint effort between the Cambodian government and the U.N. and a new courthouse (about 1/2 hour outside downtown Phnom Penh) was built. They are currently hearing the case of Kaing Guek Eav (aka Duch), a senior Khmer Rouge official who personally oversaw the murder of over 15,000 people at the infamous Security Prison 21. Duch testified a few months ago, but the last week has brought the beginning of testimony by the few people who survived imprisonment at S-21. (Seriously few - 7.) The proceedings are open to the public - something I just learned yesterday, and quickly made the necessary arrangements.

The courtroom was designed specifically for observation. It looks almost like an aquarium display - the courtroom itself is enclosed on one side by a glass wall. The 7 judges (Cambodian and foreign) face the galley, which holds around 300 spectators. It was around 85% full this morning. I was among a handfull of westerners - maybe 20 or so from what I could see. Duch and the defense team sit to the right, the dozen or so prosecuting attorneys sit on the right. The witness chair is front and center, facing the bench. Closed circuit cameras and four large screen tv's allow the galley to see the witness's face while testifying. Headphones are provided for translation. The translation was instantaneous - maybe at most a 2 second delay.

Bou Meng was the third survivor to provide testimony before the tribunal. The presiding judge (the President of the Trial Chamber) allowed Mr. Meng to give a narrative testimony. Several times, Meng had to pause to compose himself as he described how his life as a fine arts teacher ended when he and his wife were forced to relocate to the countryside and labor in the fields, digging canals and building dams. They were taken away from that one day, under the promise of being given a teaching position. This was not to be. Instead, they were taken to S-21, bound and blindfolded, photographed and imprisoned. To this day, he has never been informed of any crime he committed against the Khmer Rouge. Few prisoners were. Meng was held prisoner under squalid conditions, nearing starvation. After 5-6 months, the torture began. He was taken twice a day, for 3-4 hours each time, to a room where he was beaten with sticks, whips, canes or subject to electrocution, being ordered each time to tell the Khmer Rouge when he joined the CIA, who other agents were, how he spied for the CIA. Meng said he did not even know what the CIA was, but they just continued to beat him.

The only reason Meng survived is because of his art skills. He was put to work painting portraits of Pol Pot and the other leaders. He last saw his wife the day they arrived at S-21. He does not know what ever happened to her. The only photo he has left of her is the prisoner photo taken of her on that day.

After Meng told his story, the presiding judge began questioning Meng. I could tell his purpose was to get specific details down for the record. Was Meng held in a common room or solo cell (both, depending on the time); what was the exact method the prisoners were shackled; how much food and water did they receive (a few grams per day); how often could they bathe (once every 2 weeks, hosed down through a window); what were the specific methods of torture used; was Meng ever given a trial for his alleged crimes against the Khmer Rouge (of course not). During the entire time, I had a direct line of sight to Duch, the defendant. He was expressionless, and at times just looked bored with the whole proceeding. It was hard to hear Meng's testimony - many people in the galley cried, or just held their heads. From what I've read in the papers, yesterday's witness testimony was even more gruesome - his toenails were pulled off by pliers, and he removed his shoes to show the judges.

Meng described the scars on his back from the torture. Just as he was getting ready to remove his shirt to show the court, his civil attorney requested a break. At that time, my time was up as my tuk tuk had returned to take me back to Phnom Penh. I was a bit glad to have this self-imposed time restriction.

I will admit, I knew very little of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge before this trip. I had the big picture, but not the details. My biggest education actually came yesterday, when I toured S-21, which was almost immediately made into a museum documenting the lives and deaths of the prisoners there. Photographs are displayed, the cells have been maintained, and the methods and instruments of torture have their own room for display. S-21 was once a primary and high school campus. The metal fence and barbed wire installed by the Khmer Rouge still stand as it was the day they were defeated in 1979. I also toured the killing fields - the site of execution for most of the Khmer Rouge's victims. Over 150 mass graves stand on this site, about 2/3 of them excavated and the rest untouched. A memorial stands at the entrance - a tall stupa with a glass core filled with the skulls, bones and clothing of the excavated remains.

I can't say the last 2 days have been "fun", but necessary as a visitor to this country.