Assessing Collective Reparations at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) – also known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal – combined its criminal trials with civil party participation, which allowed participating civil parties to claim ‘collective and moral’ reparations before the court. Over the course of its existence, the ECCC has endorsed 26 reparation measures across three trials. Most of these projects were implemented by civil society organisations, in collaboration with the ECCC’s Victim Support Section. Yet, we know little about the implementation and effects of these reparation measures. The systematic documentation and consolidation of the knowledge accumulated through ECCC reparations, combined with a comprehensive assessment, is of central importance, both to inform future victim-related work in Cambodia and the design and implementation of other court-sponsored reparation schemes elsewhere.

The overall goal of this study is to assess the implementation of ECCC collective reparation projects through the following objectives: (1) gather and consolidate available information on all ECCC collective reparations projects and selected non-judicial measures; (2) interview reparations implementers to identify their views on the experience, challenges and opportunities associated with reparations; and (3) compile a final report consolidating and analysing the information, while identifying lessons learned for Cambodia and beyond. This work will contribute to consolidating and preserving the rich body of knowledge accumulated across this reparative work and making it publicly available and accessible to inform future restorative initiatives in Cambodia. This project is supported by the GIZ Civil Peace Service (CPS) Cambodia.