CIVIL RESISTANCE
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CIVIC EDUCATION
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Studiously spending time at The Library
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Theary's Curriculum Vitae / Resume
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Holiday in California August 2014
It's really sweet to see how my younger cousins are taking care of their parents and adopt their parents' orientation of family-first, a reflection of their gratitude for their parents' sacrifice to give give them a solid education and healthy upbringing and also a reflection of their recognition of their parents suffering in having lived through the KR genocide (even if the experience is incomprehensible and so foreign to them) and the hardship of starting anew in a foreign culture as refugees at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. As much as I am a social critic of ostentation in the face of world poverty, I can appreciate and admire their hard-earned salaries going into little luxuries and pleasures to celebrate family and life. Unlike the unearned, unclean money obtained by the children of the Cambodian elites who throw money into debauchery, my cousins provide an example in contrast, even if at times verging on excess, a sin we've all committed if honest.
With CNRP friends in Stockton...
Poor Bijou with her silly plastic satellite dish to protect from her major spay surgery wounds.
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Top Khmer Rouge leaders found guilty of crimes against humanity, sentenced to life in prison CNN | August 7, 2014
Disappointment
Some victims of the crimes of the regime were not satisfied by the verdict. Theary Seng, founding president of the Center for Cambodian Civic Education, told CNN that Cambodia "hasn't got to the heart of the genocide.
"It's a missed opportunity... it completely missed the mark. What have we seen from $200 million and eight years (of the existence of the ECCC)? (It is) really a disservice to the other Cambodian victims."
She did allow that the trial was the "beginning of a process of healing" and that it would "serve as a catalyst for conversations in Cambodia about our past."
Seng was just seven years old in 1978 when both her parents were killed after several months in prison. It was at a time when the leadership was, she said, in "extreme paranoia" and even party cadres were being purged. Her mother was taken from the cell she shared with her children and other families, and "tiptoed to her death" to avoid waking up Seng and her younger brother.
"The tragedy of my story is that it's so common," she said. "It stays with us -- how can it not?"
Date: August 6 Time: 4:30 p.m. Pacific (California) time Anchor: Andrew Stevens Show: CNN Newsroom Length: 4 -5 minutes Format: Skype interview Topic: Looking ahead at the ECCC proceeding and verdict
Click on image to watch the Skype video interview with Andrew Stevens . . .
Southern California
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CNRP-NA nominates Ms. Theary Seng to NEC
July 23, 2014
The Honorable Sam Rainsy
President, Cambodia National Rescue Party Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Re: Nomination of Ms. Theary Seng as a CNRP Member to NEC
Dear Mr. President:
We, the leadership of the Cambodia National Rescue Party of North America (CNRP-NA), resoundingly nominate Ms. Theary C. Seng to be one of four CNRP members of the envisioned constitutionally-mandated National Election Committee.
We believe strongly in Ms. Seng’s character, educational credentials and work experience.
Ms. Seng’s character as a Khmer soul is undeniable: she is fearless, speaks truth to power and possesses unflinching courage.
Ms. Seng achieved educational credentials that stand among the elites of the world: the best private education in primary and secondary schools where as a refugee, she placed second in her high school graduation; the same elite university as President Bill Clinton of Georgetown University where she earned her 4-year degree in international politics; she received her law doctorate (Juris Doctor) after 3 years at the University of Michigan Law School, ranked number 3 when she attended. To top it all, Ms. Seng became the first Cambodian descent to pass the most difficult New York Exam which qualifies her to practice law anywhere in the world.
Ms. Seng’s work experience expands Cambodian and international soil (particularly American), with deep experiences in both the private and public sectors. In particular, Ms. Seng’s experience in Cambodia runs deep, having worked in her homeland since 1995 as a volunteer, a human rights advocate, an IRI electoral consultant for the first commune elections, a commercial lawyer and NGO leader. In 2008, NDI invited her to be an international election monitor in Bangladesh. She sits on two regional boards, one as Chair, the other as Trustee, speaks regularly at international forums, and writes copiously on Cambodian affairs, particularly commentaries on election-related matters.
We, the CNRP-NA leadership and the larger Cambodian-American community, celebrate Ms. Seng’s achievements and thus strongly support her nomination to the reformed NEC with great enthusiasm and pride.
Ms. Theary C. Seng would make a strong CNRP member of the reformed NEC.
Sincerely,
Kimly Chea President, CNRP-NA
cc: LAP Kem Sokha CNRP Cabinet
CNRP Women's Movement Support Nomination of Theary C. Seng to NEC
Cambodian-Americans Support Nomination of Ms. Theary C. Seng to NEC
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It's deja vu! Exactly one year ago, Sam Rainsy returned from a forced 4-year exile to an electric crowd of half a million (!) who came out to greet him. Like last year, I was fortunate to see the emotional outpouring of support from Cambodians from the back of the truck carrying Sam Rainsy. See photos of this amazing trip from the Airport to the CNRP HQ, 19 July 2014
Cambodian Unionists Mark Murder of Prominent Labor Leader (AFP | 22 Jan. 2014)
Photos 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
My presentation on the first day was on The Right to Vote
Sam Rainsy Returns
to a Rapturous
Hero's Welcome
Photos: Theary C. Seng, 19 July 2013 More images taken by me from the truck carrying Sam Rainsy at my Facebook accounts and in KI-Media 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Global Convening to End Mass Atrocities Istanbul (16-21 June 2013) Istanbul, Turkey's largest city at 15 to 17 million people, is magical, as exquisitely stunning as one can imagine it to be and more (!!). Also known as Constantinople, named after the Roman Emperor Constantine who converted to Christianity in 4th century, it has now only one percent Christian out of 55 Million population.
I'm presenting on 19 June 2013 "Reconciling Peace with Justice in Cambodia: the Limitations of Tribunals to Address Mass Crimes"
https://www.box.com/s/g9go7em1jyvuhvy8jbjj
Click here to read narratives and see more photos, or go to Ms. Seng's Facebook accounts
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Theary C. Seng and the Road Ahead in Cambodia By Michelle Phipps-Evans Asian Fortune News, 3 Feb. 2013
The name Theary Chan Seng generates a fervor approaching reverence in the Cambodian community here and abroad. She is the Cambodian-born, American-educated lawyer and civil rights activist who founded the Cambodian Center for Justice & Reconciliation. It is a major component of another organization she serves as founding president, CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education. This nonprofit group is dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles. It is actively engaged in the practice of democracy and reconciliation in Cambodia and the larger, globalized world. So who really is Seng, the person? She is a survivor of the Khmer Rouge (KR) regime, and has spent almost two decades advocating for its victims, many of whom were orphaned, widowed, abused or molested—victims who were like Seng herself.
. . . Obama, in Cambodia for a Meeting, Sidesteps the Ghosts of History
International Herald Tribune (Peter Baker, November 20, 2012)
Theary Seng, president of the Association of Khmer Rouge Victims in Cambodia, said, “President Obama should have met with the human rights community and activists challenging the Hun Sen regime, and while then and there, offer a public apology to the Cambodian people for the illegal U.S. bombings, which took the lives of half a million Cambodians and created the conditions for the Khmer Rouge genocide.”
Click here to read this complete news analysis
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Protests Greet Obama's Visit International Herald Tribune / New York Times PHNOM PENH — Theary Seng was taking aim with precision and anger. The 41-year-old U.S.-trained lawyer and a regular on Cambodia’s crowded protest circuit was about to throw a dart at a poster of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Kissinger is one of 13 politicians and senior Khmer Rouge leaders in a dart game created by Poetic Justice, a nongovernmental organization run by Theary Seng that highlights deficiencies of the special U.N.-backed tribunal judging the Khmer Rouge’s crimes. Each player gets five throws. A bull’s-eye is worth seven points. The highest score wins. Last Sunday afternoon, Theary Seng and three members of her staff were playing on Phnom Penh’s riverfront opposite the storied Foreign Correspondents’ Club. On this occasion — the fourth time the game has been staged in public — the point was to draw attention to the narrow scope of the Khmer Rouge tribunal ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit for a summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Click here to read full article.
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Watch the TV3 New Zealand broadcast with Mike McRoberts (aired 21 Nov. 2012) At ASEAN summit, trade overshadows human rights
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Open Letter to U.S. President Barack Obama Published in The Phnom Penh Post, 20 November 2012
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Theary Seng and some 30 security (plus more embedded in Wat Phnom Penh and Sunway Hotel) Narrative of harassment and images of Ms. Theary C. Seng's stand-off with at least 30 big bulky, heavily armed security in front of US Embassy Phnom Penh (Tuesday, 19 Nov. 2012)
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Emotional Violence of Past Poetic Justice Dart Games flared into Physical Assault on Ms. Theary C. Seng and those around her along the Riverfront, Sunday, 18 Nov. 2012
Reykjavik, Iceland SESSION 3: CALLING 4.15 - 5.45 pm Led by Miriam Subirana, Foundation for a Culture of Peace The session includes: Theary C. Seng, Founder, Centre for Justice and Reconciliation, Cambodia
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More at Association of Khmer Rouge Victims in Cambodia... "Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Court 'Dying' ABC News film, aired 16 Oct. 2012
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Khmer Rouge defendant Ieng Thirith ruled unfit for Cambodian genocide trial due to dementia The Washington Post, 13 Sept. 2012 Of course if she is seriously ill with Alzheimer’s, she should be released. There is no point in trying an incapacitated person,” said Theary Seng, a human rights advocate representing some victims who are allowed a role in the proceedings. “The point is the (tribunal) is so late in coming. The political foot-dragging and inertia has caused this travesty of justice.”
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Poetic Justice and Civil Party Withdrawal in the News Nov. 2011 Ex-leader: Khmer Rouge atrocities are 'fairy tale' AP Newswire, 23 Nov. 2011 "I'm not surprised that Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary continue to deny their crimes as the charges against them of genocide, war crimes are very serious," said Theary Seng, a Cambodian lawyer and human rights activist who lost family members under their regime. "Even if I am not surprised, I am however disgusted by their lack of remorse for the suffering they caused. They are delusional in their denial in light of the weight of evidence against them - the mounds of skulls and bones, the horrific testimonies from every survivor of cruelty, the magnitude and scope of evil unleashed by them across the whole of Cambodia."
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"Khmer Rouge trial is failing Cambodian victims of Pol Pot's regime" Human Rights Watch Brad Adams' editorial The Guardian, 26 Nov. 2011
. . . "Justice Denied" Douglas Gillison, Foreign Policy Magazine, 23 Nov. 2011 . . . Deputy President of Victims Association, a Civil Party of the Orphans Class, Mr. CHEY Theara, Withdraws Civil Party Status, Denounces ECCC as Political Farce _______________________ PRESS RELEASE _______________________
Full statement in both Khmer and English in KI-Media. Here, if ISP censors in Cambodia.
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Khmer Rouge Trial Missing a Marquee Defendant Wall Street Journal, 21 Nov. 2011 “The release of Ieng Thirith is only one reflection of how incredibly late these trials are coming into place,” said Theary Seng, founder of the Cambodian Center for Justice and Reconciliation and herself, too, a victim of the Khmer Rouge regime, having lost her parents and spent five months in prison. She has withdrawn from the tribunal process, and instead put her energy into organizing public games of darts featuring the faces of the Khmer Rouge leaders along Phnom Penh’s riverfront – a “way of release” following victims’ frustrations with the trial process, mixed with “dark humor,” she said.
But the trial - a joint enterprise between the UN and Cambodia - has been heavily criticised. Theary Seng, whose parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge, said putting three people on trial for the deaths of 1.7 million simply wasn't enough. (BBC News, 21 Nov. 2011)
Khmer Rouge Trial: Cambodia Awaits Answers BBC News, 21 Nov. 2011
. . . AFP, 21 Nov. 2011 Khmer Rouge survivor Theary Seng told AFP she was "frustrated beyond words" that only Khieu Samphan looked likely to shed light on what happened. "The people want to know who is behind the Khmer Rouge, we want to see and understand the larger picture and we're not going to get that," she said.
From Tragedy to Sham in Cambodia Asia Times Online, 19 Nov. 2011 In KI-Media Others have gone further, arguing that the time might be ripe for the UN to pull the plug on the controversy-plagued court altogether. Last week, Theary Seng, a Cambodian-American survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime and a prominent advocate for victims' rights, withdrew her status as a civil party to the court, describing the proceedings as a "complete sham". She said the UN should threaten to withdraw after setting some clear conditions for its continued participation. By pressing ahead, Seng said, the world body runs the risk of rubber-stamping a flawed process and further embedding cynicism in the Cambodian population. "I understand the unwieldiness of any large bureaucracy, but at the end of the day it comes down to personalities, and there have been extremely weak personalities," she said. "In this regard, the UN is complicit."
In the End, Loss of Faith in Tribunal: Former Complainant Hello VOA Special with Theary Seng, 16 Nov. 2011 Khmer Rouge Victim Quits Tribunal Saying UN-backed Court is a Sham DPA, 15 Nov. 2011
Prominent Victims' Advocate Quits Khmer Rouge Tribunal VOA International/English, 15 Nov. 2011 KRT Critic Offers 'Poetic Justice' The Phnom Penh Post, 16 Nov. 2011 Theary Seng Denounces Tribunal; Introduces Dartboard Scheme The Cambodia Daily, 16 Nov. 2011
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Click here to read the full press release...
More information at "ECCC Civil Party" More information at Association of Khmer Rouge Victims in Cambodia Theary Seng Criticizes KRT as "Political Farce" The Phnom Penh Post, 10 Nov. 2011
Radio Free Asia (both AM and PM broadcasts on 10 Nov. 2011)
Cambodian-American Lawyer Withdraws her Civil Party Status Voice of America Khmer Service, 10 Nov. 2011
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