Ugly History: The Khmer Rouge murders - Timothy Williams

譯者: 至磊Zi Le 黃Ng 審譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi)

From 1975 to 1979, the Communist Party of Kampuchea

1975 年到 1979 年間，

柬埔寨共產黨鐵腕治國，

ruled Cambodia with an iron fist,

perpetrating genocide that killed one fourth of the country’s population.

發動種族滅絕， 殺害全國四分之一的人口。

Roughly 1 million Cambodians were executed

大約有一百萬柬埔寨人遭到處決，

as suspected political enemies or due to their ethnicities.

原因是被懷疑為政敵或種族因素。

The regime targeted Muslim Cham, Vietnamese, Chinese,

政府瞄準信奉伊斯蘭教的占族，

還有京族、華人、泰族、寮族。

Thai, and Laotian individuals.

Outside these executions,

除了這些處決之外，

one million more Cambodians died of starvation, disease,

還有一百萬名柬埔寨人 死於飢餓、疾病、過度勞動。

or exhaustion from overwork.

This genocidal regime rose to power amidst decades of political turmoil.

這個發動種族滅絕的政權 是在數十年的政治動盪後掌權：

Following World War II, Cambodia’s monarch, Prince Norodom Sihanouk,

第二次世界大戰後， 柬埔寨國王諾羅敦．施亞努

successfully negotiated the country’s independence after roughly 90 years

在被法國殖民統治將近九十年後， 成功協議讓國家取得獨立。

of French colonial rule.

But Sihanouk’s strict policies provoked friction with many citizens.

但施亞努嚴苛的統治 讓許多人民心生反感，

Especially militant communist rebels, who had long opposed the French

尤其是長期反抗法國的 激進共產黨叛軍

and now turned their attention to overthrowing the prince.

現在將注意力轉向推翻國王。

This unstable situation was further complicated

又因一場柬埔寨國境以外的戰爭， 這種不穩定的局勢更加複雜。

by a war raging outside Cambodia’s borders.

In Vietnam, millions of American troops were supporting

在越南，有數百萬名美軍

the non-communist south against the communist north.

支持非共產國家的南越 對抗共產國家的北越。

While the US petitioned for Cambodia’s support,

美國請求柬埔寨出手相助時，

Prince Sihanouk tried to stay neutral.

施亞努國王試著保持中立。

But in 1970, he was overthrown by his prime minister

但 1970 年，國王被首相廢黜，

who allowed American troops to bomb regions of Cambodia

首相同意美軍轟炸柬埔寨的領土

in their efforts to target North Vietnamese fighters.

以擊殺北越的戰士，

These attacks killed thousands of Cambodian civilians.

這些攻擊殺害了數千名柬埔寨人民。

To regain power after being overthrown,

在被推翻後，國王為了重奪權力，

the prince allied with his political enemies.

決定與政敵結盟。

The Communist Party of Kampuchea, also known as the Khmer Rouge,

柬埔寨共產黨，也稱紅色高棉，

was led by Cambodians who dreamed of making their nation

領導該黨的柬埔寨人希望國家 變成不分階級的稻農社會。

a classless society of rice farmers.

They opposed capitalist Western imperialism

他們反對資本主義的西方勢力進入，

and sought to lead the country to self-sufficiency.

尋求讓國家走上自給自足的道路。

But to the public, they mostly represented a force

但對社會大眾而言， 他們就是一支反抗親美政府的勢力。

fighting the pro-American government.

Angered by destructive American bombing

美國破壞性轟炸引發的怒火，

and encouraged by the prince’s call to arms,

加上受國王的戰鬥號令鼓舞，

many Cambodians joined the Khmer Rouge.

許多柬埔寨人因此加入紅色高棉。

Eventually, a full blown civil war erupted.

最後，一場內戰全面爆發。

Over five years of fighting,

在五年的戰爭中，

more than half a million Cambodians died in this brutal conflict.

超過 50 萬名柬埔寨人 在這場殘酷的衝突中喪命。

But the violence didn’t end

1975 年 4 月，叛軍攻占金邊， 然而暴力仍未結束。

when the rebels conquered Phnom Penh in April 1975.

Upon taking the capital,

紅色高棉一奪下首都，

the Khmer Rouge executed anyone associated with the previous government.

就處決了所有前政府的相關人員。

Prince Sihanouk remained stripped of power and was put under house arrest,

施亞努國王依然沒有實權， 而且還遭受軟禁。

and the Khmer Rouge began evacuating city residents to the countryside.

隨後紅色高棉政權 開始將都市居民遷往鄉村，

Those who couldn't make the trip by foot were abandoned,

無法徒步走到那裡的人受到遺棄，

separating countless families.

無數家庭骨肉分離。

In this new regime, every citizen was stripped of their belongings

在這個新政權，人人都被剝奪財產，

and given the same clothes and haircut.

給予一樣的衣服和髮型。

Private property, money, and religion were outlawed.

私有財產、金錢、宗教 一律受到法律禁止。

The new agricultural workforce was expected to produce

新的農業勞動力被要求 生產不可能達到的稻米產量；

impossible amounts of rice,

and local leaders would be killed if they couldn’t fulfill quotas.

如果無法滿足額度， 地方領導人就會被處死。

Many prioritized their orders to the capital above feeding workers.

許多領導人因此把首都要求的糧食 置於勞工的溫飽之上。

Underfed, overworked, and suffering from malaria and malnutrition,

由於飢餓、過勞、瘧疾、營養不良，

thousands perished.

數千人因而喪生。

The Khmer Rouge members enforcing the system were no safer.

執行這個體系的 紅色高棉成員也不安全。

When their plan failed to produce rice at the expected rates,

當他們的計畫落空， 無法以預期的速率增產稻米，

Khmer Rouge leadership became paranoid.

紅色高棉領導層變得猜忌多疑，

They believed that internal enemies were trying to sabotage the revolution,

相信有內鬼企圖破壞革命，

and they began arresting and executing anyone perceived as a threat.

於是開始逮捕、處決 任何被視為威脅的人。

This brutality continued for almost four years.

這種殘暴的行徑持續了將近四年，

Finally, in 1979, Vietnamese troops

最終於 1979 年，

越南軍隊與倒戈的紅色高棉成員 合作奪得國家的控制權。

working alongside defected Khmer Rouge members took control of the country.

This political upheaval triggered yet another civil war

這場政治動盪又激起另一場內戰，

that wouldn’t end until the 1990s.

直到 1990 年代才平息。

In the years that followed,

接下來的幾年，

there was no easy path to justice for victims and their families.

受害者和其家屬很難得到平反。

A hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal was established in 2003,

2003 年，聯合國和柬埔寨 聯合成立了一個特別法庭，

but it only tried Khmer Rouge in the topmost leadership positions.

但這個法庭只審判了 紅色高棉最高職位的領導人，

Lower level Khmer Rouge members appeared in court as well,

低階紅色高棉成員也現身於法庭，

but they weren't placed on trial.

但他們不是來接受審判，

Instead, they gave testimony and offered insight

而是提供證詞，

解釋這個殘酷的體制 如何使他們的上級得以犯罪。

into the cruel system that had enabled their superiors’ crimes.

Some of these perpetrators were even legally acknowledged as victims,

某些犯罪參與者 甚至是法律承認的受害者，

because they constantly feared for their lives

因為他們一直懼怕失去性命，

and committed violence as a means of self-preservation.

犯下暴行是自保的一種手段。

This perception of low level Khmer Rouge members

這種將低階紅色高棉成員 視為受害者而非罪犯的見解

as victims rather than perpetrators extended beyond the courtroom.

延伸到法庭之外。

Like other Cambodians, most Khmer Rouge members lost family,

就像其他柬埔寨人， 多數紅色高棉成員失去家庭，

suffered hunger, were stripped of their homes and belongings,

遭受飢餓，被剝奪房屋和財產，

and were overworked to exhaustion.

因過度勞動而筋疲力竭。

And the paranoia amongst Khmer Rouge leadership

紅色高棉領導層的疑神疑鬼

had led to a higher rate of execution for Khmer Rouge members

更導致其成員被處決的比率 比第一大種族還高。

than the ethnic majority population.

As a result, many Cambodians today don't just see the genocide

結果，對如今很多柬埔寨人而言，

種族滅絕不只是 針對少數族裔的罪行，

as one committed against ethnic minority groups,

but also as a broad campaign of violence impacting the entire population.

也是影響所有人民的廣大暴行。

As of 2021, only three people have received prison sentences.

時至 2021 年，只有三人受到監禁，

Many victims would like the tribunal

許多受害者希望特別法庭

to pursue further trials of Khmer Rouge leaders.

對紅色高棉領導層 展開更進一步的審判。

However, a 2018 national survey revealed

然而， 2018 年一份全國性調查顯示

that most victims feel the tribunal has contributed to justice.

多數受害者覺得 特別法庭伸張了正義。

In the wake of such tragedy,

在經歷這種悲劇後，

it’s tempting to paint conflicts in simplistic terms—

人們容易想把對衝突的描寫簡化——

casting one group as oppressor and the other as oppressed.

把一個群體視為壓迫者， 把其他人視為被壓迫者。

But many Cambodians live with a more complex reality.

但許多柬埔寨人身處更複雜的現實：

Everyone suffered, even those who contributed to the suffering of others.

所有人都受苦， 就連施暴者也一樣受苦。

This perception doesn’t excuse any acts of violence.

這種見解不會原諒任何暴行，

But how a society remembers traumatic events

然而社會對創傷的歷史有怎樣的記憶

plays a part in who is seen as victim, who is seen as perpetrator,

會影響如何界定受害者與犯罪者，

and how a shattered society can build a path into the future.

也影響被撕裂的社會如何邁向未來。