New ECCC mobile resource centre drives engagement
THE Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has unveiled its “ECCC Mobile Bus”, a mobile resource centre set to traverse Cambodia, reaching every province.
The ECCC, commonly known as the Khmer Rouge tribunal, said this initiative aims to broaden the impact of its existing ECCC Resource Centre, catering to the specific needs of comprehensive outreach and education activities in remote areas.
The announcement came during the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the ECCC and the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) on January 31. The MoU focuses on fostering collaboration for increased access and knowledge exchange between the ECCC Resource Centre and the RUPP’s Hun Sen Library.
Kranh Tony – secretary of state at the Council of Ministers
and acting director of administration at the ECCC – said that beyond expanding the resource centre’s scope, the mobile bus launch addresses the imperative for outreach and educational activities.
“The ECCC bus … is anticipated to offer a broader spectrum of educational outreach activities. Targeting the public, students, youth and communities in remote areas, its goal is to enhance understanding of the ECCC trial process, achievements and the legacy built over the 16-year period from 2006 to 2022,” he said.
He added that, through the trial process in all its cases against former Khmer Rouge leaders, the ECCC has compiled a court archive of nearly 2.4 million pages in Khmer, English and French and over 1,000 hours of video recordings. More than 11,000 victims of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime provided oral testimony to the ECCC, with 6,875 survivors actively participating in the court proceedings as civil parties.
“The ECCC also established a digital system to streamline the trial process and case management, aligning with the digital economic and social policy framework for 2021-35. This initiative is particularly congruent with the government’s Pentagonal Strategy,” Tony said.
During the ceremony, RUPP rector Chet Chealy also mentioned that the presence of the ECCC bus on the campus is a crucial opportunity to establish a fruitful partnership with relevant institutions. This collaboration aims to widely share noble achievements and achieve high efficiency according to individual needs.
“Throughout Cambodia’s millennia-long journey, there exists a stretch of road marred by indiscriminate killings, and that’s the Khmer Rouge road. Delving into and comprehending history aims not to instigate hatred but to inspire understanding. Thus, the ECCC mobile bus aims to impart in-depth information to students and the public concerning the facts and processes of the tribunal,” he said.
The mobile resource centre, valued at nearly $200,000, is equipped with “cuttingedge technology”, featuring laptops, meeting rooms with LCD screens and projectors, and an interactive TV with a touch screen panel for direct drawing during presentations and video screenings. Beyond technology, the bus is stocked with educational materials and multimedia content related to the ECCC trial process.
Designed to meet research needs, the bus accommodates upwards of 15 people for simultaneous reading. Additionally, it provides an outdoor reading space with a table and chairs for those who wish to learn or understand in an open-air group setting.
As the ECCC bus embarks on a journey throughout Cambodia, it will make stops at significant locations, including schools, universities, towns, pagodas, markets and district halls. This mobile initiative seeks to bring the ECCC closer to the people.