PHNOM PENH – The root causes of the birth of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime are explored in a new book written by a Cambodian to explore the issues without any foreign bias.

It is written in Khmer with a title that can be translated as “A Voice Seeking Justice from the Common Grave, not Revenge”.

“Justice is a short word but holds complexity in definition,” author Kang Rithikiri says.

Rithikiri is a law lecturer and lawyer at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). He wrote the book to keep Cambodian history alive.

The book has two sections, each of about 700 pages, and explores the history of King Ang Duong, who ruled in the 19th century, through the Pol Pot era and the establishment of the ECCC.

“The main purpose is to seek the truth and the answers to the questions of why the victims were killed, who killed them, what they did wrong,” Rithikiri said. “It also serves as a knowledge archive of the history and whether international law allowed such a mass killing.”

He was concerned that such a horrible history could fade away or be forgotten gradually as time passed, which could cause a repeat of history.

His goal is to distribute a history book written by a Cambodian without exaggeration, fabrication, bias or the international community to color any party.

“As a Cambodian who has the experience, education, and extensive research on international crimes, I have been involved in a lot in social work to seek the truth about this genocide,” he said.

Asked what made his book stand out, given that many people had written about the regime, Rithikiri said he based the information on trustworthy sources, such as the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) and the ECCC. Details of international law came from the United Nation and others, such as the US and Europe.

“Some foreign authors tend to hold bias based on their political beliefs and ideology, condemning only the regime without considering all parties involved, those who assisted, bombed the country or provoked conflict among Cambodians,” he said.

Asked what link between the Ang Duong era to the regime made him explore the history going back to the 19th century, Rithikiri said that after the Angkor Empire, Cambodia faced fatal and internal conflicts and war.

During the reign of King Ang Duong, France was present in Cambodia as Siam (Thailand) and Vietnam intended to invade Cambodia, causing chaos.

He said a huge number of Khmers suffered, prompting King Ang Duong to seek a protectorate from France.

Then, the Indochinese Communist Party arose and broke up. King Norodom Sihanouk was overthrown and the Vietnamese war spread. Then, the Khmer Rouge took over the country.

“It’s not about politics but a historical fact,” he said.

“For me, justice is not about revenge but a compensation accepted by relevant parties and in accordance with the law. I don’t want any of us to forget about our past.”