Description
Book SynopsisCraig Etcheson, one of the world’s foremost experts on the Cambodian genocide and its aftermath, draws on decades of experience to trace the evolution of transitional justice in the country from the late 1970s to the present. He considers how war crimes tribunals come into existence, how they operate and unfold, and what happens in their wake.
Trade ReviewExtraordinary Justice hands down the final verdict on the UN’s controversial ‘mixed tribunal.’ Starting as an academic observer during the 1980s, Craig Etcheson worked as a fearless and tireless killing fields investigator during the 1990s and then played a key behind the scenesbehind-the-scenes role for the UN during the proceedings. Simply put, nobody knows more about the Khmer Rouge war crimes trials than Etcheson. This is a remarkable, three-dimensional study of the legally simple but politically complex proceedings that took longer to try five defendants than it did for the Allies did to try thousands of war criminals after World War II. -- Peter Maguire, author of
Facing Death in CambodiaFew have witnessed or studied the rise, demise, and prosecution of the Khmer Rouge as Craig Etcheson has done for more than three decades.
Extraordinary Justice is a gripping eyewitness account of the Khmer Rouge leadership’s final coda in front of domestic and international justice, however imperfect that justice might be.
Extraordinary Justice will be the definitive reference text for years to come. -- Sophal Ear, author of
Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines DemocracyIn this absorbing, persuasively argued book, Craig Etcheson draws on over thirty years of involvement with Cambodia and on his prolonged association with the so-called Khmer Rouge Tribunal, giving his readers a clear idea of what happened at the Tribunal and the daunting challenges it faced. -- David Chandler, author of
A History of Cambodia, 4th EditionCraig Etcheson is one of only a handful of people on the planet who, for the last four-plus decades, has immersed himself in the question of what the Khmer Rouge did while in power from 1975 to 1979 and how to bring them to justice for their crimes of genocide.
Extraordinary Justice is a must-read for those interested in how the international community uses the cumbersome rule of law to convict those who thought they could get away with mass murder using their own ill-conceived, unrepentant law of the jungle. -- Michael Hayes, publisher and editor in chief of the
Phnom Penh PostA magisterial chronicle of the inner workings of post-conflict justice. * International Law Reporter *
A comprehensive review of the search for justice following the 1970s Cambodian genocide. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *
Essential for a broad audience, including academics and practitioners with an interest in international criminal law, transitional justice, the ECCC, and potentially those working in the field of international relations and international organizations. -- Suzanne Schot, University of Groningen * Genocide Studies and Prevention *
It is risky to describe any book as 'the definitive account,'...but given the depth of research and the unparalleled inside knowledge of the author, this reviewer is willing to risk it. -- Kenton Clymer, Northern Illinois University * Journal of American-East Relations *
As a book written by an insider,
Extraordinary Justice profits from information an outsider would never find...The result is a highly readable account for anyone with an interest in transitional, and transnational, justice. * Holocaust and Genocide Studies *
This is a rich and personalised study of international criminal law, with the pace and ‘page-turner’ appeal of a novel. -- Rosemary Grey, University of Sydney * Current Issues in Criminal Justice *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
List of Acronyms
Introduction
1. Revolutionary Justice
2. Victor’s Justice
3. Negotiating Justice
4. Justice Delayed
5. Hybrid Justice
6. Transitional Justice
7. Selective Justice
8. Genocide Justice
9. Justice Denied
10. Extraordinary Justice
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index
