Phnom penh: The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) Resource Centre is fully equipped to offer the public a comprehensive understanding of the Khmer Rouge regime, according to Mr. Puy Kea, President of the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ).
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Mr. Puy Kea emphasized the significance of the resource centre during a study visit with journalists from over 20 media outlets. He noted that although films like The Killing Fields, First They Killed My Father, and The People's Enemy, along with memorial sites such as Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek, play crucial roles in raising awareness, the ECCC Resource Centre provides the deepest historical clarity. Located next to the Office of the Council of Ministers in central Phnom Penh, the centre houses curated, court-certified archives and legal records.
"This is an important endeavour by the ECCC, and it is open to all members of the public - whether students, researchers, or provincial citizens," Mr. Puy Kea stated, urging media representatives to widely share access to these vital materials.
H.E. Thorng Socheat, Secretary of State at the Office of the Council of Ministers and Senior Manager of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, underscored the press' crucial role in documenting the regime's accountability for the deaths of millions of innocent Cambodians. He added that the centre serves as an active hub for research and reflection, complementing physical memorial sites.
Established under the tribunal's residual mandate, the ECCC Resource Centre manages all legal records, trial evidence, and historical archives from the trials of senior Khmer Rouge leaders. Through its library, interactive exhibitions, and mobile outreach initiatives, the centre aims to advance public education on human rights, justice, and genocide prevention.