US Involvement in the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

The US has been a key actor in the negotiations and operations of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia. I first explore the US role against the historical background of US foreign policy in Cambodia and then closely examine US involvement in the negotiations and operations of the tribunal. I then argue that five factors help explain US involvement: history, timing, ideas, individuals and control. The paper draws on 40 interviews with officials from the US government, the tribunal, international organizations, NGOs, academia and the media, as well as significant archival research undertaken in Washington DC and Phnom Penh. The paper is a draft chapter of my PhD thesis titled ‘Transitional Justice and US Foreign Policy’.