How are complex political victims remembered and represented (or not) in a memorial museum in the context of post-conflict society? Memorialization of violent histories primarily focus on remembering standard sufferings (torture, killing, imprisonment) and ideal victims. Despite diverse and complex experiences of victims during the genocide and civil war, public recognitions of complex victims and their experiences remain heavily influenced by the politics of memory and victimhood. This lecture will focus on practices of memorialization at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a state-sanctioned memorial museum in Cambodia, which was converted from the most secretive Khmer Rouge prison, S-21. We will look at the motivations for establishing the memorial museum, curatorial practices of the permanent and temporary exhibitions, and the role of the museum in the broader politics of memory and memorialization in Cambodia. We will also look at how the museum accounts for complex identities of victims and their diverse experiences in its narratives.

Lecture slides: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Cambodia.pdf

Readings:

Bernath, Julie (2016). ‘Complex Political Victims’ in the Aftermath of Mass Atrocity: Reflections on the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia. International Journal of Transitional Justice, 10(1), 46–66.

Chandler, David (2008). Cambodia Deals with its Past: Collective Memory, Demonisation and Induced Amnesia. Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions, 9(2–3), 355–369.

Wilke, Christiane (2013). Remembering Complexity? Memorials for Nazi Victims in Berlin. International Journal of Transitional Justice, 7(1), 136–156.