Background Brief

Cambodia: Are France and the

U.S. Culpable for Civilian
Deaths?
Carlyle A. Thayer
January 14, 2014
[cllenL name deleLed]
We requesL your assessmenL of Lhe followlng lssues:
C1. uo you Lhlnk LhaL Lhe u.S. should bear any responslblllLy when lL comes Lo
soldlers lL has Lralned acLlng ouLslde local and lnLernaLlonal law by vlolenLly aLLacklng
and kllllng proLesLers?
AnSWL8: 1he u.S. should only bear responslblllLy lf lL LaclLly condones Lhe acLlons of
Lhe speclal counLer-Lerrorlsm unlL and makes no aLLempL Lo proLesL and/or recLlfy
Lhelr behavlour afLer an lncldenL occurs of lllegal use of deadly force. 1he u.S. can
always lmpose sancLlons and cease mlllLary Lralnlng. 1he u.S. has noL expllclLly
Lralned counLer-Lerrorlsm unlLs Lo vlolaLe domesLlc and/or lnLernaLlonal law. ln facL
lL ls llkely LhaL lnLernaLlonal law ls parL of Lhe Lralnlng program.
1he u.S. ls Lralnlng counLer-Lerrorlsm unlLs Lo combaL LerrorlsLs and noL Lo conLrol
sLrlklng workers. no doubL Lhe moLlvaLlon behlnd counLer-Lerrorlsm Lralnlng ls Lo
esLabllsh some channels of lnfluence over Lhe Pun Sen reglme and Lo curry uS
congresslonal supporL.
C2. Llkewlse, Lhe lrench helped reesLabllsh Lhe Cendarmerle, and now conLlnues Lo
supporL and Lraln Lhose soldlers uo you Lhlnk LhaL lrance should bear
any responslblllLy when lL comes Lo soldlers lL has Lralned acLlng ouLslde local and
lnLernaLlonal law by vlolenLly aLLacklng and kllllng proLesLers?
AnSWL8: 1he Cendarmerle are Lralned for domesLlc securlLy roles. lrance should
only bear responslblllLy lf lL LaclLly condones Lhe acLlons of Cendarmerle and makes
no aLLempL Lo proLesL and/or recLlfy Lhelr behavlour afLer an lncldenL occurs of
lllegal use of deadly force. lf Lhe Cendarmerle perslsLs ln uslng deadly force LhaL ls
lllegal or vlolaLes lnLernaLlonal law Lhen lrance should lmpose sancLlons and cease
Lhelr Lralnlng programs.
C3. uo you Lhlnk LhaL Lhese Lwo governmenLs should answer Lo Lhe charge LhaL Lhey
have alded Lhe breachlng of Lhe baslc human rlghLs of many LhaL Lhey have beaLen,
kllled and deLalned, boLh on !anuary 2 and 3 and ln Lhe pasL?
AnSWL8: 1he prlme responslblllLy for Lhe kllllngs of sLrlkers earller Lhls monLh lles
wlLh Lhe Cambodlan governmenL and Lhose who dlrecLed Lhe unlLs lnvolved Lo use
deadly force LhaL was noL proporLlonal Lo Lhe LhreaL. An lndependenL commlsslon of
Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123




2
lnqulry should lnvesLlgaLe Lhese lncldenLs Lo asslgn culpablllLy. 1hls ls unllkely Lo
happen, however.
lrance and Lhe unlLed SLaLes provlde Lralnlng LhaL ls ln accord wlLh lnLernaLlonal law.
8oLh counLrles sLress Lhe lmporLance of clvll conLrol over Lhe mlllLary and securlLy
agencles. nelLher counLry has expllclLly Lralned counLer-Lerrorlsm unlLs or Lhe
Cendarmerle Lo dellberaLely break lnLernaLlonal law.
lrance and Lhe unlLed SLaLes should boLh make clear LhaL Lhey ob[ecL Lo Lhe kllllng of
sLrlklng workers and demand LhaL Lhese lncldenLs be Lhoroughly lnvesLlgaLed wlLh a
vlew Lo asslgnlng responslblllLy for Lhe declslon Lo use force.
1he sad reallLy ls LhaL lf lrance and Lhe u.S. lmpose sancLlons or suspend Lhelr
Lralnlng programs, Chlna ls llkely Lo adopL an opporLunlsLlc sLance and sLep ln.

SuggesLed clLaLlon: Carlyle A. 1hayer, Cambodla: Are lrance and Lhe u.S. Culpable
for Clvlllan ueaLhs?," !"#$%& ()*+,-.#*/$ 0#/12&),*3 0&4%5, !anuary 14, 2014. All
background brlefs are posLed on Scrlbd.com (search for 1hayer). 1o remove yourself
from Lhe malllng llsL Lype unSu8SC8l8L ln Lhe Sub[ecL headlng and hlL Lhe 8eply key.
1hayer ConsulLancy provldes pollLlcal analysls of currenL reglonal securlLy lssues and
oLher research supporL Lo selecLed cllenLs. 1hayer ConsulLancy was offlclally
reglsLered as a small buslness ln AusLralla ln 2002.