Three female investigators deploy to Cambodia to support Khmer Rouge investigations
As we mark International Women’s Day on March 8, we share with you the story of three Canadian police officers who recently embarked on a unique, one-year deployment to Cambodia to assist with investigations into crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide committed between 1975 and 1979 during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Ottawa Police Staff Sergeant Isobel Granger, RCMP Corporal Bailey Gilarowski (Ottawa) and Vancouver Police Detective Constable Ana Jean Benefield arrived in Phnom Penh in mid- January to work under the auspices of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), a joint Cambodian-United Nations organization.
Granger in front of ECCC HQ in Phnom Penh.
The three were selected for this deployment from Justice Rapid Response, an international roster of 450 criminal justice and related professionals with a broad range of expertise. This is their first deployment abroad, although Granger has done extensive international work and training.
“Coming away from a strategy team meeting this morning, it did not escape my attention that our team members are from five different countries, and four different disciplines,” says Granger of a meeting in late February. “We each have a significant contribution to make over the next twelve months, so we have to maximize what we bring to the table as a diverse team.”
The Canadians are assigned to one of two cases still under investigation. In 2014, the investigative scope of these two cases was expanded to incorporate sexual and gender-based crimes, including forced marriage.
The police officers’ investigative experience and training in major crime as well as in sexual and gender-based violence – including Granger’s recent role as head of the Ottawa Police’s Partner Assault Unit – will make them a valuable asset to the ECCC.
Early days in the field
The investigators spent their first two months in training with the ECCC. Benefield and Gilarowski were sent out to the field first, spending 12 days shadowing the ECCC’s top-notch investigators as they interviewed witnesses in remote jungle locations.
“I'm acutely aware of the fact that it takes courage for these witnesses to tell complete strangers their stories, true stories of suffering, and to relive what happened to them,” explains Gilarowski. “Their stories will not only become part of the court record, but also a part of Cambodia's historical record.”
Gilarowski out in the field.
“The people we met were witnesses to or victims of unspeakable violence. Yet they were not broken or hardened or even full of hatred. They were remarkably resilient, strong and happy people,” reveals Benefield. “The mere fact that you still see structures where such violence and tragedy took place makes you take a deep breath and be thankful to reflect on how fortunate we are.”
Spending time in the field has helped them with their learning curve, while also yielding some great adventures.
“We were stuck in a village overnight because of a torrential rainstorm,” says Gilarowski. “The entire village came out to play boules with our interpreter and team. We set up my laptop outside on a table and played the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Soon every child in the village was watching the movie. It was an amazing experience.”
They have also had ant swarms and frogs in their bathroom, ants in their beds, and lots of mud between their toes.
“All you can do is laugh and enjoy it. It's almost surreal at times,” says Gilarowski.
Staying in touch
While acclimatizing to long days in extreme heat and humidity, the three are half-way around the world from their families. Cell phone and Internet connections are very unreliable in the field, so it is difficult to stay in touch regularly with loved ones.
However, in Phnom Penh, the three chat with their families via video link, send text messages, and share videos. Gilarowski says she has even helped her daughter with her homework via video.
“It makes me feel I am not so far away and I can stay involved in her school work and daily life,” she points out.
After seeing videos about different sources of protein in Cambodia, Benefield’s nine-year old son is interested in trying bat. He told her “it sounds really good mama. When I become an expert I will try the fried tarantula". Her daughter nervously responded “Mama, do we have to eat that?”
On working overseas
In terms of her motivation for taking on the assignment in Cambodia, Granger says the interconnectedness of the modern world demands that everyone plays a role in achieving global stability, whether acting locally or globally. She believes the work she and her colleagues are doing in the coming year in helping to bring to justice those responsible for atrocities committed in Cambodia will help create a safer and more stable environment in that country.
Benefield out in the field.
“Thus far the reality of what I am doing in Cambodia has far exceeded my own expectations,” says Granger. “We know that any contribution we make is part of something so much bigger than ourselves, so we have to make it count.”
For Gilarowski, taking on this mission is about giving back to something larger than the day-to-day world in Canada. She also believes the skills she and her colleagues are gaining in Cambodia will also have benefits domestically.
“Here in Cambodia, our investigative skills are desperately needed. Doing this type of work in austere and adverse conditions makes us stronger as individuals and as a team. It has already shown us that we are more resilient than we perhaps gave ourselves credit for in the beginning.”
Benefield sees this mission as the pinnacle of her career, but admits that it was a tough decision, as a year is a long time to be away from her family. However, she notes that her short time in mission has already changed her.
“Priorities are different here and maybe that is the ultimate lesson to be learned for me. Don't worry about what you don't have and truly embrace what you do have,” she says. “Knowing I might be able to make a contribution that will ultimately assist in bringing closure and justice to those who have suffered so much made my decision easier.”
Canada’s engagement with Cambodia
Canada is a long-standing supporter of transitional justice, including the investigation and prosecution of Khmer Rouge leaders for the atrocities they committed against the people of Cambodia.
Canada was a key contributor to the peace process in Cambodia that resulted in the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. Since 2005, Canada has contributed $2.9 million to the ECCC. With this deployment, Canada continues to demonstrate its support for the protection of human rights, peace-building, justice and reconciliation in Cambodia.
This deployment is funded by the Global Peace and Security Fund, which is managed by the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force of Canada’s Department of Foreign, Affairs, Trade and Development.
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