This morning I had the special opportunity to sit in the Extraordinary Chambers of the Court of Cambodia and watch the trial of Nuon Chea, the top living Khmer Rouge leader. This is the equivalent of watching the war crimes trials of the Nazis.
To explain the chaos the Khmer Rouge had to contend with after they ousted the government, the defense spent probably one minute comparing the chaos that occurred in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to what the Khmer Rouge encountered. I currently live in New Orleans and work on infrastructure recovery efforts. Needless to say, as if this experience wasn't surreal enough, watching a Cambodian attorney defend the actions of the Khmer Rouge using a Katrina comparison has to be one of the most bizarre moments I've ever experienced.
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