Identity, Memory, Politics in Post-Atrocity Cambodia and Rwanda

Social identity theorists have long argued that identities are constructed in the context of intergroup relations, and this is unquestionably helpful in understanding both interpersonal interactions and larger group-based conflicts. However, identity construction is also a highly political process in which the interests of various political actors and their post-atrocity ideologies strongly influence which identities are seen as useful and/or legitimate. This paper delves into how political ideology and political identity mutually constitute each other in two post-atrocity societies, Cambodia and Rwanda. In particular, the paper is interested in how identities of perpetrator, victim, bystander and hero are ascribed in the memory of the past atrocities, as well as how these can but do not always have to coalesce with ethnic identities. Furthermore, some of these ascriptions become entrenched, while others shift over time and the paper will sketch how these shifts occur as a product of political interests and opportunities. To understand how political ideologies, interests and opportunities impact the creation, perpetuation or transformation of identities, the paper will study the post-atrocity trajectories of both cases in terms of their political regimes, ongoing and emerging violent conflict, transitional justice institutions, as well as cultural heritage sites. With this broad approach, the paper attempts to trace the underlying causes of these changes in identity ascriptions over time for both countries. As such, the paper will contribute to the emerging literature on identity change in post-atrocity societies and how these are interlinked with the politics of memory.