The Prisoners' Dilemma
every prisoner does so, there is the least chance that their statements can be used as evidence against each other or themselves. But in this case, the logic of the problem fails on the same assumption previously cited. In Cambodia, the police can not be trusted to act rationally, much less honestly. With Hun Sen seemingly changing his mind daily as to whether there should even be a trial, the prisoners have no way to gauge how well any given strategy would work.
Even given the total disarray of the jailers, the prisoners are acting just as the model predicts. Phnom Penh deputy governor Chea Sophara announced that Ta Mok had told investigators he is innocent of genocide, saying that Ta Mok said "Pol Pot, Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea were guilty and it was nothing to do with him." On the other side, Khieu and Nuon Chea (who, unlike Ta Mok, are living freely) are apparently blaming Ta Mok, and the government seems to be listening. Foreign Minister Hor Namhong drew a distinction between Ta Mok and the others (the other surrendered, Ta Mok had to be captured), indicating that the government is looking to use Ta Mok as a scapegoat for all the evils of the Khmer Rouge.
With Ta Mok, Khieu and Nuon Chea blaming each other, according to the theoretical model, the collectively worst result (for the prisoners) should come to fruition. But it all depends on the mercy (or call it what you will) of Hun Sen and his government, who may choose to blame everything on Ta Mok, or may just as easily renege on the earlier pleasant welcomes of his former comrades. Taking into account the motivations of the jailers and ramifications of their actions requires a much more complicated theoretical model.
Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim faces a similar thorny problem to the Cambodian prisoners. Jailed for corruption and lewd acts after his popularity made him a threat to Prime Minister Mahathir's strongly autocratic rule, Anwar could probably have ended the case against him long ago, by agreeing to cooperate with Mahathir, probably accompanied by naming some underlings as scapegoats for the corruption charges.
But an interesting twist on the prisoners' dilemma arises. Now that Mahathir has seen Anwar as a threat, there is no reason that Mahathir should show any sympathy, and no reason that Mahathir should give up this chance to eliminate the threat. Especially
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