40 Years – 17 APRIL 1975 – 17 APRIL 2015
MUSEUM OF MEMORY
THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF PHNOM PENH CITY: 17 APRIL 1975 – 17 APRIL 2015
HOW CAN WE FORGET? IT IS AN UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF HUMANITY
What does the passage of time do to history? Naturally, people pass away, memories fade, and the emotions of the past become diluted by the anxieties of the present and future. But does history ever become any less consequential? On 17 April 1975, the Khmer Rouge forces entered Phnom Penh. Approximately two million people were living in Cambodia’s capital city at the time.
Immediately upon arrival, the Khmer Rouge began the first phase of what they described as an ‘evacuation.’ This phase would later be classified as forced transfer. This forced transfer touched nearly every geographic region of Cambodia, and it began the Cambodian people’s unfortunate journey towards separation, starvation, execution and genocide. 17 April 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of this horrific chapter in Cambodia’s history, and while we take time to consider this history and its impact on Cambodian society, it is important that we also call attention to the fundamental principle that informs our work. Mankind’s propensity for indifference can be as dangerous as his propensity for violence. Over 75 years ago, on the eve of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland, Adolf Hitler urged his generals to show no mercy on the Polish people, stating, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” Indifference (as much as ignorance) opens the doorway to inhumanity. Indifference is civilization’s acquiescence to predators, and it is the tell-tale sign of a society that is destined to repeat the errors of its past. It is easy to become indifferent. Without a concerted effort to remember and learn, the lessons of the past seem less relevant. The first step in any effort to confront indifference is research and awareness. The painstaking effort of documentation, which includes interviews, document collection, archiving, and translation, lays the foundation for scholarly research, analysis, and eventually education. Education, however, must transcend the mere regurgitation of knowledge—it must challenge people to think critically about themselves, their communities, and their nation. Music, art, performance, and other cultural expressions also serve a crucial role in bridging divides and opening up the collective consciousness to new perspectives. None of these efforts alone can prevent, let alone stamp out, indifference; however, together they establish a platform of media and ideas that can change the direction of a society. Changing the direction of a society is an important endeavor, but it is not our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal as we take time to remember and reflect on our history must not be to focus on one country, culture or even region. In truth, our ultimate goal is changing the definition of humanity. Gross violations of human rights should trigger universal condemnation of perpetrators and a guarantee of justice. Victims should trust that their suffering is not ignored, dismissed or forgotten, and ultimately humanity must take exceptional regard for the well-being of all peoples, regardless of politic or circumstance. We are nowhere near this goal, and as we mark the 40th anniversary of this horrific chapter in Cambodia’s history, we would be mindful to recognize not only how far we must go in our journey, but how easy it is to regress. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of when the Khmer Rouge seized control of Cambodia, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) is pleased to organize a variety of events in which the Center has closely collaborated with both Cambodian and international institutions. The 40th anniversary commemorative events will utilize five unique concepts, including spiritual connotation, photography, abstract painting, history, local and global initiatives, and film. The events are as follows:
1. The 464 Urns: Nothing is Permanent – will be held in the main building of Wat Langka Pagoda and made possible through collaboration with Wat Langka Pagoda and the support of the Embassy of the United States of America in Phnom Penh, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Seabees of NMCB FIVE.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3YA3YMBooomMnlXYWRoaXAxclk/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B3YA3YMBooombk1hN2pGSEI4MTA&usp=sharing
2. Phnom Penh 1979 – photo exhibition along the river in front of Wat Unaloam Pagoda, in collaboration with the City Municipality of Phnom Penh.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B3YA3YMBooomcGhPTWVKblFKNTQ&usp=sharing
3. Unfinished – 11 abstract paintings (2M x 3M) by artist Sera Ing at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Building H, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, on April 22, 2015.
4. The Forced Transfer: the Second Evacuation of People during the Khmer Rouge Regimen—Civil Party Story, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.
The Forced Transfer Animation Map
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9DZV8TSrL0
5. I Want Justice – Cambodia Genocide, in collaboration with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B3YA3YMBooomRHlrcTljOEt5NGs&usp=sharing
6. Exhibition Opening Event After the Killing Fields: A Forty Year Perspective of the Cambodian Genocide. Discussion panel between Steven Bridges, British Consul General in Chicago, British Ambassador to Cambodia (2001-2004), and Ambassador David Scheffer, U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Expert on United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials, former U.S. Ambassador at-large for War Crimes, Mayer Brown/Robert A. Helman Professor of Law at Northwestern University, Director of the Center for International Human Rights, Co-Sponsored by Center for International Human Rights – Northwestern University Law School in partnership with Cambodian Association of Illinois.
http://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/pages/programs/events/
7. My Son – Film Screening and Q&A with Director Masahiro Sugano on Tuesday April 14, 2015, 6:15 PM – 8:45 PM, Dana Room, 4th Floor, Dana library, Rutgers University – Newark, New Jersey. Co-sponsored by Initiative on migration, Health and Wellbeing Documentation Center and International Working Group on Cambodia and Southeast Asia, Development of Asian Languages and Cultures Collective for Asian American Studies.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3YA3YMBooombDdSSUJKV0tlNWM/view?usp=sharing
8. Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten, Cambodia’s Lost Rock & Roll – Film Forum, Q&A with director John Pirozzi & special musical.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipq4FefX5Ps
9. What If The Stones Could Speak – Film screening at National Institute of Education (Building H).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kghklt4igE
10. “A Day of Remembrance” will be hosted by Khmer Culture Association of the University of Massachusetts on 17 April to mark the 40th anniversary of the Cambodia genocide, at Lowell, MA.
11. Sleuk Rith Institute — Exhibition presenting the structure of Sleuk Rith Institute at Royal University of Fine Arts Talent and Achievement 2015 on April 6-8 at 9 am- 8 pm. The exhibition presents the achievements of 5 faculties’ students and in evening will have performance.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B3YA3YMBooomY1M5U3J1X0gyXzQ&usp=sharing
12. LECTURE: The Long Road to Remembering and Honoring the Victims of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge Regime – Conceiving and Designing the Sleuk Rith Institute.
Abstract: SRI Chairman Chhang and Dr. Zimmer will jointly provide an historical overview of the effort to properly commemorate and institutionalize the memory of the hundreds of thousands of victims of the Cambodian Khmer Rouge regime, 1975-1979. Beginning with the creation of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) in the mid-1990s, the effort set about systematically collecting, organizing, and archiving original documents relating to the regime. The collection now exceeds one million documents and related evidentiary materials. DC-Cam has served as the primary source of evidentiary documents with which the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia have pursued and prosecuted senior leaders of the regime. DC-Cam also embarked on a national educational initiative to instruct Cambodian citizens and students about the history of the regime and its consequences for Cambodia. The next phase of this effort will be to construct the Sluek Rith Institute (SRI), DC-Cam’s successor. Building on DC-Cam’s legacy, the SRI will comprise a School of Genocide, Conflicts and Human Rights Studies, A Research and National Policy Development Center, and a Museum of Memory. The presentation will explain how the design of the SRI seeks to establish a new and emotionally uplifting approach to memorial architecture by escaping from the ominous tomb-like structures common in western countries from which visitors emerge with feelings of apprehension, anxiety and hopelessness. It also will touch on how the selection of Zaha Hadid reflected our intent to move away from male-dominated memorial architecture where the victims being commemorated so often comprise primarily women and children. In collaboration with Southeast Asian History of Art & Archaeology, School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS) London University.
For more information please visit and contact:
- Seng Kunthy on Forced Transfer at Tuol Sleng
Tel: 017 967 635, truthkunthy.s@dccam.org
- Men Pechet and Chhay Davin on Phnom Penh 1979
Tel: 092 168 543 truthmpechet@dccam.org;
Tel: 089 707 001 truthdavin.c@dccam.org
- Huy Samphoas on Three Years, Eight Months and Twenty Days at Illinois Holocaust Museum, I want Justice: Cambodia Genocide and Unfinished
Tel: 085 400 463 truthsamphoas@dccam.org
- Sirik Savina on Museum of Memory
- Chan Prathna on the 464 Urns: Nothing is Permanent
Tel: 093 987168 truthprathna.c@dccam.org
- Ouch Makara What If The Stones Could Speak – Film screening
Tel: 017 665 675 truthmakara@dccam.org
- Sa Fatily, General Progra
Tel: 012 511 914 truthfatily.s@dccam.org
www.dccam.org l www.cambodiatribunal.org l www.cambodiasri.org
DC-Cam’s address: House # 66, Preah Sihanouk Blvd, Phnom Penh
Email: dccam@online.com.kh
‘Cambodia will never escape its history, but it does not need to be enslaved by it.’
Youk Chhang