'Day of Hate' Ceremony Held at Choeung Ek
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Around 1,000 people gathered at the Choeung Ek "killing fields" on Saturday to take part in a government-organized ceremony to commemorate the day formerly known as the "Day of Hate" against the Khmer Rouge regime.
First celebrated in 1984 as a national day for people to vent their anger against Pol Pot, "American imperialists" and "Chinese expansionists," the May 20 ceremony was toned down during the 1990s as holdout Khmer Rouge forces began their defections to the government.
On Saturday, actors dressed in the all-black uniform of Pol Pot's revolutionary army, armed with weighty wooden poles, reenacted scenes of torture and execution against prisoners whose arms were bound behind their backs.
Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema said that he organized the brutal performance to remind people of Pol Pot’s regime.
"We wanted to remember our suffering. We cannot forget Pol Pot’s regime," he said on Sunday. "We have waited 27 years. We want to see the Khmer Rouge tribunal process soon," he added.
CPP government officials staged similar ceremonies across the country, said ruling party lawmaker Cheam Yeap, who organized a commemoration in Prey Veng province.
"The Day of Hate celebration is a party instruction. We celebrated it in every province," said Cheam Yeap, adding that the re-enactments were staged to prevent history ever repeating itself in Cambodia.
"The country has not developed and continues to be poor because of the [Pol Pot] regime," he said.
Sam Rainsy Party Senator Kong Korm questioned the significance of the May 20 date for the commemoration, saying that April 17, the day Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge in 1975, would be a more fitting day for the popular expression of anger toward the communist regime.
Kong Korm, who was previously a member of the CPP, said that favoring May 20 over April 17was a factional issue between former Khmer Rouge members, which included Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly President and CPP Honorary President Heng Samrin.
"The Hate Day celebration is just to make clear that they were not responsible for the regime. The celebration is to make sure that only Pol Pot’s side was responsible for the genocide," Kong Korm said.
Hun Sen was a Khmer Rouge deputy regimental commander until he defected to Vietnam in June 1977. Heng Samrin defected to Vietnam in May 1978. Both of them later returned with Vietnamese support to topple Pol Pot on Jan 7, 1979.
Cheam Yeap said that Hun Sen and Heng Samrin were led in the wrong direction by Pol Pot and later fought back against the Khmer Rouge.
"Samdech Hun Sen and Heng Samrin are heroes," he said.
First celebrated in 1984 as a national day for people to vent their anger against Pol Pot, "American imperialists" and "Chinese expansionists," the May 20 ceremony was toned down during the 1990s as holdout Khmer Rouge forces began their defections to the government.
On Saturday, actors dressed in the all-black uniform of Pol Pot's revolutionary army, armed with weighty wooden poles, reenacted scenes of torture and execution against prisoners whose arms were bound behind their backs.
Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema said that he organized the brutal performance to remind people of Pol Pot’s regime.
"We wanted to remember our suffering. We cannot forget Pol Pot’s regime," he said on Sunday. "We have waited 27 years. We want to see the Khmer Rouge tribunal process soon," he added.
CPP government officials staged similar ceremonies across the country, said ruling party lawmaker Cheam Yeap, who organized a commemoration in Prey Veng province.
"The Day of Hate celebration is a party instruction. We celebrated it in every province," said Cheam Yeap, adding that the re-enactments were staged to prevent history ever repeating itself in Cambodia.
"The country has not developed and continues to be poor because of the [Pol Pot] regime," he said.
Sam Rainsy Party Senator Kong Korm questioned the significance of the May 20 date for the commemoration, saying that April 17, the day Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge in 1975, would be a more fitting day for the popular expression of anger toward the communist regime.
Kong Korm, who was previously a member of the CPP, said that favoring May 20 over April 17was a factional issue between former Khmer Rouge members, which included Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly President and CPP Honorary President Heng Samrin.
"The Hate Day celebration is just to make clear that they were not responsible for the regime. The celebration is to make sure that only Pol Pot’s side was responsible for the genocide," Kong Korm said.
Hun Sen was a Khmer Rouge deputy regimental commander until he defected to Vietnam in June 1977. Heng Samrin defected to Vietnam in May 1978. Both of them later returned with Vietnamese support to topple Pol Pot on Jan 7, 1979.
Cheam Yeap said that Hun Sen and Heng Samrin were led in the wrong direction by Pol Pot and later fought back against the Khmer Rouge.
"Samdech Hun Sen and Heng Samrin are heroes," he said.
10 comments:
AH CHEAM YEAP said"Samdech Hun Sen and Heng Samrin are heroes" ahahah Yes...they are your heroes not mine! These two guys defected to Vietname and came back with one million Vietcong troop and ignited Cambodian civil war for another 10 years! The one million Vietcong eat and shit in Cambodia for 10 years and more Cambodian people are dying from economic embargo and some more dying fighting the resistence force along Thai-Cambodian border! Please tell me more!
I agree with you.
Hun Sen and Heng samrin are nothing worth. THEY ARE AS CRIMINAL AS POL POT THEY KILLED CAMBODIANS DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY. DO YOU REMEMBER K5, CHEAM YEAP? HOW MANY KILLED, CRIPLED...? ARE YOU AS BLIND AS HUN SEN? OR YOU JUST SAY IT BECAUSE OF YOUR POSITION AND MONEY?
I don´t know how to describe these two incompetent, stupid, puppet people--heng samrin and hun sen. Heng samrin is good at drinking acohol with Tep Vong if i remembered after the liberation when he was the head of the state after he grapped power from our real libertor Pen Sovan.
YES I AGREE WITH YOU TOOO. I THINK A HUN SEN AND A HEN SAMRIN ARE THE SAME THEY JUST MAKE CAMBODIANS BECOME THEIR SCAPGOATS.
GO TO HELL A KWAK AND A SRA SAR HEN SAMRIN
You still have time now herros! do it, or else your seven generations before and ater will curse you forever
Whose is this guy, Cheam Yeap? Where does he come from? Anybody knows his background. To me he looks like VC who speaks fluent Cambodia language. Some stupid idiots who don't care about the country just go and join the CPP for their fame and money. Wake up Ah Kyom Youn... Kom Dek chear mouy srey youn rouch louk dey khmer.
He may not even speaks fluent Khmer!
Who dare to charlenge Hun Sen nomination?
I know him. He was born on 22 oct 1946, Prekcham village, Punlech Prasat Commune, Srok Peamro, Preiveng. He has five children. He finished his study at Northern California Global on Law 2004 ( ithink se hoh sertificate). 1973 he finished his military academy at pochetong.
Address: N.09, St.328, Toul svayprey1, Chamkamorn, PP. nad he has another house at neak Leoung- a big Villa on the left side if you drive from ferry satation. It it is just a minute from neakleoun market.
His number: 012 76999/016831322/0127167167
Do mai ahn Hok Landy BProrter!!!!!!
In order to get rid of these khmer bodies vientcong's head is the boom, from the Us...like sadam, on top of each one's house ..then he will see how khmer suffered ..otherwise ..nothing will happen to them!!
khmer rouge is crime against humanity.. maybe life in prison,,but hun sen heng samrin chea sim ta banh sor keng, and the whole CPP committed the crime angainst khmers and a traders or " Treasons"...these crime are to be beheaded is fair for our khmers!
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