Dith Pran, who survived a Cambodian labor camp and whose story was immortalized in the Academy Award-winning film, "The Killing Fields," gave the audience at Georgian Court Tuesday night a general history of the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the role the Vietnam War played in Cambodian affairs. (STAFF PHOTOS: MICHAEL J. TREOLA)Genocide survivor talks of forgiveness at Georgian Court
04/11/07
Asbury Park Press (New Jersey, USA)
BY TRISTAN J. SCHWEIGER
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
LAKEWOOD — Dith Pran doesn't believe in execution for members of the Khmer Rouge.
For one thing, Pran said he long ago learned to let go of his anger — after all, he said, he was the only one it was hurting, and it wouldn't bring back his parents or siblings. But he said he's also much more interested in asking questions than seeking vengeance.
He wants to know why, for instance, the radical communist regime thought it was right to kill 2 million of his fellow Cambodians. He wants to know why they thought it was necessary to empty the country's cities, forcing millions out into the rice fields to work 14-hour days on starvation rations.
"I want them to tell the world why (they believed) what they believed, so we make it different in the future," Pran told an audience at Georgian Court University Tuesday night.
Pran, now 64, is perhaps the best-known survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide, which began in 1975 after the movement led by Pol Pot seized control of the country. He had worked as a war correspondent alongside New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg, and both were arrested by the regime when it seized power.
Schanberg was ultimately released, and he received a Pulitzer Prize, which he accepted on behalf of Pran and himself. But Pran disappeared into rice fields as the Khmer Rouge proclaimed "Year Zero" and sought to completely remake Cambodian society.
The educated and professionals such as doctors and teachers were among the most prominent targets of the regime.
"They abolished almost everything," Pran said. "Some of you say, "Do you still have hospitals?' No. No schools. (The Khmer Rouge) say, "Maybe in the future. First we have to work to get more rice.' "
The Khmer Rouge regime ended after neighboring Vietnam invaded in the late 1970s. Pran escaped from Cambodia in October 1979, after enduring four years of starvation and torture. The Academy Award-winning film "The Killing Fields," released in 1984, depicts his life.
On Tuesday night, Pran, a New York Times photojournalist since 1980, gave the audience at Georgian Court a general history of the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the role the Vietnam War played in Cambodian affairs. But he said his main purpose in speaking out about the genocide is to educate people about what happened and try to prevent it from happening in the future.
"If we don't take this important issue to the next generation, we can expect to see it again," Pran said. Audience members said they were impressed by Pran's ability to forgive those who committed such atrocities.
"I really believe that that forgiveness is a gift," said Susan Andrews, 58, of Manasquan.
Her husband, Robert Andrews, a professor at Georgian Court, said he also found that to be Pran's most striking message.
"Understanding that type of harboring of that resentment is self-destructive — that's an amazing revelation," said Robert Andrews, 57.
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ABOUT DITH PRAN
Born in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, in 1942, Dith Pran worked in a hotel before becoming a war correspondent. He lost more than 50 relatives to the Khmer Rouge genocide. He still works as a photojournalist and was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1985. He compiled the book "Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs of Survivors."
RELATED LINKS
• Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project
For one thing, Pran said he long ago learned to let go of his anger — after all, he said, he was the only one it was hurting, and it wouldn't bring back his parents or siblings. But he said he's also much more interested in asking questions than seeking vengeance.
He wants to know why, for instance, the radical communist regime thought it was right to kill 2 million of his fellow Cambodians. He wants to know why they thought it was necessary to empty the country's cities, forcing millions out into the rice fields to work 14-hour days on starvation rations.
"I want them to tell the world why (they believed) what they believed, so we make it different in the future," Pran told an audience at Georgian Court University Tuesday night.
Pran, now 64, is perhaps the best-known survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide, which began in 1975 after the movement led by Pol Pot seized control of the country. He had worked as a war correspondent alongside New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg, and both were arrested by the regime when it seized power.
Schanberg was ultimately released, and he received a Pulitzer Prize, which he accepted on behalf of Pran and himself. But Pran disappeared into rice fields as the Khmer Rouge proclaimed "Year Zero" and sought to completely remake Cambodian society.
The educated and professionals such as doctors and teachers were among the most prominent targets of the regime.
"They abolished almost everything," Pran said. "Some of you say, "Do you still have hospitals?' No. No schools. (The Khmer Rouge) say, "Maybe in the future. First we have to work to get more rice.' "
The Khmer Rouge regime ended after neighboring Vietnam invaded in the late 1970s. Pran escaped from Cambodia in October 1979, after enduring four years of starvation and torture. The Academy Award-winning film "The Killing Fields," released in 1984, depicts his life.
On Tuesday night, Pran, a New York Times photojournalist since 1980, gave the audience at Georgian Court a general history of the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the role the Vietnam War played in Cambodian affairs. But he said his main purpose in speaking out about the genocide is to educate people about what happened and try to prevent it from happening in the future.
"If we don't take this important issue to the next generation, we can expect to see it again," Pran said. Audience members said they were impressed by Pran's ability to forgive those who committed such atrocities.
"I really believe that that forgiveness is a gift," said Susan Andrews, 58, of Manasquan.
Her husband, Robert Andrews, a professor at Georgian Court, said he also found that to be Pran's most striking message.
"Understanding that type of harboring of that resentment is self-destructive — that's an amazing revelation," said Robert Andrews, 57.
------
ABOUT DITH PRAN
Born in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, in 1942, Dith Pran worked in a hotel before becoming a war correspondent. He lost more than 50 relatives to the Khmer Rouge genocide. He still works as a photojournalist and was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1985. He compiled the book "Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs of Survivors."
RELATED LINKS
• Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project
7 comments:
WHAT WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY AND WHY?????
WE ARE NOT GOING TO KNOW WHAT WENT WRONG?
SIHANOUK, KHMER ROUGE LEADERS,CHINA,SOVIET,USA AND VIETNAM KNEW THE WORD "W 4s"
TO ALL CAMBODIAN LEADERS, DON'T BE AFRAID TO KILL PEOPLE and/or DO ILLEGAL ACTS BECAUSE CAMBODIANS ARE BUDDHIST AND ALWAYS FORGIVE YOUR SINS.
Truthfully you knew or can draw conclusion to answer your question, yet you still hide it. Perhap, you afraid you might loose respect for drawing conclusion that your friends in the western world did not and would not want to hear.
But, you are in a best position to tell the world that vietnamese and chinese who orchestrated this theatre of tragedy. And, no one will know the what and why. It is very naive for you and khmers to hope that the west will do any discovery for khmers.
The west is and the rest of the world are very hypocrit. No one wanted to offend the world largest market and the opportunity to make money in vietnam. They rather give a small sum and spend a small effort for a trial that will be a travesty of justice. They knew that, you know that.
So speak up your real mind as a khmer. Unless you are no longer inerested in being khmer.
Hmm ... that sounds a lot like your
self-description: one who's afraid
to conclude that the International
in corrupted and the u.n. SECURITY
council permanent members are all
WMD dealers and brokers. Mua
hahahaha ....
Gary said there is still much uncertainty about whether Cambodia will become a significant oil producer.
Just pray and hope for the best,
but let's not politicized this,
shall we?
Dith Pran & Pan Rithy speak the same tone of language to serve Youn-Hanoi's intersts.
Dit pran is chhkuot.
We all know going against the current mean death. More and more people found out that Mr. Dith Pran's way is working better.
We weren't the first to ungergo such great destruction.
* Japan & The Atomic Bomb from The American.
* The Jewish & The Nazi or The concentration camps.
We suffer different kind of suffering, but it all sumps up to the same experience " Human suffering & death".
What did those 2 people do the handle such great crisis? They did not hold grud or revenge against their enermies. Did they? May be Mr. Dith Pran have learned a lot from them and gently trying to turn it around instead of pursuing it thru violence that would bring even more destruction and suffering.
We wish the same prosperity and happiness for the people of Iraq & The United States and US" Khmers".
Ordinary Khmers
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