10 March 2008By Kong Sothanarith
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
A giant statue, 20-meter high, would be built in downtown Phnom Penh to commemorate the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. This initiative could become a true symbol of peace in the kingdom.
An art monument dedicated to Pol Pot’s victims, that was what Youk Chhang, the director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), proposed to Bun Rany Hun Sen, the Red Cross director, on the International Women’s Day.
“This statue would be built in Hun Sen park, in order to attract the attention of all the passers-by on what took place during that era,” Youk Chhang said in a letter he sent to Bun Rany Hun Sen. Holding a child’s hand, the statue would symbolize the memory of the genocide, and also the passing down of history to younger Cambodian generations.
The statue would consist of seven parts, representing the 7 million Cambodians living in the country when the KR came to power. Three of the 7 parts would be buried to remind the 3 million people who died or disappeared. “The face of the statue would face the west, and it would reflect artistic and human characteristics, while leaving aside revenge and grudges,” Youk Chhang said. “On 08 March of each year, this mother and child will bear a message of peace.”
There is no official reaction from Bun Rany’s Red Cross yet. Men Neary Sopheak, Bun Rany’s cabinet director, declined to comment because she did not see Youk Chhang’s letter yet.
At the ECCC, the reactions were positive. Reach Sambath, spokesman for ECCC, indicated that it was a “nice gift for the victims. We congratulate such initiatives.” Kek Galabru, Licadho human rights organization President, had the same reaction and she applauded Youk Chhang’s undertaking.
An art monument dedicated to Pol Pot’s victims, that was what Youk Chhang, the director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), proposed to Bun Rany Hun Sen, the Red Cross director, on the International Women’s Day.
“This statue would be built in Hun Sen park, in order to attract the attention of all the passers-by on what took place during that era,” Youk Chhang said in a letter he sent to Bun Rany Hun Sen. Holding a child’s hand, the statue would symbolize the memory of the genocide, and also the passing down of history to younger Cambodian generations.
The statue would consist of seven parts, representing the 7 million Cambodians living in the country when the KR came to power. Three of the 7 parts would be buried to remind the 3 million people who died or disappeared. “The face of the statue would face the west, and it would reflect artistic and human characteristics, while leaving aside revenge and grudges,” Youk Chhang said. “On 08 March of each year, this mother and child will bear a message of peace.”
There is no official reaction from Bun Rany’s Red Cross yet. Men Neary Sopheak, Bun Rany’s cabinet director, declined to comment because she did not see Youk Chhang’s letter yet.
At the ECCC, the reactions were positive. Reach Sambath, spokesman for ECCC, indicated that it was a “nice gift for the victims. We congratulate such initiatives.” Kek Galabru, Licadho human rights organization President, had the same reaction and she applauded Youk Chhang’s undertaking.
8 comments:
i support Mr. Youk Chhang for his initiative. But I feel pesimistic about the idea because the King hero had already proposed to burn down all the remainding bones.
It is not surprise me about the proposal of the ah sdach moha kbot chheath .He is the one who caused of what has happened in our land..... but,this guy never stand up and take responsible for his own act .....stop running around and blame other for your mistake ah sdach moha kbot chheath ......ah monster and silence killer xihanouk
It's a great idea but I think we should study about the number 3 millions before it set in stone.
មិនត្រូវជេរស្តេចយើងទេ
after trial are done and our country is relative mature and growing stably we should be able to come to a point where we have to decide whether to follow our religion and give the victims proper respect and burial/cremation of the bone or leave their bones without respect.
But right now we have not even got over the affect of the period so for now we cannot make the decision. But soon we have too step up from being a victim to a maker of our destiny again.
Don't we have one already? Oh, wait that was for the Vietnamese liberators.
yes, supported this idea as well. hope a permanent memorial of the KR victims would serve as a testament to one of the darkest cambodian history period and could remind future cambodians not to repeat this same mistake the communist leaders did to their own people. civilized society just don't do this kind of thing to their own people and to their country like that of the KR/pol potists.
Yes, but for that to happen, we must deported all Ah Khmer-Yuon Maggot Feeders back to the Vietcong shit pit in Vietnam.
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