Cambodian students stage re-enactments of Khmer Rouge crimes to mark the country's annual "Day of Anger"CHOEUNG EK, Cambodia (AFP) — Cambodian students staged a re-enactment of Khmer Rouge crimes at a notorious killing field on Tuesday to mark the country's annual "Day of Anger," in memory of those killed by the regime.
Some 2,000 Cambodians attended the rally to commemorate victims at Choeung Ek, a former Khmer Rouge killing field outside the capital Phnom Penh.
Twenty black-clad students mimed bludgeoning, strangling and eviscerating bound victims in front of a memorial stupa, just metres (yards) from mass graves where Khmer Rouge soldiers murdered thousands of people during the regime's 1975-1979 reign.
Many were moved to tears by the performance as survivors called for the former communist regime leaders to finally face war crimes trials.
"I want the trials of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders to take place very soon so that justice can be rendered to millions of victims and survivors," said 63-year-old Un Youk Kroy, whose 20 relatives were killed under the brutal regime.
Ly Kim Huon, who lost about 10 relatives, echoed the sentiment.
"The trials must begin soon. I want to know the truth, why the Khmer Rouge committed such crimes," said the 65-year-old woman.
Up to two million people died from overwork, starvation, torture or execution under the Khmer Rouge as it sought to create an agrarian utopia. A joint Cambodia-UN tribunal was established in 2006 after nearly a decade of haggling.
The five top surviving Khmer Rouge leaders were recently detained by the court on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, and trials are expected to begin later this year.
Former Khmer Rouge social affairs minister Ieng Thirith is scheduled to appear before the court on Wednesday to appeal against her detention.
Some 2,000 Cambodians attended the rally to commemorate victims at Choeung Ek, a former Khmer Rouge killing field outside the capital Phnom Penh.
Twenty black-clad students mimed bludgeoning, strangling and eviscerating bound victims in front of a memorial stupa, just metres (yards) from mass graves where Khmer Rouge soldiers murdered thousands of people during the regime's 1975-1979 reign.
Many were moved to tears by the performance as survivors called for the former communist regime leaders to finally face war crimes trials.
"I want the trials of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders to take place very soon so that justice can be rendered to millions of victims and survivors," said 63-year-old Un Youk Kroy, whose 20 relatives were killed under the brutal regime.
Ly Kim Huon, who lost about 10 relatives, echoed the sentiment.
"The trials must begin soon. I want to know the truth, why the Khmer Rouge committed such crimes," said the 65-year-old woman.
Up to two million people died from overwork, starvation, torture or execution under the Khmer Rouge as it sought to create an agrarian utopia. A joint Cambodia-UN tribunal was established in 2006 after nearly a decade of haggling.
The five top surviving Khmer Rouge leaders were recently detained by the court on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, and trials are expected to begin later this year.
Former Khmer Rouge social affairs minister Ieng Thirith is scheduled to appear before the court on Wednesday to appeal against her detention.
11 comments:
This is horrible that they revive the day of anger. Did they ever do it in German? I believe the YOUN who is in control of HUN SEN government created this for us Khmer not reconcile with each other. They intended to do this for us to hate each other for life. What ashame?
hmm... i dont think it's horrible because it's showing the new generation of Cambodians what had happened in the past.. perhaps it'll make the new generation appreciate life alot more and not take things for granted.
cambodian leaders should wake up. cambodian people had suffered enough already. they don't need leaders that want to cause more suffering for the people. who wants suffering? cambodia should remind their leaders to be mindful of the welfare of the people and not so much for themselves. cambodia needs a lot of cleansing, both spiritually and emotionally. i rather be happy than sad. think about it, we all have two choices in life. we can choose to go or go left or somewhere in between. same with sadness and happiness. please choose wisely. god bless cambodia.
Those are youn tricks!
Their tricks getting old,It's don't work for the new generation.They need to be nice or the sea will swallow your Country(youn),I don't want to see inocents people dies.
Why the day of anger? Not good to put this title as a rememberance.
k.
well, maybe the title or word to use for this day is wrong, perhaps, there ought to be a better suited word like commemoration for the KR holocaust victims and so on. i wouldn't scrutinize the wording too much; it's the concept or philosophy behind it is what is more important than the wording used. thank you.
Are not our hearts full anger or hatred (dosa)yet after this anger or hatred has been stoked up over 20 May over so many years already? As Buddhists, we should instead endeavour to overcome the root of evil (akusala-múla).
How Buddhist are our Buddhist monks who have participate in a ceremony to stoke up such anger or hatred?
The Khmer Rouge tribunal has now encapsulated our anger or hatred and is trying the Khmer Rouge for us. It is about time we soothed, reduced and overcame our anger or hatred.
We should remind ourselves what anger or hatred has done to us in the past instead: self-destruction and continued suffering.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
យួន ជាឃាដករ លើខ្មែរ!
Youn jea kheatakor!
កំហុសដ៏ធំបំផុត របស់ របបខ្មែរក្រហម គឺ ដាក់ខ្លួននៅឯកោ ផ្អែកលើតែចិន គ្មានទំនាក់ទំនង ជាមួយប្រទេស នានា លើសកលលោក។
ម៉្លោះហើយ បរទេសនានា ជឿតែ ការឃោសនាផ្សព្វផ្សាយ របស់យួន អំពីសង្គ្រាម រវាងប៉ុលពត ជាមួយ យួន ប៉ុន្តែ បរទេសមិនដឹងថា នោះជាល្បិចកល របស់យួន បានបង្កើតឡើង ដើម្បីវាយចូលទឹកដីខ្មែរ លើកទី ១ ជាង ១០០គម ពីព្រំប្រទល់ ខ្មែរ-យួន (តាមបណ្តោយ នៃ ខេត្ត ស្ទឹងត្រែង រតនគីរី មណ្ឌលគីរី ក្រចេះ កំពង់ចាម) នៅខែកុម្ភៈ ១៩៧៨ ក្នុងគោលដៅ ត្រៀមយកកម្ពុជា ជាចំណុះ របស់ខ្លួន ក្នុងការវាយចូលខ្មែរ ជាលើកទី ២ នៅ ថ្អៃ ៧ ខែមករា ឆ្នាំ ១៩៧៩
Or we should call "Memorial Day" too. This is call the day to remember. Everyone in Cambodia had families member that got kill. Cause the "The day of anger" doesn't make sense. We don't need to prolong our anger. We need to rememer the deaths. Which in America called the "Memorial Day" that is making sense. But don't forget this is just the YOUN trick to make us hate each other by coloring ourself Red, White and Blue (free). Cambodian doesn't need to be angry anymore. We need to remember our deads member that was killed by the YOUN agents. The day of anger is making sense to the YOUN that created K-5.
Nope, our memorial day is on Jan 7.
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