Cambodian students (left) take part in a performance to mark the annual 'Day of Anger' at the Choeung Ek killing fields memorial near Phnom Penh. Thousands of people gathered to commemorate the millions of people who died from starvation, overwork or execution during the 1975-79 rule of the Khmer Rouge. -- PHOTO: AFP May 20, 2009
AFP
CHOEUNG EK (Cambodia) - CAMBODIANS marked the annual 'Day of Anger' Wednesday to remember victims of the Khmer Rouge terror as the regime's top torturer was tried by a UN-backed genocide tribunal.
About 2,000 Cambodians, including hundreds of Buddhist monks, gathered at Choeung Ek, a former Khmer Rouge 'killing field' dotted with mass graves about nine miles (15 kilometres) south of Phnom Penh.
Some 40 students re-enacted the torture and executions inflicted by the ultra-communists under whose mid-1970s rule about 1.7 million people perished.
Performers wore black uniforms, the standard attire of the Maoist-inspired movement. Some acted as executioners, swinging bamboo sticks at the heads of victims whose arms were bound behind their backs.
The performance was staged just yards (meters) away from a memorial filled with victims' skulls and mass graves where thousands of the executed were buried.
Relatives of the victims expressed hope that some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders would finally be punished by the ongoing tribunal.
Now being tried is Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, who commanded the notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh from where as many as 16,000 men, women and children are believed to have been tortured before being sent to Choeung Ek for execution.
Duch (pronounced Doik) is the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to face trial, and the only one to acknowledge responsibility for his actions. Senior leaders Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Ieng Sary's wife, who are all detained, are likely to be tried in the next year or two.
'Why is the court taking so long to prosecute these leaders?' asked Tat Seang Lay, 47, whose two brothers were killed by the Khmer Rouge. 'I want to see justice. I wish the court could end up its trial process within the next few months.' A 50-year-old man, Chhiv Neth, who lost three brothers and his father during Khmer Rouge rule, said the leaders must be heavily punished.
'They are more cruel than tigers. They killed their own people like butchers kill animals,' he said, looking at the mass graves he believes holds one of his brothers executed at Choeung Ek.
About 2,000 Cambodians, including hundreds of Buddhist monks, gathered at Choeung Ek, a former Khmer Rouge 'killing field' dotted with mass graves about nine miles (15 kilometres) south of Phnom Penh.
Some 40 students re-enacted the torture and executions inflicted by the ultra-communists under whose mid-1970s rule about 1.7 million people perished.
Performers wore black uniforms, the standard attire of the Maoist-inspired movement. Some acted as executioners, swinging bamboo sticks at the heads of victims whose arms were bound behind their backs.
The performance was staged just yards (meters) away from a memorial filled with victims' skulls and mass graves where thousands of the executed were buried.
Relatives of the victims expressed hope that some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders would finally be punished by the ongoing tribunal.
Now being tried is Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, who commanded the notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh from where as many as 16,000 men, women and children are believed to have been tortured before being sent to Choeung Ek for execution.
Duch (pronounced Doik) is the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to face trial, and the only one to acknowledge responsibility for his actions. Senior leaders Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Ieng Sary's wife, who are all detained, are likely to be tried in the next year or two.
'Why is the court taking so long to prosecute these leaders?' asked Tat Seang Lay, 47, whose two brothers were killed by the Khmer Rouge. 'I want to see justice. I wish the court could end up its trial process within the next few months.' A 50-year-old man, Chhiv Neth, who lost three brothers and his father during Khmer Rouge rule, said the leaders must be heavily punished.
'They are more cruel than tigers. They killed their own people like butchers kill animals,' he said, looking at the mass graves he believes holds one of his brothers executed at Choeung Ek.
40 comments:
This day of anger is politically motivated. What is the outcome from this performance?
- To instruct Cambodian people not to act in that brutal way, or to favor the coming of Vietnam to liberate Cambodia from KR? How do you weigh this thought?
KR has already been gone and the trial is facing many obstacles by the government, but the anger day is annually carrying out? So what is the vision of CPP? To totally annex Cambodia to VN or to fairly try KR leaders?
CPP is just the secret agent of VN. Many Cambodian personnels here have been working just for their wealth, power and fame, but those Khmer staffs have never interested to oppose the tactic and framework of Hanoi.
This anger day is one of the Hanoi's neo-colonialism.
It is to make it known that there are Khmer Rouge living overseas side by side with the normal Khmer people in Australia, France, and especially America.
Remember, the first wave of refugees allowed into the US were the Khmer Rouges for cold war political reasons.
There are lot of Khmer Rouge living in the US.
OH my god, I am so sad to see this
Khmer Rouges are still ruling in Cambodia on the way of Yuonization,under the tyranny regime of Hun Sen who is no One Top Khmer Rouge cadre in the past & present.
Will Cambodia be the next Champa of 21st century ?
Khmer Rouges or Khmer Sereys, Khmer Hun (CPP-Youn) or ordinary Khmer are living side by side in the US or somewhere else. They are all Khmers like me and you.
Hey! Cecond Pol Pot or CPP day show all of this activities for what?
Becoause,Nowaday they have been doing the something as Khmer Rouge with our poor Khmer victime allmost everyday with the land grabbing over the Cambodia country.
CPP they must stope showing that and responsible for our Khmer victim and take the real freedom and reall democracy and justic to Cambodia.
Cambodia is not belong to dictatorship Hun Sen and familie.
Spean teap
4:54 PM
Are you looking for future diplomatic raprochement between YOU PEOPLE and "us," or simply want us to join your losing (whinning)party?
PPU
4:54 PM
Parties or democracy are not too important. Khmer Citizen need first "Rice" before "Democracy."
4:54 PM
No ordinary khmer would speak like you. Maybe you are the khmer rouge in the US that we're talking about.
be on the look out for the extreme khmer that speak very lowly of the viet or CPP because those guys are the extreme enemies of the Khmer Rouge still living. They kicked the Khmer Rouge out and normal Khmer living overseas who dislike the CPP rules wouldn't speak barbarically of the people they dislike like how the Khmer Rouge in disguise speak of their enemies.
If any khmer speak of extremity, they are most likely are the Khmer Rouge. Remember that people. Ordinary Khmer are not of extreme. Only certain group are and just listen to the way they speak, you know it is them.
I speak of personal experience. I heard some so-called khmer speak and I have suspicion and sure enough when I ask my uncle around, these guys were the Khmer Rouge that killed the innocent khmer and yet they are living among us normal khmer in the US, canada, australia, and france.
Be ware of those. They killed your family and now act like they are your friends. Be ware. That's all I have to say.
6:34 PM
You love to blame other Khmers, but not the foreigners.
Too bad, I am not Khmer Rouge, Khmer Serey, Khmer Kandal, Khmer Loeu, Khmer Krom or Khmer Oversea, I am just a Khmer like you. I hope you are a real Khmer.
Khmer would be literally blamed our pridefully boastful leaders,(SihanoukVarman, Pol Pot, and Hun SenVarman) not other folks. Evidently speaking, they secretely or publicly kill the poor Khmers!
Ah Hun Xen and Heng Samrin were the khmer rouge slodiers!!!They were khmer's murder!!!!
Was Sihanouk invited to be part of this national memorial day?
He was amongs that helped created this monster "Pol Pot"
Becareful, the Viets are continuing to paint the picture so that Khmer are continuing to bite each other's heads.
Please we don't like this show again, this is to painful for all of us. We need to move on and protect our Right, Freedom and make sure Youn and Seam not try to take our Land.
No more second killing for our people again, Khmer always love Khmer no more torture from the curruption evil Leader.
Kaun Khmer in Blood
There are a few dandruffed dogs including PPU and New Phally aka ah Kun living in Long Beach. Ah Kun at first was a dog of Nguon Soeur, but since Nguon Soeur failed, ah Kun got no dried bone to lick, then he became one of the Hun Sen's barking dogs. These dogs and Hun Sen never care about the welfare of Khmer people in general. Morally, a leader must have compassion, sympathy, generosity, and mercy for his people, but Hun Sen and his families, his cronies, and all of his barking dog have none of these qualities.
Yesterday, one folk wrote that we should let these evils have time to learn. . . I want to tell him that these evils will never learn anything until they perish from this ugly planet earth. They have been obsessed and intoxciated with power, money, and personal pleasure which completely blind them from morally learning anything good, because they have thought all kinds of crimes they have committed are the good deeds. These evils will never change until one day they are brought to justice, just like the KR leaders are; otherwise, they are still arrogantly cocky and thinking that they are on the top of the world. Nothing is permanent, fools!
Ah Kun and New Phally are alwasys brag about how many women they have slept with.
As laymen, it's OK for one to sleep with as many women as one can if women voluntarily sleep with one, and as long as one does not commit antything immorally against the woman. Just do not indulge oneself go too far as to rape or force a woman.
I don't know why overseas Khmer are so afraid of this reenactment, unless you are a Khmer Rouge and afraid to be reminded of what you did.
As painful as it is for the older generation that went through it, it is a valuable reminder for the younger generation that don't quite know what happened in those 3 years 8 months and 20 days of Pol Pot's era.
You need to learn about your history, good or bad, so you won't repeat it again.
10:26PM you stupid brain! in comment here we talk in national level and for what happening in Cambobia rightnow!
Those motherfucker ah Hun Xen CPP keep people poor keep country corrupted so the motherfucker can take advantage of poor eomen and children!
May the evils all will hit by ligtning and cancer soon!
10:32PM
What is the outcome from that "Day of Anger"? Khmers will never forgive each other? Khmer retaliation will be continued under the hand of CPP?
Stupid idea to conduct "Day of Anger" annually. KR has already died, "Day of Anger" just glorifies the VN invasion and CPP's stupid ideology. Khmer interests have shied away from this performance.
Dear 10:32 PM,
Sometimes there isn't any way to be absolutely sure it won't happen again. In fact, we have always been reminded that those kinds of atrocities won't happen again... And the World said never again, but again History repeats itself. Yes, my dear friend-s, history repeats itself!
Indeed, History once more threatens to repeat itself; the insurrections in Rwanda and in Bosnia, the atrocities perpetrated by the Muslim extremists in Belgravia were one again the appearing of horrors humanity had suffered during the past century.
Therefore, I'm fully aware of concerns of my Fellow Khmers regarding this historical reenactment. This role-play will compel them to think about the cruelty of Pol Pot's regime, which not only had it viciously stripped them of their families, but also of their humanity.
These recollections often caused drastic change in mental behavior and, to a degree, somatized themselves into the "survivor’s syndrome." The set of symptoms seen in "survivor’s condition" is what would more often than not be seen in an emblematic patient of post-traumatic stress disorder : psychological "imprint" of the tragedy, fear, guiltiness, a degree of somatization, and so forth.
Thus, as the primary actors, ALL Khmers (Foreigners are excluded) within Cambodia and abroad must take up their duties to prosecute those individuals culpable of having committed the worst atrocities.
May the Supreme God Buddha bless the Kingdom of Cambodia and her people!
Sincerely,
Sarotee Sri Krsna
The leader of Angkar Leu is Ho Chi Minh. He made policy for Khmer Rouge to obey and the outcome was devastated for Khmer people.
Sarotee Sri Krsna, Buddha is not God. He only teach us some (not all)of God laws called Dharma. By daring to praise Buddha as God, you debase God as human. By doing so God judgement were upon Cambodia like during before, during and after Khmer Rouge reign.
May God bless Cambodia (even through Buddha and Dharma).
according to documented photograph, the vietnames also dress up as " angkar "
This reenactment of the KR cadre's killing serves no purpose for the next generation of khmers and provides no closure or justice to the victims. The current khmer govt should put all former khmer rouge leaders on trial.
the KR regime was a bunch of ignorant people and lawless society. that's why they let many people die then. cambodia praises that it never reoccur in cambodia again. god bless cambodia.
7:52 AM,
Perhaps, this to Sarotee Sri Krsna, Buddha is "God". Although, you have a good point, but I'm positively certain that Sarotee Sri Krsna (he/she) is well aware of that fact. Nevertheless, since the Buddhist faith had originated in ancient India in the 6th and 5th centuries.
As far as I'm concerned, if we referred to his/her writing, this Sarotee Sri Krsna seems to be a very highly educated person.
I'm pretty sure you both can teach and learn from each other.
7:46AM
It was Yuon Ho Chi Minh who instrucred the KR Pol Pot to kill innocent Khmers. It was the Pol Pot group who deliberately planned everything. Pol Pot hated Yuons deep to the bone, dude.
correction: It was not Ho...
Hey Folks,
As I'm a curious person, I have checked the word "somatization" and its verb "to somatize". To my big surprise, as it turnned out to be the words that are often used in medecine. Therefore, this Sarotee Sri Krsna must be whether a doc or a psychatrist because only people in medecine that are able to make a referral to those terms.
Ok, Sarotee Sri Krsna, I realy looove learning, please bring good words to me/us. I'm loving it!!!
So, it means that I won't go to bed stupid tonight because I'm learning good stuff from the pros!!! Do you agree?
9:04 AM
Good for you, really! You seemed to be too excited. It can't be true. Me too, I love learning. But it doesn't mean that what I have learned won't make me go to bed stupid because somtimes I can be learning something stupid as well. I can only learn so much. I'm glad that this kind of learning makes you so excited. So, keep learning folks because learning and teaching can bring you excitement and joy such as was testified by 9:04 AM.
This only shows how barbaric the khmers are. I'm sure all of you motherfuckers think like me.
I do what I do.
Buddha is not God because God himself doesn't exist. The term God is just the indescribable word created by human beings when they are facing fear.
Buddha means the Enlightened One, or the Teacher of gods and men. The pioneer of peace and reconciliation.
Of course, I do agree with some comments here as well as with Duch who said that "the systematic administration and torture in Toul Sleng prison was designed by Ho Chi Minh".
All Khmers,
Hanoi gave birth to Khmer Rouge communists.
Hanoi armed the KR.
Hanoi brainwashed and endoctrinated
Khmer Rouge cadres to kill Khmer people for them.
Then Hanoi invade Cambodia in a lied cover up as to save Khmer people from KR.
Hanoi pillaged all kinds of Khmer resources, gold deposit in old bank, fishstock, forests, and now land grabbings in a tac tic of Development.
Hanoi will finish Cambodia as a second Champa in the very near future.
To AH PPU
KI media did not invite you here.
Stop criticize this site and don't come back you piece of shit cock sucker Hun Sen Khmer Rouge supporter.
Why don't you go to CPP Hun Sen Khmer Rouge web site instead?
Since the overwhelming major of YOU were Khmer Rouge-era victims and have undergone through enormous post-traumatic stress disorder (ironically, some of you manage to write books and prifited) ,and, therefore, everyone should not dwell in the past, because it will only bring bad memory to you, your families, and friends. The history should not be brought up again--EVER.
PPU
"Champa" is a thing of the past--it's history. Why bother to mention it; it will not benefit YOU PEOPLE anything. Moreover, it's not injudicious to move on.
PPU
5:20 PM
That makes two of us and the rest of your clans.
PPU
You cannot stop history from being repeated.
Where the hell is the Phnom Penh U.S. Embassy boy?
We want to hear from you, BOY.
PPU
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