Original report from Washington
26 March 2010
Khmer Rouge history is a sensitive subject in Cambodia, though the ongoing Khmer Rouge trials and recent inclusion of more comprehensive teaching materials in the national secondary curriculum have helped.
But while it took many years to get a textbook into the nation’s classrooms, the authors say the real challenges have just begun.
Dy Khamboly, a senior researcher with the Documentation Center of Cambodia, is the author of “A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979),” a book published in 2007 and slated for use in a national genocide education project.
In an interview with VOA Khmer, he said for the project to be effective requires more than good textbooks and a carefully planned curriculum.
“I hope that the teachers as well as the students, their surviving parents, or any survivor from the Khmer Rouge era will all participate” in the educational process, he said recently. “Genocide education about Democratic Kampuchea cannot be achieved by any one person or institution, but requires everyone’s participation: the government, civil society, teachers, students, as well as parents who are survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime.”
The Khmer Rouge trial process has gone on for years now, but comprehensive teaching and discussion of the regime’s history have remained socially and politically sensitive.
Only recently has the government, with the help of the Documentation Center, been open to the idea of more comprehensive genocide education.
The Documentation Center has embarked on a long-term genocide education project that involves writing, publishing, teacher training, teaching and evaluation.
The project aims to publish another 700,000 textbooks for an anticipated 1 million 9th- to 12th-grade students. It is also nearing the completion of its training phase with the opening of the last phase to take place in Siem Reap on March 27.
A total 230 new trainers will instruct 1,627 teachers nationwide to use a teacher and student books for “A History of Democratic Kampuchea,” which was published jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Documentation Center.
Chea Phala, a Cambodian-American in Lowell, Massachusetts, is the co-author of the guide. She told VOA Khmer the book was carefully reviewed because methodology is crucial in teaching about genocide.
“It is a very tough subject, and we have to be very sensitive when we teach and when we deal with students and their families,” she said. “So we tried to think of ways to introduce the subject without traumatizing our audience, our students, and we did it in a manner that would build interest in students in learning about the subject and give them a safe place for discussion and opportunities to discuss different topics and different issues regarding the genocide.”
Dy Khamboly said the emotional sensitivity of the subject can be problematic for teachers.
“Because some teachers are themselves survivors, it is possible that they might take what they are teaching personally, instead of teaching it professionally,” he said. “Therefore, this training will help teachers teach in a scientific, professional way, and not from personal emotions.”
Despite the difficulties, Chea Phala said it is not only the students who are learning, but also the teachers, most of whom were born after the Khmer Rouge, as well as the parents and other survivors who lack a holistic view of what was happening to them.
And it is especially timely now that the tribunal is underway, prompting families and society to discuss about the subject more willingly and openly.
Dy Khamboly agreed, noting that the project will serve a long-term social goal. Cambodians must learn from their past to rebuild their nation and create a better future, he said.
“Our objectives are that students understand and can think critically about the events that occurred during the Khmer Rouge period and use this [knowledge] as a foundation in their daily lives, in rebuilding the country, in preventing the reoccurrence of genocide, and in helping their parents reconcile,” he said. “So the idea of retribution and revenge will not exist in the minds of the younger generations of Cambodians.”
But while it took many years to get a textbook into the nation’s classrooms, the authors say the real challenges have just begun.
Dy Khamboly, a senior researcher with the Documentation Center of Cambodia, is the author of “A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979),” a book published in 2007 and slated for use in a national genocide education project.
In an interview with VOA Khmer, he said for the project to be effective requires more than good textbooks and a carefully planned curriculum.
“I hope that the teachers as well as the students, their surviving parents, or any survivor from the Khmer Rouge era will all participate” in the educational process, he said recently. “Genocide education about Democratic Kampuchea cannot be achieved by any one person or institution, but requires everyone’s participation: the government, civil society, teachers, students, as well as parents who are survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime.”
The Khmer Rouge trial process has gone on for years now, but comprehensive teaching and discussion of the regime’s history have remained socially and politically sensitive.
Only recently has the government, with the help of the Documentation Center, been open to the idea of more comprehensive genocide education.
The Documentation Center has embarked on a long-term genocide education project that involves writing, publishing, teacher training, teaching and evaluation.
The project aims to publish another 700,000 textbooks for an anticipated 1 million 9th- to 12th-grade students. It is also nearing the completion of its training phase with the opening of the last phase to take place in Siem Reap on March 27.
A total 230 new trainers will instruct 1,627 teachers nationwide to use a teacher and student books for “A History of Democratic Kampuchea,” which was published jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Documentation Center.
Chea Phala, a Cambodian-American in Lowell, Massachusetts, is the co-author of the guide. She told VOA Khmer the book was carefully reviewed because methodology is crucial in teaching about genocide.
“It is a very tough subject, and we have to be very sensitive when we teach and when we deal with students and their families,” she said. “So we tried to think of ways to introduce the subject without traumatizing our audience, our students, and we did it in a manner that would build interest in students in learning about the subject and give them a safe place for discussion and opportunities to discuss different topics and different issues regarding the genocide.”
Dy Khamboly said the emotional sensitivity of the subject can be problematic for teachers.
“Because some teachers are themselves survivors, it is possible that they might take what they are teaching personally, instead of teaching it professionally,” he said. “Therefore, this training will help teachers teach in a scientific, professional way, and not from personal emotions.”
Despite the difficulties, Chea Phala said it is not only the students who are learning, but also the teachers, most of whom were born after the Khmer Rouge, as well as the parents and other survivors who lack a holistic view of what was happening to them.
And it is especially timely now that the tribunal is underway, prompting families and society to discuss about the subject more willingly and openly.
Dy Khamboly agreed, noting that the project will serve a long-term social goal. Cambodians must learn from their past to rebuild their nation and create a better future, he said.
“Our objectives are that students understand and can think critically about the events that occurred during the Khmer Rouge period and use this [knowledge] as a foundation in their daily lives, in rebuilding the country, in preventing the reoccurrence of genocide, and in helping their parents reconcile,” he said. “So the idea of retribution and revenge will not exist in the minds of the younger generations of Cambodians.”
5 comments:
Vietnamese soldiers are said to enter Cambodia in 1979 to liberate millions of Cambodians from the terror regime, which was lead by Pol Pot. My question is, why do Cambodians who survived the regime call January 7th an historical event to mark the Vietnamese colonization of Cambodia? As one of the Cambodian teachers, what shall I answer this question to my students?
Maybe it is better to NOT focus on this horrible part of Khmer history so much. It is certainly not possible for it to happen again and so many Khmer people now have PTSD that it is best to sidestep this "history lesson" for at least a generation. Did the United States teach about how they brutally killed all the native people? No, they waited many generations to "revise" the history. Also, do the African nations that had such terrible civil wars continue to study the wars? No, they moved on and practiced "Truth and Reconciliation" and left the recent history behind so they could progress into peace and prosperity. Maybe Cambodia should educate the Khmer kids of today about the fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic for now. Later, they can be more introspective and look at the past. Make the history available to them, but do not force it on them! Imagine the effect such a thing has on a young person! Let it be instead, like the intense pain of childbirth: the mother quickly forgets about it and embraces the child with love and nourishes the child so it thrives in this difficult world.
MJC
10:56AM,
you must tell the truth to your students,
the truth is, In 1979, Vietnameses really came in Cambodia and saved Khmers from Khmer rouges but the Vitenameses real goal was to annex Cambodia to Vietnam.
Vietnameses did not want to leave Cambodia but they had no choice, they cannot aford, they lost help received from Russia.
I can't believe the current debate about Vietnam's invasion should be considered occupation or liberation.
Here are some thing to note:
Had the Vietnamese not entered, more Cambodians surely will continue to die. The real question then becomes would Khmers prefer more death rather than being invaded and end the killings? Can anyone out there tell me which is worst? If you had lived under the KR then your view is probably less antagonistic toward the invasion.
During the last century, KR atrocities was of montrous proportion, only second to Nazi holocaust. Pol Pot was a cold blood murder. Blood of millions of innocent Khmer is crying out for justice, and still crying. Those who are on trial now would tell us, "let bygone be bygone." Those who are in power now tend to lean toward that argument. However, by gone cannot be bygone. This is not justice. This is madness! A famous historian once said, "those who forget the past is bound to repeat it." Those who think this will never happen again is short sighted.
I am no fan of the Vietnamese, but had they not entered more of my families would have end up dead.
Facts are facts. If death is staring you in the face, then your enemy come to help should you then resent your enemy? I do agree the Vietnamese should have pulled out much earlier after the invasion. Personally I don't really care how long they stay. Had they not come, the tide would not have been turned against the monster KR.
In the strongest term I resented my fellow Khmer, in this case the Pol Pot and his cronies, more than the Vietnamese. Had it not for the KR stupidity, hatred, and violence the Vietnamese would not dare enter the country in the first place. Pol Pot should be held more accountable, and this beast should never be erased from Cambodian memory everywhere around the world. He is the lowest of the lowest of human.
Good on you, 8:47 PM !!!!
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