UCBerkeleyEvents — April 23, 2010 — UC Berkeley-UCLA Distinguished Visitor from Southeast Asia
Youk Chhang, Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia
As Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), Youk Chhang leads Cambodian efforts to collect and organize data on the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge period.
The Documentation Center of Cambodia was founded shortly after the U.S. Congress passed the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act in 1994. With this legislation, the Office of Cambodian Genocide Investigation in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs was established, which then provided a grant to Yale University's Cambodian Genocide Program (CGP) to conduct research, training and documentation relating to the Khmer Rouge regime.
The CGP founded the Documentation Center of Cambodia in Phnom Penh in 1995 and DC-Cam became an independent Cambodian research institute in 1997, with Youk Chhang as its director. Since 1997, DC-Cam has continued its extensive research and documentation activities. These activities are intended both to record the history of the Khmer Rouge regime for future generations and to compile and organize information that might serve as evidence in any legal accounting for the crimes of the regime. As DC-Cam states, its objectives represent its focus on memory and justice, both of which are critical foundations for the rule of law and genuine national reconciliation in Cambodia.
Youk Chhang is a survivor of Cambodias killing fields although lost many of his family members. Eventually moving as a refugee to the U.S., he returned to Cambodia in the early 1990s to work towards reconstruction and a new life for his country. He was highlighted as one of Times Top 100 People Who Shape Our World, by Senator John Kerry.
This event was sponsored by the Center for Southeast Asia Studies.
Youk Chhang, Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia
As Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), Youk Chhang leads Cambodian efforts to collect and organize data on the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge period.
The Documentation Center of Cambodia was founded shortly after the U.S. Congress passed the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act in 1994. With this legislation, the Office of Cambodian Genocide Investigation in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs was established, which then provided a grant to Yale University's Cambodian Genocide Program (CGP) to conduct research, training and documentation relating to the Khmer Rouge regime.
The CGP founded the Documentation Center of Cambodia in Phnom Penh in 1995 and DC-Cam became an independent Cambodian research institute in 1997, with Youk Chhang as its director. Since 1997, DC-Cam has continued its extensive research and documentation activities. These activities are intended both to record the history of the Khmer Rouge regime for future generations and to compile and organize information that might serve as evidence in any legal accounting for the crimes of the regime. As DC-Cam states, its objectives represent its focus on memory and justice, both of which are critical foundations for the rule of law and genuine national reconciliation in Cambodia.
Youk Chhang is a survivor of Cambodias killing fields although lost many of his family members. Eventually moving as a refugee to the U.S., he returned to Cambodia in the early 1990s to work towards reconstruction and a new life for his country. He was highlighted as one of Times Top 100 People Who Shape Our World, by Senator John Kerry.
This event was sponsored by the Center for Southeast Asia Studies.
21 comments:
I wish Youk Chhang would speak clear enunciated English so that his message will be understood better.
When is that Yale University is investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by U.S.A. in the world especially in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and elsewhere ... ? Chhang pretends to resurrect the dead, until he filled his pockets with USD !!!
I agree with what Chhang Youk has said. He is very humble and very normal citizen but he has done an incredible job in collecting all documentations. His speaks english good enough. I agree with him that reconciliation is not possible for Cambodia because Cambodian leaders of all parties didn't understood what is reconciliation. They have always thought National reconciliation is about bringing all leaders together to corrupt together.
I felt very sad for most Cambodians to miss out from National reconciliation as their leaders have gain what they wanted and majority of Cambodian are standing to loose all the time.
The real reconciliation can be made possible if we have a real good leader who dare to heal everyone by providing each citizen a new life with new hope with a good house for every family and enough land for them to survive with dignity.
Areak Prey
This guy speaks fluent English but his accent is so heavy that I could only undestand about 50% of what he says.
I wish He takes time to learn to enunciate each word a little bit clearer so people can understand what in the hell he is talking about.
He speaks very good and he presented his thoughts and reasearch clearly. I ask him personally the documents that he collected so far for khmer rouge trials. Do you have documents related to " who were behind the killing fields so that international judges will look closely the facts of genocides before final trials . Refer to armkhmers " Proloeung khmers "
Mr. Youk Chhang,
It is great to have someone like you to help our broken society heal. It is an impossible task, but that doesn't mean we give up trying.
Your personal story is very tragic and powerful. I hope you could find time to write about it and put it into a book some day.
Youk Chhang is not born in USA, he doesn't run as President of USA either, he is a Cambodian documentation center director..
His accent has something to do with that ??
We are Khmer and we have our own accent.
In this case Mr. Youk Chhang does not need to have an American, an Australian or a British English accent.
The Document that he has collected are very fishy. He just collected the documents to accuse the Khmer Rouge leaders because that is what the current Cambodia government wants to see. I bet you if he is brave enough to talk about "Who is behind the Killing fields?" If he does, he will not exist in Cambodia running a document center like that.
He said that he fought for setting up a Tribunal in Cambodia which is exactly what the government wants to see too. If the Tribunal is in The Hague, we will not see corruption and the interfering of the Cambodian government on the tribunal.
The Vietnamese government provided a fabricated (or made up) documents about the Khmer Rouge, I remembered he said that those documents are useful.
We all know that most of current leaders of CPP were KR too. If document center collect documents to against KR leaders, does he brave enough to work in Cambodia? I don't think so. A famous man like Sam Rainsy still runs out of country once for awhile.....
You are just kind of stupid person, Sam Rainsy did nothing for the country.I can call him a touble maker or evil person, created problem intend to divide the Nation just for his power ambition. He is following Pol Pots' Strategy.
No matter what accent Youk Chang speak, at least he has working hard to collect evidens and proof for KR trial, the value is to reconcial, heal and justice for all victims and their family as part of internation recognition.
Very powerfull and well balance! If all Cambodian compatriotes contribute one hundredth of Youk's efforts to rebuilding Cambodia, Cambodia will be a better place sooner than later.
Congratulation Mr. Youk Chhang. You have done a goo job.
Hun Sen's regime is a dictatorship and corruption. Most of natural resource in Cambodia are destroyed and they careless about it. What Khmers need to do in order to kick Hun Sen out from power. They must use the people of power to remove him from ruling in Cambodia. That is the only way to teach Khmer leadership from oppression of Cambodian. 14 millions population but we need only a few millions to stand up and call him to leave office or get impeach. I doubt if he is going to use military against the Khmers people.
I thought he was nervous and unthoughtful of the lady introducer when he told the audience "don't believe her." Lol. In addition, when he open his presentation with this phrase: "Let go to Q and A". I was like WTF? It should be "Let's go straight to Q's and A's."
No matter how you cut it, it has always been the American financial support that gets DC-Cam started. Youk Chhang should learn to speak better English. It is a learnable skill. He already has a very good knowledge of many English words so he only needs to refine his grammar and enunciation skills. I find it very annoying that a man of his high English caliber can't even pronounce the /s/ ending or using proper word tense. So that is another of personal improvement that he needs to own up to. Lol.
Other than that, Youk Chhang rules!
I hope for those who have declared they are speaking better English than Chhang Youk will not work for Hun Sen to earn US$200 per month and then learn to steal people land and properties. At least Chhang Youk has done his part for Cambodian society. If each of us has done some good thing for their part instead of stealing and robbing Cambodia, Cambodia will be a better place for our younger generation.
Areak Prey
Mr. Chhang should have hired a professional critic and perfect English "enunciater" 6:02 AM to do his presentation so that Cambodian presentation would sound "high English caliber" lol?
just being curious, why he addressed cambodians as "they" and "them"? Was he trying to distinguish as "they" are somehow "different" from him?
Good Mr. Chhang- So would like you and your colleages, please report to public clearly, who is behind the Khmer Rough? Who is the really killer? Vietnam, Chin, .... or Sihanouk?
Why people are trying to attack Mr Chhang Youk ? he is just an ordinary people and was a victim like everyone else. We need to congratulate him for his oustanding job for facing a lot of challenges and obstacles. Regardless of what he has done, he did an amaging job.
Mr. Youk Chhang is not 100 % perfect like some of you, but we should respect his endeavor and thank for his achievement.
6:02 AM,
The American audience had no problems with Mr. Youk's English.
You seem to have lots of problems with Mr. Youk's English. Did you not understand him or are you just being ridiculous, Mr. good English?
Come on, give Mr. Youk a break. At least he has done a lot of things for Cambodia.
What have you done for Cambodia, but complain about a Cambodian who is doing a lot of things for the country?
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