On August 7, 2011, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam)'s Genocide Education Project conducted a public education forum in O Krasar village, O Krasar Commune, Damnak Chang Aer District, Kep province. The forum was conducted at a compound of Chak-riya Vong pagoda. The participants attended the forum are approximately 115. Among these numbers, there are 90 villagers, ten students, teachers, head monk, monks, nuns, and commune chief.

KEP province is subdivided into two districts: Kep and Damnak Chang Aer. The two districts contain 5 communes and 16 villages. From the early 1900s until the 1960s, Kep was a resort town for the French and Cambodian elite. During the Khmer Rouge years, many buildings built by French colonials were destroyed. King Sihanouk built a home overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, but it was never occupied and now sits empty. Several islands lie off the coast. In addition, Kep is home to an extensive national park. It is currently one of the fastest developing tourism areas in Cambodia. On December 22, 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a Royal Decree that changed the municipality of Kep into a province. Damnak Chang Aer District is the largest district of Kep and is subdivided into 3 communes and 11 villages. In June 1994, at Phnom Voar in Damnak Chang Aer, three westerners from Australia, France and the UK were kidnapped from a train by Khmer Rouge forces led by Commander Chouk Rin and later killed.

The public education forum will discuss the experiences of the people's lives under the KR and will also encourage the younger and the older generations to discuss the importance of genocide education and survivors to share their real life experiences under the KR. The project's team members will distribute copies of the textbook "A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)" and discuss one chapter from it. Other materials for distribution include the magazine Searching for the Truth and booklets on Khmer Rouge tribunal Cases 001 and 002. During the forum, one of the team members will teach a chapter from DK history book.

 

The forum is being held in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and funded by The Asia Foundation (TAF), Phnom Penh, Cambodia with the core supports from the Swedish International Agency for Development (Sida) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

 

For more information, please contact:

Ser Sayana <truthsayana.s@dccam.org> Cell: 092 763 272