On September 23, 2011, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam)'s Genocide Education Project conducted a public education forum in O Da Commune, Kamrieng District, Battambang province. The forum was conducted at a compound of Meanchey primary school which located right across O Da commune office. The participants attending the forum are approximately 72. Among these numbers, there are 25 to 40 villagers, and seven teachers.

BATTAMBANG was known as the territories of Amogha Boreak and Bhima Boreak during the pre-Angkor period. During the Angkor period, the territory of Amogha Boreak was highly prosperous. Between the 15th and the 18th century, the area of Battambang was invaded by the Siamese army, forcing landowners off their land and splitting up their families. On March 23, 1907, a treaty between French and Siamese was signed, obligating the Siamese to return territories that they had occupied for more than a century. During the reign of Pol Pot, many people in Battambang were evacuated and killed. The province of Battambang was turned into a site of torture, killings, and starvation.

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