Today, the Documentation Center of Cambodia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, installed a Genocide Education Memorial at Anlong Veng High School, Oddor Meanchey Province. Three hundred students and their parents attended the memorial ceremony. Genocide education is a powerful medium for teaching human rights, civic virtue, and the basic principles of a vibrant democracy in a post-conflict society. These Genocide Education Memorials serve a critical role in facilitating genocide education by way of encouraging public attention to the value of studying history and more importantly what happened and why during the Khmer Rouge period. The memorials not only call attention to the critical need for dialogue on what happened and why during the DK period, but also the importance of education in building reconciliation and a vision for the community’s future.

Integrating genocide education in public schools is not only one step in the process of generating dialogue and reconciliation in the community. It is equally important to inject enthusiasm and interest in the stories of community members, who possess a wealth of knowledge on their community and nation’s history. Community members are critical stakeholders in the Genocide Education Project because they shape how the national-level curriculum will fit the community’s interests and needs. In effect they are the filters by which national level interests and ideas on history can be synthesized with local level needs and circumstances.

It is in this spirit that the Anlong Veng Memorial states: (1) "Talking about one’s experience during the Khmer Rouge regime promotes reconciliation and educates children about forgiveness and tolerance," and (2) "Learning about the history of Democratic Kampuchea helps prevent genocide."

The inauguration ceremony was chaired by her Excellency, Chumteav Ton Sa Im, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport; Mr. Ing Borat, Head of Oddor Meanchey Provincial Education Office; Mr. Yim Phanna, Governor of Anlong Veng district; and Mr. Khamboly Dy, DC-Cam Team Leader of Genocide Education and Author of "A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)".

During the ceremony, her Excellency, Chumteav Ton Sa Im took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of studying the history of Democratic Kampuchea as well as the great task of researching and learning more about history in general. Mr. Yim Phanna, Governor of Anlong Veng district, complemented her Excellency’s speech by highlighting the history of Anlong Veng district, with a particular attention toward the final days of the Khmer Rouge regime. There were 650 people attending this event. DC-Cam has also interviewed over 300 people of Anlong Veng in the past 3 months.