On August 11, 2011, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam)'s Genocide Education Project conducted its 20th public education forum in Pralay Rumdeng village, Rumlech Commune, Bakan District, Pursat province. The forum was held in the compound of Rumlech pagoda with approximately 220 participants, including villagers, Khmer Krom, students, teachers, monks and include special guest Mr. Andrew Cayley, the Khmer Rouge tribunal international co-prosecutor.

During the forum, Project team members distributed copies of the textbook "A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)" and booklet Case 002, and Searching for the Truth Magazine. The team also screened the short documentary film “Mass Grave Near Pagoda,” about surviving family members who live in the same village as the man who killed their

relative during the Khmer Rouge regime. As exists in many villages today, the perpetrator is a monk/clergyman and ironically victims bring him and other monks food at the pagoda to seek healing from the past.

The aims of the Public Education Forums include disseminating genocide awareness and encouraging the younger and older generations to discuss genocide education and survivors’ experiences under the Khmer Rouge. The program is intended to complement DC-Cam’s support for formal education in KR history in Cambodian classrooms nationwide.

In addition to speaking to forum participants, Andrew Cayley spoke to Kampuchea Krom civil parties in Case 002 and discuss the status of Case 003 and Case 004.

PURSAT is the fourth largest province in Cambodia. During the reign of Preahbat Monivong (1927-1941), a number of Khmer Krom migrated to Bakan district, especially Rumlich commune, to establish a Khmer Krom village after finding the area conducive for farming. About 1,500 Khmer Krom families lived in three villages of Rumlich commune prior 1970. Presently, after the Khmer Rouge executions and evacuations from 1975-1979, less than 50 Khmer Krom families remain in the commune.

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) with the core support 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