The Documentation Center of Cambodia held the first of two conferences set to address the

topic of genocide on October, 25 2010, at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Phnom

Penh. The term genocide is often debated among scholars, leading to disagreements on

whether genocide took place during Democratic Kampuchea. For many Cambodians, they

have long used the term genocide (ampeu bralai pouch sas) to describe the killings by the

Khmer Rouge regime. This does not imply a consensus or a clear understanding of the term’s

legal and historical conceptualization among Cambodians however. Further, the legal definition

as defined in the Genocide Convention of 1948 has been criticized by scholars for being too

restrictive and broad.

This conference was attended by different ethnic minority groups: Cham Muslim women,

religious leaders, Buddhist monks, priests, members of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom, the

Vietnamese minority and hill tribes. Along with ethnic Khmers, these minority groups suffered

greatly under the regime. Between 100,000 and 400,000 Cham Muslims and approximately

300,000 Vietnamese died during this period.

These conferences serve several purposes. First, it will help to clarify the term genocide.

Second, the collection of oral histories during the interview will help to build a more complete

history of Democratic Kampuchea. Lastly, it is hoped the conferences will promote further

discussion on Democratic Kampuchea and participation in the truth-seeking process.