Cambodians remember the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge 42 years ago

Record ID: 645410

  • Title: Cambodians remember the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge 42 years ago
  • Date: 17th April 2017
  • Summary: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (APRIL 17, 2017) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE TO CHOEUNG EK KILLING FIELDS, PEOPLE IN FRONT OF MONUMENT OPPOSITION PARTY SENIOR LEADERS PRAYING IN FRONT OF MONUMENT MONKS CHANTING OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS PRAYING WHILE MONKS CHANT IN FRONT OF MONUMENT MEDIA STANDING IN FRONT OF SKULLS OF VICTIMS OF KHMER ROUGE REGIME IN MONUMENT OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS PRAYING, MONKS CHANTING KHMER ROUGE VICTIMS' SKULLS OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBER'S HAND ON GLASS CASING PROTECTING SKULLS AN OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBER, MAO CHORN, PRAYING IN FRONT OF SKULLS OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS AND SURVIVORS PUTTING INCENSE INTO VASE AFTER PRAYING INCENSE BURNING IN VASE (SOUNDBITE) (Khmer) AN OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBER, MAO CHORN, SAYING: "I come here to pray for those who lost their lives here. I remember and I do not want this horrifying regime to happen again, I especially wish all of them to rest in peace and, in return, wish us peace, good development, and to no more bloodshed between Khmers and Khmers." OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS AND SURVIVORS OFFERING FOOD, DRINKS AND MONEY TO BUDDHIST MONKS (SOUNDBITE) (Khmer) AN OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBER, CHHENG SAUTH, SAYING: "I will never forget this terrible regime which killed the innocent Khmer people, so that is why we are here to pray for the victims of this regime." OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS OFFER FOOD TO MONKS VARIOUS OF MONKS RECEIVING FOOD, DRINK AND MONEY FROM OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS AND SURVIVORS CHOEUNG EK KILLING FIELDS MONUMENT BEHIND QUEUES OF PEOPLE
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2017 06:43
  • Keywords: Cambodia Khmer Rouge opposition Phnom Penh anniversary Choeung Ek killing fields
  • Location: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
  • City: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
  • Country: Cambodia
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016CSDZD1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds gathered on Monday (April 17) at Cambodia's infamous "Killing Field" to mark the 42nd anniversary of the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge regime.
    As many as 2.2 million people were said to have died during the ultra-Maoist revolution from 1975-1979. Most of them died of starvation, torture, exhaustion or disease in labor camps or were bludgeoned to death during mass executions.
    On April 17 every year, opposition party members, survivors and family members of victims gather to pray at the "Killing Field" of Choeung Ek, some 15 kilometres (9 miles) from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
    Almost every Cambodian alive lost a family member under the Khmer Rouge.
    A U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal in Cambodia has found just three people guilty after a decade of work at a cost of over $260 million. Many have called for the judicial process to be sped up but Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, in power for 30 years, has warned that more trials could see Cambodia spiral into civil war.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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