PREY VENG DOCUMENTATION CENTER: Classroom Forum on the Importance of Studying A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) & Genocide Prevention and the Important Work with Cambodian Youth.
On March 15, 2025, the Prey Veng Documentation Center organized a Classroom Forum with 13 students (5 females) from Hun Sen Kampong Leave High School. This initiative was in response to a request from a history teacher who wanted her students to deepen their understanding of the history of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979). The purpose of the Forum was to encourage students to consider the importance of strengthening human rights, as they play a crucial role in preventing future violence in Cambodia. To achieve this goal, the forum activities focused on three key topics:
1. Chapter on Forced Transfer of People during the Khmer Rouge Regime
During the session, Pheng Pong-Rasy, the director of the Prey Veng Documentation Center, engaged the students in a discussion about their prior knowledge of Khmer Rouge history. Together, the teacher and students agreed to focus on the chapter regarding the Forced Transfer of People during the Khmer Rouge regime as a lesson for the day. Marking the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge’s evacuation of people, the new generation of Cambodians still remembers the events of April 17, 1975. The Forum centered on this significant event, where students were provided with detailed accounts of the evacuation, followed by discussions during the teaching hours. Rare photographs of the city evacuation were shown to the students, encouraging them to reflect deeply on the forced evacuations that led to human rights violations and genocide. Rasy explained that as a result of the forced evacuations, people suffered from overwork, starvation, separation, torture, and killing.
2. Definition of Genocide and Contributing Factors
In the second part of the Forum, Rasy defined “Genocide” for the students. He explained that genocide arises from a combination of three factors: 1) acts aimed at killing, causing suffering, devastating living conditions, imposing restrictions, or displacing individuals; 2) these acts are committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a specific group of people, such as a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Rasy also identified several risk factors that can lead to genocide, including discrimination, racism, abuse, and the use of violence.
3. Strategies to Prevent Genocide
Although this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge genocide, Rasy emphasized that genocide could occur again if the younger generation ignores this dark chapter in history. To help prevent future genocides, the younger generation should develop their own strategies. Rasy outlined three important levels of prevention: individual strategies, family or community strategies, and national strategies. For individual strategies, students were encouraged to practice three steps: reject violence, promote peaceful conflict resolution, and speak out against violence. For family or community strategies, family members should protect the individual rights of community members regardless of their background and educate young people to appreciate diversity through cultural, religious, and community education. At the national level, leaders should focus on education, diplomatic relations, and raising public awareness about the circumstances that can lead to support for genocide.
At the end of the Forum, students were asked to complete a Post-Forum survey to assess their increased knowledge of historical content and genocide prevention strategies.
Report by: Pheng Pong-Rasy
Photos by Pheng Pong-Rasy & Dararoath Meta
Classroom Coordinator: Thon Sreypich