Congressman Lowenthal Resolution Marks 35th Anniversary of End to Cambodian Genocide

Press Release

Congressman Alan Lowenthal has introduced a House Resolution marking the 35th anniversary of the ending of the Cambodian Genocide, in an effort to both honor the millions of victims of one of the worst atrocities in modern history, and to offer support to efforts pursuing justice for the victims and their families.

The resolution, H.Res.464, comes 35 years after the overthrow of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime that from 1975 to 1979 deliberately and systematically killed between 1,700,000 and 3,000,000 people in Cambodia.

The communist Khmer Rouge, under the leadership of Pol Pot and others, attempted a brutal social reengineering of the entire Cambodia society. Their efforts resulted in mass political executions, disease, starvation, and forced labor.

"Thirty-five years later, we still feel the scars of the Cambodian Genocide. It is our duty to never forget this awful crime, and to remind the world what took place in the Killing Fields. At the same time, I celebrate our vibrant Cambodian American community, over a quarter million strong, with many living in Long Beach's Cambodia Town, and the strength and resiliency with which they have built community which maintains a strong sense of culture and continuity while embracing America and are adding to the fabric of our shared society. Together, let us all remember the Cambodian Genocide and commit to never allowing such mass killings to happen again."

During and after the genocide, hundreds of thousands of Cambodians made their way as refugees to the United States. According to the U.S. Census in 2012, more than 255,000 Cambodians currently live in the U.S., with one of the largest concentrations in the 47th Congressional District.

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