Recognizing Cambodian Day of Remembrance

Floor Speech

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, this April marks the 39th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge regime's rise to power in Cambodia and the tragedies that followed. I join Cambodian Americans to commemorate this tragedy in the community's past. Yet even as we solemnly recognize this moment, we can also look at the hopeful future that lies ahead for the Cambodian American community.

The Khmer Rouge regime seized power in Cambodia on April 17, 1975 and began a reign of terror and systematic genocide. Upwards of 3.4 million innocent men, women, and children lost their lives at mass grave sites now known as the Killing Fields. Thousands of refugees escaped these atrocities and were given sanctuary in the United States; many came to the State of Illinois.

Thanks to the Cambodian Association of Illinois and our strong Cambodian American community here in the United States, we are aware of the Cambodian genocide and its devastating effects. Organizations such as the Cambodian American Heritage Museum and the Killing Field Memorial carry out the vital mission of ensuring that we do not forget the atrocities of this period. The Cambodian community is committed to remembering and paying tribute to those lost in the Killing Fields while enhancing the public's awareness of these atrocities and supporting the survivors and their families.

As Illinois and other States recognize April 17th as the Cambodian Day of Remembrance, I rise today to join my Cambodian American friends to commemorate the atrocities of the Killing Fields and to provide comfort and hope to the victims' families. Let us take this moment to recognize that group-targeted violence and intolerance still exist in nations across the world, and we cannot ignore its presence.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in solidarity with the Cambodian American community in remembering those who were lost to the Khmer Rouge regime and in recognizing our hope for a more peaceful future.

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