[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 30 (Thursday, March 7, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DR. HAING S. NGOR, A CAMBODIAN HERO WHOSE SPIRIT AND DEVOTION LIVE ON

                                 ______


                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 1996

  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a fallen hero 
who exemplified the true meaning of courage and devotion: Dr. Haing S. 
Ngor (1940-96)--whose time, money, fame, and heart were dedicated to 
serving the people of Cambodia.
  The world knows Dr. Ngor for his brilliant acting success. But his 
Academy Award for his stirring portrayal of photojournalist Dith Pran 
in ``The Killing Fields,'' was eclipsed by his commitment to his fellow 
Cambodians, here and in Southeast Asia.
  Dr. Ngor escaped from the horrors of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge with 
a strong sense of duty toward his fellow Cambodians. He knew it was his 
responsibility to tell the world of the tragedies that had befallen his 
country during the war and to support those who had survived. Dr. Ngor 
made this the focus of his life.
  Dr. Ngor's quiet beginnings did not foretell of the worldwide respect 
he would achieve in later life. He was born in Samrong Young, a small 
village south of Phnom Penh where his father owned the local lumber 
mill, and his mother ran a small store. HIs parents instilled in him 
the devotion to family, nation, and justice that he carried to his 
death.
  In Cambodia, Dr. Ngor attended medical school and became a physician. 
Then the horrors of the Pol Pot regime began. Before his escape to Los 
Angeles, he was to lose his loved ones, including his pregnant wife, 
and to suffer starvation and mutilation at the hands of the Khmer 
Rouge.
  In Los Angeles, he dedicated himself to the support of the Cambodian 
people. He raised funds, opened two orphanages in Cambodia, and 
frequently traveled to his homeland to bring supplies and food to the 
refugees there. Dr. Ngor lobbied hard to bring Pol Pot and the Khmer 
Rouge to justice in an international tribunal.
  An assassin's bullet may have ended Dr. Ngor's life, but it will not 
kill his spirit. He will remain in our hearts as an inspiration in the 
fight against oppression and injustice. We will continue Dr. Ngor's 
fight.

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