[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 14, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H11629-H11630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE VICTIMS OF THE CAMBODIAN GENOCIDE
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 238) honoring the
victims of the Cambodian genocide that took place from April 1975 to
January 1979, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 238
Whereas beginning in April 1975, Pol Pot led the Communist
guerilla group, the Khmer Rouge, in a large-scale insurgency
in Cambodia that forcibly removed Cambodians from their homes
and into labor camps in an attempt to restructure Khmer
society;
Whereas traditional Khmer culture and society were
systematically destroyed, including the destruction of
temples, schools, hospitals, homes, and historic buildings;
Whereas the Khmer Rouge separated and destroyed families
and punished and killed innocent civilians, including women,
children, doctors, nurses, clergy, teachers, business owners,
intellectuals and artisans;
Whereas more than 1.7 million Cambodians, or approximately
21 percent of the population, were killed in one of the worst
atrocities of the last century;
Whereas many people were executed simply for being
educated, wealthy, or even for wearing glasses as they were
seen as bourgeois or contaminated with Western influence;
Whereas after the Khmer Rouge regime was overthrown in
1979, thousands of Cambodians fled on foot to refugee camps
in Thailand and many refugees were processed again in other
camps in the Philippines and Indonesia;
Whereas from these refugee camps approximately 145,149
Cambodians made their way to the United States, with the
majority arriving in the early 1980s and settling in
communities across the United States;
Whereas despite the tremendous loss of family members,
homes, and even parts of their heritage during the Khmer
Rouge regime, Cambodians have shown courage and enormous
resiliency;
Whereas, according to United States Census Bureau figures,
there are approximately 206,053 Cambodians currently living
in the United States;
Whereas the new generation of Cambodian-Americans continues
to contribute to all aspects of American society as writers,
doctors, professors, and community leaders; and
Whereas the United Nations has taken affirmative steps to
establish an international criminal tribunal to bring to
justice the perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress--
(1) honors the victims of the genocide in Cambodia that
took place beginning in April 1975 and ending in January
1979; and
(2) welcomes the establishment of an international criminal
tribunal to bring to justice the perpetrators of the
Cambodian genocide, with the hope that proceedings of the
tribunal will meet international standards of justice.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Thirty years ago, as we all know, Cambodia was thrust into 4-years of
hellish chaos that claimed the lives of one-fifth of that country's
population. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime attempted a radical
restructuring of Cambodia, systematically destroying traditional Khmer
society, forcibly relocating large portions of the population, and
purging those whom it regarded as bourgeois, or culturally
contaminated. Their movement, which claimed to be a Communist effort to
create a classless, utopian state, was, in fact, a genocide.
By the time it ended, 1.7 million Cambodians were dead. It stands as
one of the worst crimes of the 20th century and a shocking example of
what becomes possible when the dignity of the human person is
subordinated to political ideology.
Faced with the terror of the Khmer Rouge, many thousands of
Cambodians did what you and I would do in that situation. They and
their families fled their homeland, becoming refugees. Of those
numbers, more than 145,000 resettled in the U.S. where they have
contributed to the strength of communities throughout our Nation. We
are proud of our Cambodian American population, which has demonstrated
such resilience and industry.
We also are hopeful that there may be yet justice and accountability
for the Cambodian genocide. We welcome the steps that the U.N. has
taken toward establishing an international criminal tribunal for that
purpose. Although that body has yet to become operational, we hope
that, when it does, its proceedings will be substantive, transparent
and credible.
In light of its history, I am proud that this body is taking up H.
Con. Res. 238 which honors the victims of the genocide in Cambodia and
welcomes the prospect of justice for that great crime. I want to
especially thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-
McDonald) for introducing this resolution and urge its unanimous
adoption.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. LANTOS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend my good friend
and colleague, Juanita Millender-McDonald, for introducing this
important resolution. Her leadership on behalf of all Cambodian-
Americans is greatly appreciated.
Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago, one of the saddest chapters in world
history began to unfold in the nation of Cambodia. With the victory of
the Khmer Rouge, millions of men, women and children were forced from
their homes into the countryside and prison labor camps throughout the
nation.
They were told they faced ``reeducation.'' Instead they suffered
crimes against humanity that became a genocide.
Entire categories of Cambodians were immediately marked for torture
and execution by the Khmer Rouge--educated Cambodians, wealthy
Cambodians, individuals associated with the previous government, even
Cambodians who wore glasses.
Thousands of innocent people were herded into Phnom Penh's infamous
S-21 prison. Once behind bars, they were tortured by the Khmer Rouge
until they confessed to their so-called crimes. After the confessions
were duly recorded and the photos of the doomed were taken and filed
away, the imprisoned individuals were summarily executed.
When the killing was over 4 years later, over 1.7 million Cambodians
were dead. Many
[[Page H11630]]
had been executed, hundreds of thousands more were victims of
starvation and malnutrition.
Some Cambodians were fortunate enough to escape the madness and
brutality of the Cambodian Genocide, making their way as refugees to
various Southeast Asian nations. Nearly 150,000 Cambodians ultimately
resettled in the United States, and today, there are more than 200,000
Americans of Cambodian descent.
As Cambodians build new lives in the United States, it is appropriate
and timely for the Congress to recognize the victims of the Cambodian
Genocide, and to welcome the establishment of an international criminal
tribunal to bring long-overdue justice to the perpetrators of the
Cambodian genocide.
Mr. Speaker, the international tribunal established for Cambodia is
not a perfect institution, and only time will tell if those who carried
out the genocide will be brought to justice. It remains our profound
hope that the work of the tribunal will be carried out according to
international standards of justice.
Mr. Speaker, nearly 1 in 7 Cambodians lost their lives during the
horrible 4 years of Khmer Rouge rule. With passage of this resolution,
we remember the innocent victims of the genocide, and hope that justice
prevails.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she might consume to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), my dear friend
and distinguished colleague, the author of this important piece of
legislation.
Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman, for his dedication
and commitment to this issue, along with my friend the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos), the ranking member, for his ongoing support of
this piece of legislation, and Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the
opportunity to address this issue that is incredibly important to all
Cambodian Americans.
The tragic history of over 1.7 million Cambodian men, women and
children who died during the Khmer Rouge rule in Cambodia from 1975 to
1979 is unconscionable. The inhumanity of the Khmer Rouge regime and
the harrowing events of the killing fields there still touch every
Cambodian American family. They live each day with the indelible scars
of lost mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and other loved
ones.
While the tragedy can never be reversed, America's recognition of the
1.7 million lives lost is important to the hundred of thousands of
survivors that now call America home.
My legislation, H. Con. Res. 238, commemorates the victims of the
Khmer Rouge genocide.
In 1975, a large-scale insurgency took place, resulting in the forced
removal of local Cambodians from their villages and into labor camps in
an attempt by the Khmer Rouge to restructure society.
The Khmer Rouge maintained control by mass public tortures and
executions. Families were separated by sending men, women and children
into various labor camps, scattered throughout that country. Famine and
disease were epidemic between April of 1975 and January of 1979.
Cambodians watched hundreds of thousands of their loved ones die by
starvation and thousands more by torture.
When the Khmer Rouge was overthrown in 1979 by Vietnamese troops,
thousands of Cambodians fled to nearby refugee camps in Thailand and to
camps in the Philippines and Indonesia. As many as 145,000-plus
courageous Cambodians made their way to the United States.
With the assistance of the Federal Government, State, local and
voluntary agencies, Cambodians were resettled in communities across
America. Despite the tremendous loss of family members, homes and parts
of their heritage, Cambodians have shown enormous resiliency.
Their culture and contributions to America continue each day to
enrich our society, and I am immensely proud that the largest Cambodian
presence in the United States resides in my district.
Cambodians have been awaiting justice for over a quarter of a
century, and it now seems that the opportunity will soon arise. The
United Nations has taken steps to establish an international tribunal
in 2007 to bring justice to the perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide.
The government of Cambodia seems poised to proceed.
It is my sincere hope that the Cambodian tribunal, once it is up and
running, will ensure that justice is finally served, and that those who
perpetrated the genocide against innocent Cambodians will finally be
punished for their heinous acts. Mr. Speaker, the 10s of thousands of
Cambodian Americans who lost loved ones to the killing fields deserve
no less.
So I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, and again,
I thank both the chairman and the ranking member.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I again want to commend my friend from
California for taking up this most important issue. We have no further
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of our time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 238, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as
amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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