[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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