[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 73 (Monday, May 5, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H3035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1515

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey, Mr. Rush Holt.
  Mr. HOLT. I thank the gentlelady for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, in countries all over the world, journalists are 
assisted, in fact, often dependent on local assistance, such as Dith 
Pran was to Sydney Schanberg, who was working for The New York Times. 
Such assistance often goes unrecognized.
  But Dith Pran did not go unrecognized. His life would be noteworthy 
if only because of his survival. After the foreign military forces left 
southeast Asia, and horrific genocide and slaughter enveloped Cambodia, 
Dith Pran faced a situation that is hard to believe. He would be 
noteworthy also because of his excellent work as a photographer and 
photojournalist, but he is most noteworthy and truly admirable because 
of his work to bring the horrors of the genocide of Cambodia and of 
genocide anywhere in the world to the attention of the public. It was 
my honor and good fortune to know Dith Pran.
  He covered stories and events in the New Jersey and New York area, 
and I saw him fairly often. He even accomplished the challenging 
achievement of sometimes making me look good on film. He was hardly a 
movie star, but he was always cheerful. In his daily contacts, looking 
through those smiling eyes, it would be hard to imagine the horrors 
that were back in his mind.
  For months each year, after hours, on weekends, before students, 
before policymakers, before any audience that would listen, he used his 
experiences effectively to teach the horrors that humans can do to 
humans and to work for justice, truth and reconciliation in Cambodia 
and other countries around the world.
  After each mass murder and genocide in history, some have said 
``Never again.'' After the Nazi death camps, after Rwanda, after each 
genocide, we say never again.
  Let us all hope, that the example of Dith Pran and his story will 
help us take action so that truly never again we will see the kind of 
horror that Dith Pran saw.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 1109, 
honoring the memory of Mr. Dith Pran, a constituent of mine from 
Woodbridge, New Jersey, who passed away on March 30, 2008, at the age 
of 65. Mr. Dith was a photojournalist for the New York Times and a 
renowned human rights advocate, who became the face of the atrocities 
in Cambodia carried out by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot. After fleeing 
Cambodia in 1979, Mr. Dith devoted his life to advocating against 
genocide and finding justice for victims of genocide through his 
advocacy.
  After working as a translator and receptionist in Cambodia, he was 
hired in the early 1970s by Sydney H. Schanberg of the New York Times 
to be a guide and interpreter. The incredible friendship and 
partnership that developed between the two men became the basis for the 
1984 film, ``The Killing Fields,'' which helped bring to light the 
brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime.
  In 1985, Mr. Dith became a U.S. citizen and a goodwill ambassador for 
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 1994, he worked 
with former Senator Charles Robb to help pass the Cambodian Genocide 
Justice Act. Mr. Dith was a tireless advocate constantly speaking out 
about the Cambodian genocide, so that the world would know and never 
forget.
  This resolution is to honor Mr. Dith's commitment to raising 
awareness about the atrocities that took place in Cambodia, as well as 
to recognize the strength and courage of an ordinary man who lived an 
extraordinary life. Mr. Speaker, I would urge all my colleagues to 
support this resolution.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1109, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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