The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), June 8, 2023, brought 150 students from Srey Santhor high school, Srey Santhor district, Kampong Cham province to visit Win Win Memorial, Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Genocide Center.
The students who participated in the study tour program similarly stated that they knew that the Cambodian people suffered greatly during the Democratic Kampuchea regime from 1975 to 1979. According to the students, they learned these stories from their grandparents through reading books and on social media.
“My grandfather used to tell me that when she was young, she was so difficult, she was not comfortable like us today, it was difficult to eat that sometimes only porridge, not delicious, not enough, overwork, and no medicine.” Said Ms. Chuon Channak, a grade 12 A student.
Another student, Puth Pisey, from Grade 12 C, said that her grandmother had told her that during the Khmer Rouge Regime, people suffered from the war and were forced to work in the fields without enough food. "As far as I know, they (Cambodians) had a lot of suffering because they were forced to work more than eight hours and they got less rest and less food only liquid porridge." Said Pisey.
Channak and Pisey added that they, like their classmates, do not want that brutal regime to happen in Cambodia again. They believe that in order to prevent such a brutal regime, the younger generation must study the history of Cambodia, especially the history related to the genocidal regime, by not forgetting the tragedy and disaster of the nation due to the Khmer Rouge regime.
During today's study tour, all students went to learn Cambodian history at the Win Win Memorial, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Choeung Ek Genocide Center, and a presentation by officials from the Khmer Tribunal on the achievements of the trial of former senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime.
As expected, at the end of a full day tour, the students would receive a wealth of information and knowledge related to the Khmer Rouge Brutal regime.
The ECCC organizes weekly study tour programs for students, youth, and the public to promote remembrance and participation in preventing the atrocities such the Khmer Rouge regime.
From 2009 to 2023, more than half a million national and international public participated in the outreach study tour program under the coordination by the Public Affairs Section of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
