Reflections from the Killing Fields

Under the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal rule of Cambodia, between 1975-1979, it is estimated that close to two million people lost their lives - more than one fifth of the population. Many were enslaved, tortured, and executed. It is considered one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. In the decades that followed, the Cambodian people and the international community continued to seek justice for what happened then and deal with the country’s collective trauma. Despite the Khmer Rouge’s extensive documentation, most of their victims cannot be identified and were buried anonymously with countless others in mass graves scattered across the country.