Forgotten Past?

As many as two million people were killed during Cambodia's genocide. Why aren't students there learning about it?

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - As many as two million people died during the genocide perpetrated by the Communist

Khmer Rouge regime and its leader, Pol Pot, which ruled the nation from 1975 to 1979.

But 70 percent of the population was born after the genocide and, partly because of the country's poor education system, young people are not learning the details of one of the most pivotal events in their history.

I sat down with five Cambodian students in Phnom Penh recently to discuss this knowledge gap, as well as other concerns they have — past, present and future.

You can watch the video interview or read the transcript below. To protect the students' privacy, only their first names have been used.

KEVIN SITES: How much do you know about the genocide? What are you learning in school about the genocide?

CHEAMENG: My grandfather died because Pol Pot forced him to work more than his strength.

KEVIN SITES: Do you feel this generation, people of your own age, know enough about the genocide? Are you learning enough? Or is it something that the society as a whole is trying to forget?

SOTHEA: The information that I get from school is very little. They only taught us that in 1975 Pol Pot came, the Khmer Rouge came, and they destroyed ... the former government. And then they started their genocide to control the country. They sent people in the town and in the city to a remote area and to work in the field.

KEVIN SITES: But you're only learning a little bit, you say. Why do you think that you are only learning a little bit? This is a major part of Cambodian history.

SOTHEA: For me I think that's my generation. We don't get any information ... we have no idea about the way they tortured people. We just know the main part, we just know they kill, they treat people.

KEVIN SITES: Let me ask you, what do you believe is the danger in not knowing about the genocide? What kind of danger does your society face if this is forgotten?

THOS: For me, I think that if we try to forget our history, we're going to make the Khmer children forget ... maybe there would be the return of genocide again.

SOTHEA: For me, I think the history will be repeated.

KEVIN SITES: You do think that history will be repeated, that there could be another genocide here?

SOTHEA: Yes, if all the Khmer children have no idea about it.

KEVIN SITES: What is the greatest problem confronting your society today? Is it the legacy of its past or is it something that is happening right now?

THOS: Especially for the teenager, we worry about sexually transmitted disease, which include TB,

HIV/

AIDS.

SOTHEA: I think the school is also a problem.

KEVIN SITES: Education.

SOTHEA: It's about the low level of education, even people in the city. Most have low education still.

KEVIN SITES: You feel you are not getting a proper education is what you are saying.

PHON PANHA: Most children were sent to work by their parents because of the living standard. So they lose their education opportunity.

KEVIN SITES: Let me ask you what you would like to do, what kind of job you would like to have if you could have any job right now?

PHON PANHA: If I graduate, I'd love to work for a company, a private company or work for the government.

SREYMOM (in English): Me, I want to be a guide.

KEVIN SITES: A guide. Good. You are learning English, so that's helping.

SOTHEA: A doctor.

PHON PANHA: I want to work for the government system to help the government to eradicate poverty.

THOS: When I graduate from school or university I want to be a writer, write a book.

KEVIN SITES: If you tell the world about one thing about Cambodia that they don't think they know already, what would you tell them from your perspective?

THOS: I would tell them about the poverty of Cambodia.

CHEAMENG: I want to let you all know that even though we are just a small country, we have the way of our development. In the future, we will be as developed as the big countries like Japan or USA.

KEVIN SITES: What are you most proud of in your culture?

SOTHEA: Angkor Wat Temple (for more information on Angkor Wat, click here.).

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