Victims of the Khmer Rouge and advocates have called on the Cambodian government to continue the commemoration of the Day of Remembrance, which was a collective reparations project to honor the victims and give voice to the survivors of the brutal regime.
The Day of Remembrance, which used to be called the National Day of Hatred, is marked on May 20 and was declared a national holiday in 2018. After only one year, the holiday was canceled as part of the government’s efforts to increase workdays in the year.
Victims have used the day as a way to express their experiences of the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime while highlighting atrocities. The government and Khmer Rouge Tribunal mark the day with events across the country, including reenactments of the regime’s crimes at Choeung Ek Genocidal Center.
