Native Cambodians who survived the deadly Khmer Rouge of the 1970s have been coming out in droves in recent months to testify against their oppressors as they stand trial, and the Associated Press today has a story on how the trials have progressed and how some victims are able to speak about the atrocities they experienced. Long Beach plays a central role, because it is home to the nation's largest Cambodian population and some of those quoted in the AP article live in Long Beach. From the article:
Hopefully these trials will begin to bring closure to a community obviously still haunted by the events of the past. The vibrant Cambodia Town in this city is one of the neighborhoods that makes Long Beach so significantly different from other large, diverse cities. Click here for a success story about Cambodian refugees that found a home and eventual success here in Long Beach.
From Virginia to California, refugees have spent the past few months pouring out long-suppressed memories to volunteers who fill notebooks with reports of gang rapes, execution, starvation, forced labor and brutal beatings. They attach names of dead relatives, sometimes a half-dozen per person, and scrawl out names of labor camps and far-flung villages where they lived for years on the edge of starvation.
Hopefully these trials will begin to bring closure to a community obviously still haunted by the events of the past. The vibrant Cambodia Town in this city is one of the neighborhoods that makes Long Beach so significantly different from other large, diverse cities. Click here for a success story about Cambodian refugees that found a home and eventual success here in Long Beach.
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