Rep. Alan Lowenthal, who represents Long Beach, introduced a House resolution Thursday that recognizes the 36th anniversary of the end of the Cambodian genocide and the contributions of the Cambodian American community in the United States, his office announced yesterday.
The resolution, titled H.Res.436, recognizes the resilience of Cambodians 36 years after Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime spearheaded an “agrarian revolution” and systematically murdered an estimated 1.7 to 3.0 million people in Cambodia, specifically educated Cambodians, between 1975 and 1979.
“Even after 36 years, the wounds of the Cambodian Genocide are still fresh. It is our obligation to remind the world of the horrors of the Killing Fields, and in doing so, make sure this awful crime against humanity is never forgotten,” Congressman Lowenthal said in a statement.
Long Beach counts the largest Cambodian population in the world, outside of Cambodia. A total of 276,000 Cambodians live in the U.S., according to the 2010 Census, a release from Lowenthal’s office stated.
“But each year, there are also reasons to celebrate: the vibrancy of more than 276,000 Cambodian Americans, many living in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town; the strong sense of culture and continuity that the community has maintained while adding to the fabric of our shared society; and, the strength and resiliency that the community continues to show every day,” said Lowenthal in a statement. “Each year, we must take this opportunity to recommit ourselves to never let the world forget the Cambodian Genocide and rededicate ourselves to making sure such mass killings never happen again.”