This past week at the MCC South East Asia retreat, stories from the conflicts in the region during the 60's and 70's were shared by MCC staff with diverse experiences and perspectives. Whether you call it the "American" or the "Vietnamese" or the "Indochina" war, the stories are interconnected; however, often we are unaware of the "others" story and the long lasting impacts. More than 30 years after the conflicts in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, there are residual effects. Trust in communities remains fragile; UXO's (Unexploded Ordinances) continue to hinder opportunities for development and annually injure hundreds of individuals.
On April 17, 1975 while I sat safely in a classroom in rural Ontario, Canada, half a world away city dwellers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia were forced to leave their homes and live in the remote countryside in conditions close to slavery. Almost overnight Cambodian radicals, known also as the Khmer Rouge, attempted to replace capitalist bourgeouisie influences with a communist, classless argarian society. Toul Sleng Primary and Toul Sleng High School were converted into a detention and torture centre, where several thousand victims were imprisoned and exterminated.
As I walked through the Toul Sleng Genocide museum, I was saddened and angered by the incredible loss of lives through this bloody regime.
Why do genocides continue to occur in our world? How can future genocides be prevented?
There are no easy answers, but I appreciate the willingness of people to share their stories.
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