Seattle City Hall Exhibit
June 20th to July 31st 2005
Cambodian Cultural Museum and Killing Fields Memorial


Exhibit was the brainchild of museum founder Dara Duong: a display of photos and text designed with volunteers Dina Lydia (right) and Ron Melnikoff.

Part of the day's educational agenda was a showing of the documentary
film "S-21: THE KHMER ROUGE KILLING MACHINE," featuring former
guards and former captives of the notorious "Prison of No Return".


The displays illustrate the history, culture, and traditions of Cambodia. Below: Dara Duong with a display picturing the ancient city of Angkor Tom.

The Cambodian Cultural Museum received
recognition and matching funds from the city
of Seattle as a volunteer effort of exceptional
community-building value.

Left: Sculpture from the Cambodian Cultural Museum collection.

9809 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106
(White Center)  Phone: 206-730-7740

The Killing Fields Memorial

The Killing Fields part of the exhibit drew the most attention from viewers.

Illustrated with photos of victims, perpetrators, and emblems of oppression, the display tells the story:

About one-quarter of the population of Cambodia was systematically murdered by a totalitarian regime in the space of four years, then dumped into mass graves.

Each victim was numbered, photographed and interrogated brutally before execution.

The Memorial honors the victims and vows to oppose human rights abuses - so it cannot be allowed to happen again.

 

Dara explains the history of the Khmer Rouge genocide during the late 1970's. He relates his own story as a youth deprived of his father, immersed in squalid refugee camp life.

Dara has met and interviewed a former leader of the Khmer Rouge, second only to Pol Pot.

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All rights to these images reserved by Dina Lydia and Dara Duong, June 2005.