Pov Chivoan is one of 220 students from high schools in Mesang district, Prey Veng province, who attended a study tour organized by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) on June 7, 2023.
During the study tour, Mr. Chivoan said, "I did not know much about the Khmer Rouge regime history, but I just know that the people were very miserable at that time" and the Cambodians were living in suffering and lost all their freedom. Chivoan added that he learned all these from his grandmother, reading historical books and on social media.
Mr. Chivoan added that according to his grandmother, his grandparent and some relatives were killed by the Khmer Rouge. He said, "my grandmother said that many people were killed at that time, the regime was as cruel as my grandmother used to tell me that his father was killed, and his relatives were also killed. But I do not know (why they killed them) because I rarely meet her for the reason.
For Chivoan, to prevent such brutal regime from happening again, "the younger generation needs to learn more about history, and to remember a lot, not to forget it."
During today's study tour, all students went to learn Cambodian history at the Win Win Memorial, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Choeung Ek Genocide Center, and a presentation by officials from the Khmer Tribunal on the achievements of the trial of former senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime.
As expected, at the end of a full day tour, the students would receive a wealth of information and knowledge related to the Khmer Rouge Brutal regime.
The ECCC organizes weekly study tour programs for students, youth, and the general public to promote remembrance and participation in preventing the atrocities such the Khmer Rouge regime.
From 2009 to 2023, more than half a million national and international public participated in the outreach study tour program under the coordination by the Public Affairs Section of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.