We are excited to announce that the Independent Television Services (ITVS) will feature New Year Baby from Saturday, August 6 to Monday, August 8 as part of a free, online film festival to celebrate its 20th anniversary! New Year Baby exemplifies ITVS’ mission to bring diverse voices and untold stories to public media. The festival will run from July to August and will screen 20 award-winning documentaries funded by ITVS over the past 20 years. We thank ITVS for its support of independent filmmakers, and we hope the festival will inspire more stories of healing.

From the ITVS Community Classroom on Facebook: “Beautifully told story about a young woman who goes back to Cambodia with her family to unravel the mysteries of their troubled history with the Khmer Rouge. Free for a limited time on the PBS online Video Player. Great complement to any class dealing with ethnic studies, conflict and resolution, human rights, refugee issues or Southeast Asian history.”

New Year Baby aired on Independent Lens on PBS on May 27, 2008. Our film was also featured on Global Voices this past weekend. Mark your calendars and check out www.itvs.org/indies-showcase to catch the film!

I’m so happy to announce the release of Echoing Green’s latest book Work on Purpose, a slim volume which I’m so proud to be profiled in.  The book is intended to inspire a new generation of high school and college age students to pursue values-based careers.  I am honored to be featured along with Cheryl Dorsey of Echoing Green, Marnie Oakes of Hallmark Community Solutions, Mark Hanis of the Save Darfur Coalition, and Andrew Youn of the One Acre Fund.

A few weeks ago was the book launch party where Mark and I spoke.  I’ve said this many times because it’s so true — Echoing Green Fellows are the most courageous group of people that I know.  Thank you God they’re around to encourage me to dream bigger and reach higher.

A few weeks ago, I spoke at Columbus Academy in Columbus, OH.  I loved speaking there.  The students were extraordinary, inquisitive and compassionate.  I talked to them about how learning about genocide gives us an opportunity to examine our own conscience.  My favorite student is named Maya Little, a Columbus senior who spent last summer in Cambodia observing the Khmer Rouge tribunals and learning about the media there.  I feel more hopeful about America’s future!

My husband Charles was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia so when we were in Cambodia this past August and met some PCVs at an Embassy function he enthusiastically donated copies of New Year Baby to their office.  We didn’t know where they would end up, but we hoped that we could seed the countryside with this story.  I just recently began getting word from from a few PCVs who have show the film in their classrooms.

“This topic is extremely difficult to approach, but because of the movie, my students were able to learn about their country’s history.  So thank you for making the bridge that I have been seeking.” — Kealan Waldron, PCV

“I sat at the back of the English Lab classroom, attempting unobtrusiveness as these young Khmer teacher trainees viewed the film.  From their body language and comments to each other, I noted that they vacillated between laughter and tears, surprise and disbelief!” – Darlene Grant, PCV

The PCVs also shared responses from the students in their elementary English.  Many students expressed real shock about the depiction of killing in the film.  Though they may have some references to the Khmer Rouge times from their parents, they have never been presented with a coherent history.  Many were deeply touched by the film.

I’m so proud New Year Baby is still getting out there!

I recently had the opportunity to meet one of my personal heroes – Mu Sochua. Sochua came to Yale to show a documentary film about sex trafficking in Cambodia, Red Light Children. She is featured in the documentary as one of two protagonists that is trying to end the inhumane industry in the country.

Her political outspokenness has gotten her in trouble from the Hun Sen government. From musochua.org, “Mu Sochua is currently battling governmental abuse of power in her own case, where she faces a possible jail term if the Cambodian Supreme Court upholds her criminal defamation conviction for criticizing the Prime Minister. Her case has been denounced internationally as a politically-motivated prosecution that violated principles of due process and freedom of expression.” From what I have read, international scrutiny has persuaded the government to take a lighter hand in dealing with her. We hope that this means she is no longer under threat of arrest.

Afterwards, Sochua and other friends in the Yale community enjoyed dinner in my home where we talked about Cambodia, women’s rights and her travels. I gave her a copy of New Year Baby, of course. She had said she wanted to see it, but did not feel ready until recently. Safe travels, Lok Mieng.

Yesterday, I gathered at the site of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (the ECCC) to listen to the judgment of Duch, the former commander of S-21, the regime’s most infamous prison and torture center. Hundreds of Cambodians, from near and far, and journalists gathered to witness this historic moment.

As the judge read the summary of Duch’s guilty verdict, I was moved to hear the narrative of his crimes. Although I had read of and heard an account of the crimes of S-21 many times in books and films, hearing the legal summary helped to legitimize and validate the suffering of victims like those in my family. I was glad this was now entering the official historical and legal record.

A generation since the Khmer Rouge years, some survivors still have a hard time understanding what happened to them. They wonder if it was as bad as they remember it. Some start to downplay the impact of what happened. After all, everyone them kno went through similar trauma. Maybe their story isn’t so remarkable.

But to hear the judge utter these terms – “extermination,” “torture,” “murder,” and “crimes against humanity” – it did help to acknowledge that Khmer Rouge survivors are victims of humanity’s greatest crimes.

Like most Cambodians, I was upset, however, by two things – the reparations and verdict.

As far as I can tell, the reparations to victims amounts to a compilation of Duch’s apologies which were negated by his last-ditch request for acquittal.

Further, the remaining sentence for Duch of 19 years means he could be freed in his lifetime.

Cambodians have no faith in the justice system. I cling to some shred of hope that the ECCC prosecutors have strategically lessened Duch’s sentence in order to gain his cooperation for the upcoming prosecution of higher-ranking KR leaders.

The victims, civil parties, all Cambodians were so despondent yesterday. I hope that the ECCC eventually redeems itself.

We are so proud to share Khmer Legacies testimonies at the More Than a Number Exhibit running now at the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, MA. You can view the film below.

More Than a Number Exhibit

April 17 – July 25 2010
Wed. – Sun. 10 am – 5 pm
$8 Adults; $6 Seniors, Students, Children; free for children under 6
American Textile History Museum
491 Dutton St.
Lowell, MA
www.athm.org

Our annual fundraising event in New York City to mark Cambodian New Year was a big success! We raised $7500 thanks to our guests and sponsors. Thank you to all of our sponsors including World Foods, Chef King Phojanakong of Umi Nom & Kuma Inn, Chef Chris Johnson of Bao Noodles & Wa Sake, Bennett Media Studios, Fresh Ginger Ginger AleTang’s Natural Dumplings, Singha Beer, Monsoon Valley Wines, Golden Star Sparking Tea, Beer Lao, and WorldtoTable.com

Check out this video of the event!

Thank you to Junenoire Mitchell for these wonderful photos of the event.

Thank you to all of our volunteers!

I just returned from Tanzania where I spoke at the Second Regional Forum on Genocide Prevention, sponsored by the governments of Switzerland, Argentina and Tanzania. The private conference was full of dignitaries including Dr. Francis Deng, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, the former President of Tanzania Benjamin Mkapa, and Dr. Edward Luck, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on the Responsibility to Protect.

It was a huge honor to be invited to speak to these policy makers about Cambodia and genocide prevention. I’ve never been in a room in which every time someone opens their mouth, they must begin with “Excellencies, Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen.”

(From left to right: me, Eduardo Acevedo Diaz; Director General for Human Rights and Interim, Argentina; Rodolfo Matarollo; Advisor of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Argentina; Edward Luck, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on the Responsibility to Protect)

I came to respect the mature dialogue amng many African countries about the need to prevent genocide in their region. It was a very encouraging symbol of progress.

Thank you so much to Prof. Andrea Bartoli and Mo Bleeker, Director of Political Affairs, Switzerland for extending the honor to me.

I’m going to be interviewed about New Year Baby and Khmer Legacies on Rosie Radio on Monday, Feb. 15. Here’s information about where to tune in:

Listen to Rosie Radio
Mon – Fri: 10 am ET – 12 pm ET

Rebroadcasts (All times ET):
Mon – Fri: 12 pm – 2 pm & 8 pm – 10 pm
Sat – Sun: 8 am – 10 am, 2 pm – 4 pm & 8 pm – 10 pm

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