By James Tabafunda
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Khmer Remembrance Day on April 17, 2025 at the University of Washington. (Photo by James Tabafunda)
A single white candle flickered in the breeze before fading as dozens gathered Apr. 17 on the University of Washington (UW)’s Red Square for a vigil and open-mic event, “Khmer Remembrance Day: 50 Years Later, We Remember & Rise.” In its place, a few incense sticks glowed slightly, their smoke drifting upward.
Organized by the UW Khmer Student Association (KhSA), the candlelight vigil and open-mic event honored the lives lost during the Cambodian genocide and celebrated the resilience of survivors and their descendants. About 50 Cambodian elders, students, and community members sat together on two, giant colorful mats. Illuminated by sunlight, their faces reflected on a half-century of pain, memory, and hope. As the sun faded, the gathering became a meaningful display of unity and optimism for the future.
Victoria Plom, political chair of the University of Washington Khmer Student Association. (Photo by James Tabafunda)
As the sun set over Red Square, Victoria Plom, political chair of the KhSA and a third-year nursing student, opened the ceremony with words that resonated with the crowd.
“Thank you so much for joining us today. Today marks 50 years of hardship, resilience, and unwavering hope for our people. In 1975, the people of Cambodia endured the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime. Nearly two million lives were lost to starvation, forced labor, and execution. But despite their efforts to erase our identity and silence our voices, we are still here. We are educated, we are strong, we are kind, and we are resilient. Everything the Khmer Rouge tried to destroy, we’ve rebuilt. So hold each other close. Stand together. It was our bonds, our love for one another, that helped us survive. And today, we honor that legacy. We will never forget our ancestors, and we will never forget our history. Thank you so much for joining us today and taking part of our legacy here at UW. Let’s remember together.”
Historical context
Fifty years ago, on Apr. 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge seized control of Phnom Penh, marking the end of the Cambodian Civil War and the beginning of one of the deadliest periods of the 20th century. The regime abolished religion, city life, and money, forced millions into labor camps, and targeted intellectuals and minorities in a powerful campaign of repression.
Pol Pot, a communist activist educated in Paris and Phnom Penh, led the Khmer Rouge regime that seized power in Cambodia. The regime evacuated cities, forcing millions into the countryside as part of a radical campaign called “Year Zero.” The movement aimed to erase Cambodia’s history and create a classless, agrarian society.
Between 1975 and 1979, an estimated 1.2 million to 2.8 million people, or about 25 percent of Cambodia’s population, died under Pot’s rule. The exact number is difficult to determine because of mass graves, incomplete records, and widespread chaos, but decades of forensic and demographic research have narrowed the estimated range.
Plom said her research showed estimates of 1.7 million to 2 million deaths. “Because so many lives were lost and many bodies were buried without record, it’s likely the actual number is much higher,” Plom said.
Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime systematically executed ethnic minorities, including Cham Muslims, Vietnamese and Chinese, as well as intellectuals, professionals, religious leaders and suspected political opponents. “He wanted to erase our identity as Cambodians,” said Plom. “He wanted to take away any sort of bond, love or connection we had with our religion, ourselves and our people, and destroy anything that stood in his way. It was very, very unfortunate, but we have rebuilt and come back as Cambodians.”
Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia on Dec. 25, 1978 and captured Phnom Penh on Jan. 7, 1979, overthrowing Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime and ending its control. The scale of the genocide became clear only after the intervention, as authorities uncovered evidence of mass executions and graves throughout the country.
Purpose and organization of the event
The KhSA hosted the event to honor victims of the Khmer Rouge and reflect on the tragedy’s enduring impact. Organizers said the event aimed to strengthen ties within the Cambodian community, promote cultural pride and encourage younger generations to learn and preserve their history. Planning required coordination with a local Buddhist temple and community groups.
Soursdey Sou, president of the UW Khmer Student Association (Photo by James Tabafunda)
Soursdey Sou, president of the KhSA and a third-year student majoring in medical anthropology and global health, said planning for the event began in early March, leading to a quick turnaround. “The purpose of this event is to bring the community together, remember what happened to our community and give each other support through tough times, because it is still hard for a lot of people,” Sou said.
Plom said organizers balanced the vigil alongside another upcoming association event. “We’ve been on and off, especially with our annual Khmer New Year show coming up. But everything worked out in the end, so I’m really excited,” said Plom.
UW alumna and former KhSA officer Sina Sam, who served in the early 2000s, said she is proud to see new leaders honoring their heritage and advocating for their communities. “I am just so proud to see the next generation of leaders carrying the torch to honor our heritage and advocate in solidarity with communities who may need it most right now,” Sam said.
She points to a rise in detentions and deportations affecting U.S.-born citizens, foreign visitors, students on school visas and longtime legal permanent residents, often without criminal records or legal justification. “It’s a very scary time of eroding civil liberties and heightened fear that echoes chilling similarities to an era of dictatorship for Cambodians that had catastrophic consequences to this day,” Sam said.
As younger Cambodian Americans step into leadership roles, Sam said she is encouraged by their commitment to preserving culture and addressing intergenerational trauma.
“Our young people are rising to the occasion and are astutely aware that older generations who survived the way are slowly dying out. They are committed to honoring and learning what they can right now to preserve these memories, such as holding the candlelight vigil,” Sam said. “They are doing it with unapologetic pride, joy and love—a confidence and energy that I think indicates healing taking place through the generations.”
Members of the UW Khmer Student Association (Photo by James Tabafunda)
Personal stories shared by students
Sou said after the vigil that her father was born exactly one year before the Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia.
“He, my grandpa and a lot of his relatives spent years hiding in the fields.” Her grandmother used to tell her stories about going in the fields and collecting bugs to eat and “just gather whatever resources they could before they could finally get away.”
Sou said many people were forced to work in the fields under the Khmer Rouge regime. “Everyone was basically forced to learn the same things and do the same work every day,” she said. “(Pot) targeted intellectuals, anyone that was seen as creative or intelligent. He wanted everyone to be a certain way. They had to know certain things. And a lot of them were mainly the ones that went into hiding.”
Plom said her family endured severe hardship under the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
“My grandfather died during the Khmer Rouge. My grandmother survived, but she passed away in 2020. My father and stepfather also went through it,” she said. “I have personal family ties to those who went through it, and it’s very unfortunate when they tell me the stories that they went through.”
“There is no Cambodian family that I know of that is not in some way affected and touched by this tragedy,” said Sam.
The vigil
Participants sat on large, colorful mats in solidarity, reciting words and honoring the memory of those lost and reflecting on shared resilience.
A Buddhist blessing ceremony led by two monks from Wat Khemarak Pothiram, a Cambodian Buddhist temple in Seattle, offered hope and spiritual healing to attendees. “We had monks from one of our local temples perform a blessing ceremony to bless everyone and wish prosperity to everyone who attended, and to show hope and love, as our speakers previously stated,” said Sou.
Plom said, “These blessings are to help us spiritually, personally and just give us hope and light.”
“I think that with today’s event, no matter what happens or what continues to go on, the community will always be strong.” Sou said. “And we always try our best to be there for each other, even if we can’t be there in person. We always send kind words to each other and just try to show our support virtually or in person.”
Plom said, “Never forget what happened in 1975. I think in order to remember, we must never forget.”