Dara Duong| Cambodia
About Dara Duong
Survivor of the Cambodian genocide, and former child refugee
Dara Duong was born in 1971 in Battambang province, Cambodia. His life changed forever at age four, when the Khmer Rouge took over the country in 1975. The entire population was herded into the countryside to work under forced labor and starvation conditions, and ultimately, one quarter of the Cambodian people were killed.
During the regime that controlled Cambodia from 1975-1979, Dara’s father, grandparents, uncle and aunt were executed, along with almost 3 million other Cambodians. Their only “crimes” were that they didn’t work hard enough in the fields for the regime, cried when a relative was executed, had worked for the former government, were educated, or just wore eyeglasses.
Dara’s mother managed to keep him and his brothers and sisters together and survive
the years of the Khmer Rouge regime. However, when the Vietnamese liberated Cambodia, she did not want to live under Communist rule. She fled with her family to a refugee camp on the Cambodian-Thai border, where they lived for more than ten years. Dara finished his schooling as they moved from one refugee camp to another.
In 1991 he returned to Cambodia, where he completed his university studies and worked to promote democracy and human rights, as well as working with youth and students.
Dara came to the United States by himself in 1999 and became a citizen in 2004. Although his brothers and sisters still live in Cambodia, his mother just joined him in Seattle recently!
Since arriving in the United States, Dara’s goal has been to educate people about the rich Cambodian culture that the Khmer Rouge tried to destroy and about the genocide, so that the world will not stand by and allow such atrocities to occur again. Toward that end, he has created the Cambodian Cultural Museum and Killing Fields Memorial, which began in his garage and is now in White Center, Washington.
Dara’s story is one of survival against enormous odds, one of perseverance, one of courage and hope
Visit The Killing Fields Museum Online
Dara Duong was born in 1971 in Battambang province, Cambodia. His life changed forever at age four, when the Khmer Rouge took over the country in 1975. The entire population was herded into the countryside to work under forced labor and starvation conditions, and ultimately, one quarter of the Cambodian people were killed.
During the regime that controlled Cambodia from 1975-1979, Dara’s father, grandparents, uncle and aunt were executed, along with almost 3 million other Cambodians. Their only “crimes” were that they didn’t work hard enough in the fields for the regime, cried when a relative was executed, had worked for the former government, were educated, or just wore eyeglasses.
Dara’s mother managed to keep him and his brothers and sisters together and survive
the years of the Khmer Rouge regime. However, when the Vietnamese liberated Cambodia, she did not want to live under Communist rule. She fled with her family to a refugee camp on the Cambodian-Thai border, where they lived for more than ten years. Dara finished his schooling as they moved from one refugee camp to another.
In 1991 he returned to Cambodia, where he completed his university studies and worked to promote democracy and human rights, as well as working with youth and students.
Dara came to the United States by himself in 1999 and became a citizen in 2004. Although his brothers and sisters still live in Cambodia, his mother just joined him in Seattle recently!
Since arriving in the United States, Dara’s goal has been to educate people about the rich Cambodian culture that the Khmer Rouge tried to destroy and about the genocide, so that the world will not stand by and allow such atrocities to occur again. Toward that end, he has created the Cambodian Cultural Museum and Killing Fields Memorial, which began in his garage and is now in White Center, Washington.
Dara’s story is one of survival against enormous odds, one of perseverance, one of courage and hope
Visit The Killing Fields Museum Online
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Most up-to-date Cambodia Newspapers and and Khmer news online
Read, listen and watch recent Cambodian news on line. These are the most popular Cambodian online news and media sites. They are broadcasting in Khmer, English and French language. Enjoy
http://www.camnews.org/
http://www1.voanews.com/khmer/news/
http://kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh/koh/
http://www.everyday.com.kh/
http://www.rfa.org/khmer/
http://www.fpmonline.net/
http://www.cambodia.org/news/
http://www.phnompenhdailynews.com/
http://ka-set.info/
http://www.cen.com.kh/
http://www.cambodgesoir.info/
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/
http://www.khmer.rfi.fr/
http://www.camnews.org/
http://www1.voanews.com/khmer/news/
http://kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh/koh/
http://www.everyday.com.kh/
http://www.rfa.org/khmer/
http://www.fpmonline.net/
http://www.cambodia.org/news/
http://www.phnompenhdailynews.com/
http://ka-set.info/
http://www.cen.com.kh/
http://www.cambodgesoir.info/
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/
http://www.khmer.rfi.fr/
