With the Cambodian Ancestor Festival (Pchum Ben) now upon us, it is fitting and proper to take a moment to reflect upon and honour not only Cambodia’s ancestors and the elders who have borne the greatest burden in preserving our nation, but also Cambodia’s fallen soldiers and civilians and their families who have given their lives for the nation throughout history. We must remember the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime and victims of previous conflicts and wars. We also must remember the heroes who died in the recent conflict with Thailand.
The country owes a debt of gratitude to these people and their families, and with respect to the most recent fallen soldiers and civilians who died during the conflict with Thailand, as a matter of principle, we must remain committed to finding justice for their deaths.
All justice is preceded by and centred on the concept of memory, and so we can begin our justice endeavour today by remembering these fallen heroes and engaging with their families in their physical, mental and spiritual struggles to heal from their losses.
Every hero has a family, and their loss is not only a tragedy that ripples through the local community, but also through close and extended family.
The memory of these fallen heroes will echo through time, not only with the sober reminder that peace sometimes requires the ultimate sacrifice of Cambodia’s greatest citizens but also the inspirational reminder that Cambodia is a nation that shall never perish.
Youk Chhang is director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam). The views and opinions expressed are his own.
