April 17, 2025
Mrs. Trahan (for herself and Mr. Garcia of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Expressing support for the designation of April 17, 2025, as Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day
to remember the horrific slaughter of almost 2,000,000 Cambodian people at the hand of the Khmer Rouge regime.
Whereas, April 17th, 1975, marked the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge, thereby marking the beginning of the Cambodian Genocide;
Whereas, beginning on April 17, 1975, and for the next 4 years, almost 2,000,000 Cambodian people were starved, tortured, and murdered under the direct orders of the Khmer Rouge regime and their leader Pol Pot;
Whereas nearly one fourth of the population of Cambodia at the time were killed during the genocide;
Whereas, April 17th, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Cambodian Genocide;
Whereas by designating April 17th as a day of remembrance, the utmost respect and reverence can be given to the lives that were lost;
Whereas recognizing this day serves to honor those who survived the genocide with the utmost admiration;
Whereas Cambodian communities have found new beginnings across the United States, acting as a symbol of resiliency and strength;
Whereas, in 2019, the cities of Lowell, Los Angeles, and Long Beach proclaimed April 17th to be Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day; and
Whereas, in 2023, the State of Massachusetts proclaimed April 17th to be Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
supports the principles and values of Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day
;
(2)
acknowledges the long and continued struggle of the Cambodian people to foster a free and just democratic process;
(3)
further acknowledges the work of the Cambodian diaspora community throughout the United States to gain recognition of the Cambodian Genocide by the Federal Government;
(4)
encourages all to reflect on the history of the Cambodian Genocide and the legacy that it has left, both within Cambodia and abroad; and
(5)
requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.