Multidisciplinary project exploring the idea of memory and conflict in Cambodia, a war-torn post-genocidal society who is learning to reconcile its wounds from the past.
Democratic Kampuchea was one of the worst human tragedies of the 20th century. The Khmer Rouge regime claimed nearly 2 million lives, leaving tens of thousands of widows, orphans and broken families. Millions of mines were laid by both the Khmer Rouge and government forces, which have led to thousands more deaths and disabilities since the 1980s. Although the Khmer Rouge regime ended 30 years ago, its legacy continues to affect Cambodia today.
Talking about the Khmer Rouge has been widely taboo in Cambodia since the end of the war. It can be accepted that Cambodia only learnt to breathe again at the expense of silence and the will to forget, which has in turn had detrimental effects on the rebuilding of its society
in the aftermath of war. Physical and mental disability is a prominent symbol of the legacy of war in Cambodia. Those who visibly bear
the wounds of war have become an unintentional reminder of the country’s unbearable past, and are amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in Cambodia. Visible disabilities have become a social stigma synonymous of exclusion on all levels of society and daily life.
Through developments in justice and education, the process of reconciliation in Cambodia has recently begun to solidify, and with it
come the endless possibilities of rebuilding. This body of work is an attempt to define Cambodia’s past in terms that are acceptable for
its victims and future generations, through the eyes of those who are striving to rebuild their communities and identity in the aftermath of war. Cambodia is filled with untold stories of overcoming that bear testament to the willingness and efforts of a society to reconcile itself. An open-ended multidisciplinary essay, ‘The Legacy of Silence’ seeks to foster social reintegration, coexistence, and ultimately to contribute to the dialogue of reconciliation in Cambodia.