Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 11, 2010
On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the
people of the Kingdom of Cambodia on the occasion of Khmer New Year.
This is an opportunity to honor Cambodia's culture and its accomplishments.
This past year, Cambodians marked a historic milestone when, for the first
time in three decades, a former Khmer Rouge official was held accountable
for his crimes before an internationally recognized court.
And over the last year, the partnership between our two nations has grown
stronger and deeper. Together we have expanded cooperation on law
enforcement issues, food security, the environment, and international
peacekeeping.
On this festive occasion, let me reaffirm our commitment to both the
partnership between our governments and the friendship between our people.
We especially look forward to the 60th anniversary of our bilateral
relations this coming July, a testament to our enduring bonds.
I offer best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous new year.
About Me
- Duong Dara
- 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. 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. 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. 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.
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