Cambodian Community Calls on City Leaders to Denounce Visit of Khmer Rouge Leader's Son
by Jason Ruiz
March 23 2016 16:51

Hundreds of Cambodian-Americans gathered inside and outside Long Beach City Hall last night to protest the possible inclusion of Cambodian Prime Minister HE's son, HM, in the city's 10th annual Cambodian New Year parade, set for April 10.

Speakers were given time during the city council meeting last night to denounce the visit from HM, son of HE, who, in addition to being the country’s prime minister, also served as a commander during the Khmer Rouge. The potential for Manet to take part in the parade was not only insulting to the Cambodian community, but has the potential to reopen old wounds of those who fled the Killing Fields of Cambodia, which wiped out nearly a quarter of the country’s population.

“To cause us further harm and to damage the home that has already once been broken and to divide us even more deeper the Cam CC (Cambodian Coordinating Council) has managed an outrageous decision to invite the prime minister’s son to come and join the parade this year knowing ahead that it’s against the will of the people and will cause the community to oppose,” said Charles Song.

Song was granted an extended period of comment time from Mayor Robert Garcia, as the mayor noted it was an important issue and Song was representing a large group of people, many of whom were left standing outside of the council chambers due to capacity restrictions.

Song said this was not the first time the organizing body has made a gaffe that’s led to unrest in the Cambodian community. For example, the inaugural parade was initially scheduled for April 17, 1995, which drew sharp opposition from the community, because April 17 marked the anniversary of when the Khmer Rouge began its genocide that resulted in millions of deaths, and many others to flee the country.

He called on the council to join him and the hundreds of others gathered outside to denounce Manet’s visit and to prevent his involvement in the parade marked for a celebration of a culture, not the visitation of political figure.

"If you have to shut it down, please let it be,” Song said. “We are not here to ask for you to fight for us; all we ask is that you do what is right for all. This is no longer just a Cambodian issue. This is your issue, this is our issue.”

“The majority of our Cambodian-Americans are embedded with psychological and emotional scars from the Killing Fields in Cambodia,” added another protestor, his voice beginning to break. “Although it was many years ago, we are still experiencing the trauma of its effects daily. We don’t want them here. We don’t want them here.”

Several members of the council threw their names into the hat of those who would not be attending the parade if Manet is indeed part of it. Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrews said this would be the first parade he will be absent from, but the invitation to Manet, given the political ramifications, was something that “should not and can not be done.”

A separate celebration—The Cambodian Culture Festival— held on the same day and co-sponsored by Andrews along with Cambodia Town Inc. put out a release today to distance itself from the parade. The eighth annual celebration will remain "non-politcial and non-partisan" the statement said and will continue to promote the Cambodian community and culture. It also sought to reinforce the organizations opposition to Manet's visit while promoting the safe, protest-free atmosphere that it expects at its event.

"Cambodia Town, Inc. wishes to inform the public that HM was not invited to participate in the Culture Festival at MacArthur Park," the statement said. "Although there is concern about protests at the parade, we do not anticipate the same since HM is not attending the Culture Festival."