Before I started my Cambodian trip with ICOMOS in 2022, I had one full free day to explore the capital city of this country, and the infamous Killing Field with Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum was one of many attractions I saw in that long day tour. While I was deeply depressed to learn all those sad stories of victims by the atrocities of Khmer Rouge, I was happy to note that with international pressure to Cambodian Government this genocide incident was already inscribed by UNESCO under Memory of the World Program. However, when I learnt that Cambodia Government is pushing to inscribe these memorial sites as a World Heritage Site, I question this move because I am afraid that it will become part of political propaganda.

“The genocide will happen again if there is no peace” was the message I heard every time I went to Cambodia and such message was coincided with “Thanks Peace” a slogan by Hun Sen, the former Prime Minister of Cambodia who himself was a Khmer Rouge. I feel that he uses genocide to fear the people to stay in power and divert their attention from the domestic problem by threaten that without him or his son, Cambodia will be in chaos again. I was not surprised to learn that few Khmer Rouge leaders were brought to justice, since most of them become part of Hun Sen’s political allies. According to my guide, there is only two sentences on genocide in the Cambodian school textbook, while the old generation don’t want to mention it as it brings bad memories, so I am wonder what the merit of this site to be World Heritage for local Cambodians.

In my opinion the sites are worthy to be World Heritage, the Cambodian Genocide is truly one of the saddest histories of 20th Century and the effect of the genocide still impact Cambodia immensely especially when many generations of scholars and educated peoples as well as artists had been wiped out almost completely. With modern nationalism, Cambodia is struggled to rebuild its arts and knowledges causing conflict with its neighboring countries on its cultural appropriation, as a result, for social impact study perspective the nomination is very interesting. So, I would be extremely happy if there is no malign intention from Cambodia Government and my suspicious on this nomination is completely totally wrong.