Two Must-Read Books on the Khmer Rouge Genocide

Two Books on the Khmer Rouge Genocide highlighting the lost of Freedom — Books cover about Khmer Rouge genocide over the word 'Freedom' in Khmer

On February 18, 2025, the Cambodian government unanimously passed a new law punishing individuals who deny crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia to ensure that crimes against humanity do not recur in Cambodia soil, and to protect the right to life of the public. These two books, that I suggest, complement each other and help to keep the memory of the atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge regime.

In the Shadow of the Banyan (Vaddey Ratner)

Each victim and witness of the Khmer Rouge regime experienced a different ordeal. Some managed to escape at first, others lost their lives in the process, while others endured the four cruel years to the full. This is the case of Vaddey Ratner, heiress of the royal Sisowath lineage, who integrates her personal story to present the experience of survival in a context of extreme violence.

Through the eyes of a child, Vaddey witnesses the daily life of the victims since the evacuation of the capital, their exile into the unknown, the separation of families, hunger, torture and executions. Beyond the atrocities, Vaddey pays tribute to the Cambodian people through poignant passages showing the resilience and humanity of individuals, their ability to support each other despite terrible circumstances, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

In the Shadow of the Banyan is a novel that inspires us to want to know more about the country's history, and helps us to better understand its current situation on the world stage.

L'âme au bord des cheveux (Séra)

L'âme au bord des cheveux is an illustrated historical documentary in which Séra presents numerous facts to contextualize the Khmer Rouge's rise to power. Cambodia was in the midst of an eight-year civil war. We discover the indirect actions of the United States and Vietnam, which contributed to the country's political instability and, in particular, to the Khmer Rouge's rise to power.

It is also an autobiographical account, recounting the day Phnom Penh fell into the hands of the Khmer Rouge and those that followed, during which the author was able to take refuge in the French embassy.

The illustrations and reproductions of real documents immerse the reader in history, making the complex subject of war accessible to a wide audience.

From the book L'âme au bord des cheveux where USA declares responsibility for war crimes aigainst Cambodia — From the book L'âme au bord des cheveux

From the book L'âme au bord des cheveux, in which the author declares that he is adopting French nationality to avoid joining the Cambodia army — From the book L'âme au bord des cheveux

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