Supervisor Hahn Proclaims Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day and Cambodian Heritage Month

LOS ANGELES—Today, at Supervisor Janice Hahn’s direction April 14 the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed April 17 as Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day and the entire month of April as Cambodian Heritage Month.

Los Angeles County is home to one of the largest Cambodian communities outside of Cambodia, many of whom are survivors and descendants of those impacted by the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime, with a large and vibrant Cambodian community living in Long Beach in Hahn’s district.

“While many Cambodian Americans continue to cope with the atrocities they witnessed and experienced, the thriving Cambodian community centered in Long Beach is a testament to the perseverance and unbreakable spirit of the Cambodian people,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I believe that it is important that as the Cambodian community marks the 51st anniversary of the darkest period in their history, that Los Angeles County joins them and takes the opportunity to recognize their resilience and lifts up the many ways they have made us a stronger and better county.”

April 17, marks the 51st anniversary of the fall of Phnom Penh in 1975, which ushered in a period of profound suffering, loss, and displacement for the Cambodian people under the Khmer Rouge regime. During this tragic era, millions of Cambodians lost their lives, and countless families were torn apart.

Hahn led the effort to have Los Angeles County officially recognize the Cambodian Genocide and first mark Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day in 2017. The day serves as an opportunity to honor the resilience of survivors and their descendants, remember those who were lost, and educate younger generations about the importance of human rights, justice, and the prevention of genocide.