The Day of Remembrance in Cambodia

The Day of Remembrance, formerly called the National Day of Hatred, for the victims of the Khmer Rouge takes place in Cambodia on May 20th. 

On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge, or the Communist Party of Kampuchea, seized control of the Cambodian government.  Following these events, the leaders of the Khmer Rouge implemented policies of forced collectivization amongst the Cambodian population.  This event and the government’s efforts to eliminate enemies of the state led to the death of at least 1.7 million people or a quarter of the country’s population.

The annual observance marks the day in 1975 when the communist regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge began the mass killings of the Cambodian genocide.