Chouatong Mouavangsou - Week 9

Week 9

            In War, Genocide, and Justice, by Cathy J. Schlund-Vials, a recurring topic talked about is the renarration of a history. Schlund-Vials begins with a description of the Khmer Rouge and their genocide towards Cambodian people. She then transitions over to a keynote address by Chea Sim, a longtime Cambodian politician. It is here where Sim uses genocidal memory politics on a national level. This keynote address by Sim commemorates the day Vietnam forces ousted the Khmer Rouge forces from power and Sim takes advantage of this to codify a legible post genocide nationalism. He does this by beginning with, “all the millions of people who died during the Pol Pot regime will be reborn in paradise,” (5). By doing so, Sim renarrates the genocide as a triumph and it’s victims as sacrifices for the future generations (5). This politicized frame is similar to how the Vietnam War was framed in contemporary United States. During its 50^th anniversary, President Obama gives the United States a speech about the war that renarrates the war not as a loss, but rather a noble sacrifice. In it, he evokes emotional responses through emotionally loaded words rather than telling about the war. Through this politicized frame to renarrate the war President Obama does dishonor to those individuals stories and narratives that makes up the true history of the Vietnam War similarly as how Chea Sim does dishonor to those victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. With this in mind, how might we make sure that the true narratives and histories of an event are being told rather than politicized version? a legible post genocide nationalism. He does this by beginning with, “all the millions of people who died during the Pol Pot regime will be reborn in paradise,” (5). By doing so, Sim renarrates the genocide as a triumph and it’s victims as sacrifices for the future generations (5). This politicized frame is similar to how the Vietnam War was framed in contemporary United States. During its 50^th anniversary, President Obama gives the United States a speech about the war that renarrates the war not as a loss, but rather a noble sacrifice. In it, he evokes emotional responses through emotionally loaded words rather than telling about the war. Through this politicized frame to renarrate the war President Obama does dishonor to those individuals stories and narratives that makes up the true history of the Vietnam War similarly as how Chea Sim does dishonor to those victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. With this in mind, how might we make sure that the true narratives and histories of an event are being told rather than politicized version? 

Phnom Penh. (2015, June 23) Khmer Rouge, [Photograph] https://www.buzzfeed.com/jinamoore/theres-no-more-hiding-cambodias-history-of-sexual-abuse?utm_term=.yfWnAaW0r#.ixyl6aX5k