Youk Chhang

OPINION: Reflecting on 75 Years Since the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was Adopted at U.N.

Between 1975 and 1979, Cambodia suffered extraordinary destruction of its civilization. The Khmer Rouge regime attempted to implement a radical Maoist form of communist ideology, which was implemented through a spectrum of horrific policies and practices that defy the imagination.

OPINION: Survivors of the Khmer Rouge Regime Deserve More Than Symbolic Reparations

In this essay, Youk Chhang states that Cambodia could be a country in which the survivors of mass atrocities and genocide receive reparations that involve restorative medical care, services, and support from the international community.

Opinion: Khmer Rouge Genocide of Notre Dame Cathedral in Cambodia

Between April 1975 and January 1979, the Khmer Rouge destroyed significant numbers of Christian churches and many Christians were killed. Phnom Penh’s first Cathedral, the Preah Meada was decimated, and the Notre Dame Cathedral in Phnom Penh, which could hold up to 10,000 people, was blown up.

Why Confront the Horrors of History?

Opinion: Son of God in Manila

In this essay, Chhang argues that Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte should learn from the example of Cambodia and how foreign policy success cannot be achieved through the use of unequivocal language and decisions, but rather necessitates a more nuanced approach.

"GENOCIDE-- A Topic of Grave Importance for Our World" by Youk Chhang

"The Substance of Actions" by Youk Chhang

Chhang Youk, the executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, has for many years helped documented the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge and has been key to the functioning of the Khmer Rouge tribunal. This is an essay he wrote recently to mark international Holocaust Remembrance Day.