Dark commemorative events and selective amnesia in Cambodia

In Cambodia, dark heritage is often associated with the Khmer Rouge genocide period (1975–1979). Although the government has the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum as places of commemoration, there is a distinctive lack of commemorative events, notwithstanding the National Day of Remembrance, held annually on May 20th to honour the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime, and Victory Day, held annually on January 7th to recognise the formal end of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979. Part of this lack is related to the government’s official narrative deployed through these commemorative events. This chapter draws attention to how these commemorative events are used to influence Cambodia’s selective amnesia, whereby the public memory has become tainted due to the officially selected narratives promoted in the events. In doing so, this chapter addresses the impact the selected narratives have had on Cambodian’s knowledge, understanding and memory of their own history and heritage. Through this review and supported by a qualitative study that has employed observational analysis and interviews, this chapter argues the necessity of commemorative events for not only addressing the effects of selective amnesia but also ensuring the continuity of a nation’s past for future generations.