(BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- School and community groups are invited to schedule a free tour of an exhibition, "Three Years, Eight Months, and Twenty Days: The Cambodian Atrocities and the Search for Justice," on display August 30 through December 20, 2023 at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg. The exhibition, on loan from the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, is being hosted by the Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at RVCC.

The exhibition features prints created from dozens of photographs and artwork of survivors of the genocide in Cambodia. “Three Years, Eight Months, and Twenty Days” refers to the amount of time the Cambodian people were subjected to starvation, labor, and execution under the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Between the inhumane treatment of the collective farms and the infamous killing fields, approximately one-quarter of Cambodia’s population was killed. The reign of terror ended when Cambodia was invaded by Vietnamese troops and their Cambodian supporters in January 1979. Despite this, many leaders operated with impunity in remote parts of the country for over a decade. Only recently has the country been able to confront those responsible within a relatively new legal framework.

Created in partnership with the Center for International Human Rights, Northwestern School of Law, and the Sleuk Rith Institute, the exhibition details the history of the Pol Pot regime, the devastation of the Cambodian population, and the long process to prosecute the perpetrators. To schedule a visit of the exhibition on view at the College, contact Michelle Edgar, RVCC Program Specialist, at michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu.

Loung Ung

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies will offer two online programs this fall. Author Loung Ung will present “An Eyewitness Account of the Cambodian Genocide,” Friday, September 22, from 10:00am-11:00am. Ung will discuss how she miraculously survived the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Genocide. Ung is not only a survivor of genocide, but also a bestselling author, public speaker, activist, and co-screenplay writer of First They Killed My Father, a critically acclaimed 2017 movie directed by Angelina Jolie. The film is based on her award-winning memoir, First They Killed My Father. The event is free of charge and open to the public. To register, click here.

In addition, the Holocaust Institute will present an online opening of the exhibition, Three Years, Eight Months, and Twenty Days: The Cambodian Atrocities and the Search for Justice, Thursday, October 5, from 8:00pm-9:00pm.

For three years, eight months, and 20 days, the Khmer Rouge regime, led by Pol Pot, ruled Cambodia. The group enacted a program of harsh internment and torture and subjected the Cambodian people to inhumane living conditions, starvation, forced labor, and forced marriage. David Scheffer, U.N. Secretary-General's Special Expert for U.N. Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials, former U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, will offer a more detailed account of what occurred in Cambodia from 1975-1979. Ambassador Scheffer will explore the ideas of survival, response, documentation, and justice. To register for the online exhibition opening, click here.

The exhibit and corresponding programs are being co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of West-Central New Jersey. For additional information or to schedule a tour, contact Michelle Edgar, 908-526-1200, ext. 8735, or email michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu.

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, New Jersey.