Cambodian Monument at Lowell City Hall. Dedicated in 2017 to the 2 million Cambodian people who died in the Genocide and the survivors who started new lives in Lowell.

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, more than 100 people gathered near the Cambodian monument at Lowell City Hall to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the Cambodian Genocide.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan (at podium in rear) with members of the Proleung Khmer committee.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan spoke at the vigil. Here is my transcript of her remarks:

We gather here to reflect on a somber milestone, the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the Cambodian Genocide. On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge took control of Phnom Pehn, beginning nearly four years of unimaginable horror. Over two million lives were lost to violence, starvation, and forced labor. Intellectuals, teachers, doctors, religious leaders – anyone perceived as a threat to the regime – were targeted. Families were separated. Culture and identity were nearly erased. And the pain of that loss continues to echo through generations.

But within that unimaginable tragedy, there is also a story of resilience, a story of survival, a story of people who fled terror, who sought safety, who rebuilt their lives in new countries and unfamiliar cities, including right here in the United States.

To honor that resilience and to ensure that this history is never forgotten, I was proud to reintroduce the Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day Resolution today in the U.S. House of Representatives alongside my colleague, Congressman Robert Garcia of California.

This resolution is not just a symbolic gesture. It’s a commitment. A commitment to preserving the memory of those whose lives were lost. A commitment to educating future generations to the atrocities that occurred. And a commitment to standing firmly against genocide, authoritarianism, and the erosion of human rights, wherever they may occur.

As the Representative from the Massachusetts Third Congressional District, I feel a deep responsibility to ensure that these stories are heard. Because this history is not just Cambodian history, it’s American history, it’s Lowell history.

Lowell is home to the second largest Cambodian population in the United States, and I can tell you firsthand, we are better off for it. Cambodian Americans have transformed Lowell into a thriving, multicultural city that is rich in tradition, resilience and hope. They are teachers and entrepreneurs, artists and activists, they are community leaders, faith leaders, veterans and students. They are our neighbors and our friends.

Their journey, marked by tragedy, but defined by courage, is woven into the very fabric of our community. And it’s on all of us to lift up their voices, honor their experience, and carry their stories forward.

As we mark this fiftieth anniversary, let us just not reflect on what was lost but recognize what has been built in its aftermath. Let us rededicate ourselves to the values of justice, democracy, and human dignity, and ensure that what happened in Cambodia is never forgotten and never repeated.

Today, I am honored to present the Congressional record on behalf of Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day to Sotea and Sophy, the dedicated co-chairs of Proleung Khmer. To the Cambodian community’s leadership, story telling and advocacy, this history is not only preserved but it continues to inspire action, healing and unity for generations to come.

from left: Paul Ratha Yem, Vesna Nuon, Sokhary Chau and Dan Rourke

Mayor Dan Rourke, with the aid of the three Cambodian-American members of the Lowell City Council – Vesna Nuon, Sokhary Chau, and Paul Ratha Yem – read a proclamation.

Music was provided by the UMass Lowell Cambodian Ensemble.

Lowell Mayor Dan Rourke in foreground with Monks from area temples seated behind him.

Neary two dozen Monks from the Buddhist Temples in the area attended and offered prayers.

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Thursday’s vigil was part of a month-long series of events called Proleung Khmer to commemate this solemn anniversary. A full list of events is available at www. proleungkhmer.org.