City of Seattle Cambodian American Genocide Day of Remembrance April 17th, 2023

WHEREAS, the rich heritage of Cambodia, one of the original civilizations in Southeast Asia, dates back over 4,000 years; and

WHEREAS, during the Cambodian Genocide, one of the bloodiest genocides in history, approximately 2 million people (nearly a quarter of the entire Cambodian population) lost their lives at the hands of the Khmer Rouge Regime between April 1975 and January 1979; and

WHEREAS, after 1979, over 140,000 refugees, predominantly from overpopulated Thai border camps, relocated to the United States in order to escape the harsh living conditions experienced in the camps and seek asylum from battered, war-torn Cambodia; and

WHEREAS, over half of the members of the Cambodian population experience varying degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder and other forms of mental health issues brought forth by the Cambodian Genocide; and

WHEREAS, it is important to honor the Cambodian people who suffered and remember those who died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge Regime during the Cambodian Genocide; and

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle is home to the largest population of Cambodian Americans in King County, and our region is the third largest in the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, April 17th, 2023 marks the 48th Anniversary of the Fall of Phnom Penh Cambodia and the beginning of an atrocious genocide that left 2 million people dead; and

WHEREAS, Cambodian multi-generational community leaders and elders from across Washington State work together relentlessly to reclaim cultural cornerstones nearly exterminated by the Khmer Rouge Regime and uplift their communities through education and cultural empowerment and resiliency;

NOW, THEREFORE, THE MAYOR AND THE SEATTLE CITY

COUNCIL PROCLAIM MONDAY, April 17th, 2023 TO BE

Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day

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Mayor Bruce A. Harrell Council President Debora Juarez

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Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda Councilmember Andrew J. Lewis

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Councilmember Lisa Herbold Councilmember Sara Nelson

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Councilmember Alex Pedersen Councilmember Dan Strauss