Cambodian-American Community Of Oregon (CACO) Press Release

THANK YOU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A “Collective Sharing and Healing” Forum—Khmer Rouge Tribunal Forum II (KRTF II) On August 15, 2009, the Cambodian-American Community of Oregon (CACO) in partnership with the Applied Social Research Institute of Cambodia (ASRIC) will hold a second public forum, KRTF II, to raise awareness about the Khmer Rouge Tribunal and its effects on the Cambodian-American communities. This one-day event includes:

* Keynote address from renowned activist, author, and humanitarian, Theary Seng, executive director of the Center for Social Development (CSD)
* The premiere of CACO Oral History—a 20-minute documentary highlighting CACO youth interviewing parents, grandparents and/or elders about how they survived Khmer Rogue atrocities and their experiences/coping mechanisms during and after the Khmer Rogue regime
* Panel discussions and powerful testimonies by:
o Genocide survivors
o Mental health specialists of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and cross-cultural psychology
o Officials from the UN Sponsored Khmer Rouge Tribunal Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
o ASRIC’s Shared Suffering, Shared Resilience — Cambodian Diaspora Victims' Participation Project, Psycho-emotional Consequences of Genocide

* Conversations with Khmer authors and activists from various Cambodian-American communities, including former U.S. ambassador to the UN, Sichan Siv; moderated by Oregon Public Broadcasting host Emily Harris of Think Out Loud
* Live performances by internationally renowned violinist Aaron Meyer
* Live performances CACO’s classical dance program

An estimated 250,000 Cambodians reside in the U.S. (approximately 10,000 living in Oregon and S.W. Washington); many arrived as traumatized refugees from Khmer Rouge’s killing fields. CACO and ASRIC believe KRTF II can foster a better understanding of the issue of genocide. This forum will also allow survivors to share and cope with individuals, and have a collective experience by openly confronting the past and exploring the effects of the Khmer Rouge genocide together. Another KRTF II purpose is to inform and educate the general public about the long-term realizations of genocide and the current United Nations sponsored Khmer Rouge Tribunal ECCC.

KRTF II

* Saturday, August 15th, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
* Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom (SMSU 355), Portland State University, 1825 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon 97297
* All programs are free and open to the public
* Sponsored in part by a grant from the Northwest Health Foundation and the City of Portland’s Vision into Action Coalition
* CACO and ASRIC are seeking additional sponsors, community partners, volunteers, and participants

For additional information or to get involved, please contact:
· Mr. Kilong Ung, KRTF II Public Relations • (503) 267-4631 • kilongung@gmail.com
· Mr. Ronault Catalini (Polo), KRTF II Public Relations • (503) 823-6224 • ronault.catalani@ci.portland.or.us
· Prof. Leakhena Nou, Founding Director of ASRIC • (562) 985-7439 • lnou@csulb.edu

For KRTF II updates, please visit CACO’s Web site: http://www.cacoregon.org