Rithy Panh’s Elimination to be published in Khmer

We are pleased to announce our support for the publication of Elimination in the Khmer language. The book was originally written in French by acclaimed Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh with French novelist Christophe Bataille. First published in 2011 by Grasset Publishing, it has since been translated into Japanese and several European languages. However, this text has not previously been available in the Khmer language. 

Rithy Panh is also the co-founder of Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center, which will publish the book. He explains, “Bophana Center had the book translated into Khmer by Lim Im several years ago. However, we faced challenges in printing the translated version due to funding constraints. Fortunately, thanks to the generous support of Rei Foundation, we are now able to proceed with publishing the book. This enables us to share this work with a wider audience in Cambodia, ensuring that the narrative and lessons of the Khmer Rouge era are accessible in the local language."

Elimination is a stark personal memoir of a turbulent time in Rithy Panh’s life, and for the nation as a whole. Aged 13 when the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia, Rithy Panh lost most of his family members to the regime in its first year and survived only through the kindness of others. The ways the regime declared war on people it perceived as the educated elite were as mundane as they were brutal: colourful clothing had to be dyed black, and even the use of names were forbidden. Wearing glasses was enough to have someone killed. 

The following passage (taken from John Cullen’s English translation of Elimination) demonstrates Rithy Panh’s father’s commitment to literacy, including his own translation of foreign texts to increase access to information for his fellow Cambodians.

Rithy Panh presents two very different perspectives within the book: the first, that of a survivor; the second, that of an accomplished filmmaker and historian. Juxtaposed with his recollections from his youth are conversations between himself and Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, a Khmer Rouge official who ran the infamous S-21 (Tuol Sleng) prison where around 20,000 people were murdered. The chilling interviews were conducted in 2010 for the filmmaker’s 2011 documentary Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell, and Duch is no less sinister despite the time that has elapsed since his work for the Khmer Rouge killing machine.

A Khmer edition matters because Cambodian readers should be able to read this account in their own language. Rithy Panh notes, “It supports the work of the preservation of memory, ensuring that the narratives and experiences of the era are maintained within the cultural context in which they occurred."

In Cambodia, many younger people know little about what their elders experienced under the Khmer Rouge. Many survivors were traumatised and, in the years that followed, quietly rebuilt their lives rather than speaking openly about what had happened. When young Cambodians can read books such as Elimination in Khmer, they can better understand what survivors endured. Rithy Panh hopes the book will provide young people “deeper insights into their country's history and the importance of human rights”.

Puthea Sim, programme coordinator at Bophana Center, is excited about what this new publication will offer readers:

There are many barriers for people in Cambodia to access their histories in written form. Publishing work about Cambodia, written by Cambodians and available in the Khmer language at an affordable cost, will remove at least some of these barriers. Rithy Panh notes, “This publication ensures accessibility for Cambodians, particularly the older generation who may not be proficient in foreign languages, allowing them to engage directly with my experience of the Khmer Rouge regime.” 

Puthea Sim adds, “the Khmer version of the translated book offers a clear understanding for those who only read their local language, promoting a culture of reading among Cambodian readers with more publications available in Khmer.”

The Khmer version of Elimination also holds symbolic value. Rithy Panh says, “Having the book in Khmer respects its cultural significance, ensuring that the narrative remains rooted in the language and culture from which it originated, thus preserving its authenticity and enhancing its impact on Cambodian society.” 

Language is intrinsically linked to identity and encompasses traditions, memories, and unique ways of expressing ideas. At the heart of this initiative is a desire to ensure Cambodian writers can pass on their stories to the next generation in their own language.

Bophana Center is a trusted partner that continues to identify and work to resolve gaps in how Khmer Rouge history is remembered and taught. The Center was established as a repository of cultural media, particularly video, but in recent years has expanded its programme to include a wide range of media and projects aimed at addressing this information loss.

These include the Khmer Rouge History app (supported by Rei Foundation and others), which was developed to bring important histories of Cambodian people to younger generations through smartphones, which many young people already use. 

Bophana Center has identified Elimination as being a vital record of the Khmer Rouge era and are committed to publishing it in Khmer to make it accessible to the general public in Cambodia. Rei Foundation will support Bophana Center to proofread the Khmer translation and publish the book. We are pleased to collaborate with Bophana Center on the publication of this Khmer-language edition, and believe that it will contribute to Cambodian people having a deeper understanding of their own roots. Rithy Panh agrees, saying the book will, “facilitate healing and dialogue within Cambodia, encouraging conversations about reconciliation.” 

Puthea Sim adds that the book will “allow for deeper exploration of past violence and provides insights on how to prepare current and future generations to avoid repeating history.”