BILL NUMBER: HR 46 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member O'Donnell
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen,
Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow,
Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta,
Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon,
Campos, Chang, Chau,
Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly,
Dodd, Eggman, Frazier,
Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia,
Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson,
Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray,
Grove, Hadley, Harper, Holden,
Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim,
Lackey, Linder, Lopez, Low,
Maienschein, Mayes, Medina,
Mullin, Obernolte, Olsen,
Patterson, Quirk, Rendon,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas,
Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone,
Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron,
Weber, Wilk, Williams,
and Wood )
MARCH 31, 2016
Relative to Cambodian Genocide Memorial Day.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST
WHEREAS, The Cambodian people have a long and rich cultural
heritage symbolized by the temple city Angkor Wat, considered one of
the Wonders of the Ancient World, built between the 9th and 12th
centuries, and which stands as a living icon of the endurance and
genius of all Cambodians throughout the world; and
WHEREAS, Early connections between the United States and Cambodia
began in the 1950s, when Cambodia sent bright and talented college
students to universities, including California State University, Long
Beach and California State University, Los Angeles, to study
technical trades, engineering, and agriculture with the assistance of
the United States Agency for International Development; and
WHEREAS, The relationship between the United States and Cambodia
had been forged through educational and professional exchange, and
therefore in 1975, with the impending overthrow of the government by
the totalitarian Khmer Rouge regime, the United States accepted over
4,000 Cambodian evacuees to ensure their safety; and
WHEREAS, April 17, 2016, will mark both the 41st anniversary of
the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, seizing control of Cambodia, and the
beginning of the Cambodian genocide; and
WHEREAS, Between April 17, 1975, and January 7, 1979, the Khmer
Rouge of Democratic Kampuchea, led by Pol Pot, Secretary General of
the Communist Party of Kampuchea, and other members of the Standing
Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of
Kampuchea and their agents, committed acts of genocide and other
crimes against humanity; and
WHEREAS, The genocide and other crimes against humanity committed
against the people of Cambodia, including various religious groups
and ethnic minorities, during the Khmer Rouge regime led to the
deaths of over 1,700,000 Cambodians, which was 21 percent of the
nation's population; and
WHEREAS, The Khmer Rouge regime also sought to eliminate all
aspects of Cambodian culture by systematically killing those with
education, separating families, and destroying institutions such as
Buddhist temples, schools, libraries, dance, and music; and
WHEREAS, Countless victims have since come forward to tell their
stories of imprisonment, starvation, slavery, rape, and systematic
forced marriage; and
WHEREAS, After the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979,
over 140,000 Cambodians came to the United States as refugees, a
group of special humanitarian and foreign policy concern to the
United States because of the well-founded fear of persecution for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular
social group, or political opinion and thus in need of protection in
accordance with the United Nations' 1951 Convention Relating to the
Status of Refugees; and
WHEREAS, The State of California has the largest population of
Cambodians in the United States, and the City of Long Beach is known
around the world as home to the largest Cambodian community outside
of Southeast Asia; and
WHEREAS, The Cambodian people have drawn from their cultural
history to rebuild their lives and communities through participation
in American politics on the local and national levels, by
establishing local and international businesses, by developing new
art forms and community organizations, and by raising a new
generation of Americans who promise to contribute to the future of
the State of California and the nation; and
WHEREAS, The Cambodian genocide was a human tragedy and must be
remembered for the massive scale of violence and devastation
perpetrated against the people of Cambodia, so that it does not
happen again there or in any other country; and
WHEREAS, In 1994, the United States Congress passed the Cambodian
Genocide Justice Act, committing the American government to the
pursuit of justice for the victims of the genocide and affirming the
policy of the United States to bring members of the Khmer Rouge to
justice for their crimes against humanity; and
WHEREAS, The genocide and other crimes against humanity did not
succeed in destroying the Cambodian people or their culture, and in
fact the culture and heritage of the Cambodian people continue to
this day through the accomplishments of Cambodians and their
descendants; and
WHEREAS, The suffering and loss of the Cambodian people, and their
accomplishments and perseverance in reestablishing families,
communities, and enhancing the cultural and historical diversity of
our state and nation should be recognized and honored; and
WHEREAS, The Cambodian Genocide Memorial Day will honor the
survivors and their descendants for their courage and contributions
to our state and country. This day will serve as a way to remember
those who lost their lives in Cambodia and in genocides around the
world; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly hereby recognizes April 17, 2016, as Cambodian Genocide
Memorial Day, and calls upon all Californians to observe the day by
participating in appropriate activities and programs; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.