SENATE RULES COMMITTEE SR 23
Office of Senate Floor Analyses
(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) 327-4478
THIRD READING
Bill No: SR 23
Author: Gonzalez (D), et al.
Introduced: 3/30/23
Vote: Majority
SUBJECT: Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution recognizes the week of April 17 to April 23, 2023,
inclusive, as Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week, and calls upon all Californians
to observe the week by participating in appropriate activities and programs.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1) The Cambodian people have a long and rich cultural heritage symbolized by the
capitol city Temple of Angkor Wat, which flourished during the Khmer Empire
from the 9th to the 12th centuries and is considered one of the Wonders of the
World, and now stands as a living icon of the endurance and genius of all
Cambodians throughout the world.
2) 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 Universities in Long Beach and Los Angeles, to
study technical trades, engineering, and agriculture with the assistance of the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 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.
3) April 17, 2023, will mark both the 48th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge, led by
Pol Pot, seizing control of Cambodia and the beginning of the Cambodian
Genocide. Between April 17, 1975, and January 7, 1979, the Khmer Rouge of
Democratic Kampuchea, led by Pol Pot, General Secretary of the Communist
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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.
4) 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.
5) 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.
6) The Cambodian Genocide was a human tragedy and must be remembered for
the scale of violence and devastation perpetrated against the people of
Cambodia so that it does not happen again, there or in any other country. 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.
This resolution recognizes the week of April 17 to April 23, 2023, inclusive, as
Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week, and calls upon all Californians to observe
the week by participating in appropriate activities and programs.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No
SUPPORT: (Verified 4/11/23)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified 4/11/23)
None received
Prepared by: Jonas Austin / SFA / (916) 651-1520
4/12/23 14:04:34
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