CLASSROOM FORUM ON HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY DISPLACEMENT IN CAMBODIA
LESSON: Causes and Events of the Cambodian People’s Displacement Movement”
On January 13, 2026, Prey Veng Documentation Center organized a classroom forum focused on the topic of displaced populations in Cambodia. The session featured a lesson titled “Causes and Events of Displaced People in Cambodia (1975–2025)” and was attended by 49 students (32 females and 17 males) from Kampong Leav High School. The forum aimed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of both historical and contemporary displacement in Cambodia, emphasizing the socio-political factors driving these movements and clarifying the legal distinctions between different forms of displacement.
The forum sought to achieve the following educational goals:
1) Provide a clear historical context for evacuations from the Khmer Rouge era to the present day.
2) Differentiate between evacuation, refugee status, and internal displacement.
3) Analyze the socio-political drivers of displacement.
4) Foster empathy and a commitment to national reconciliation and peace.
The forum began at 7:30 a.m. and was organized into two main segments:
• Exhibition Tour: Students explored permanent photo exhibitions illustrating Cambodia’s historical events. Staff provided detailed explanations, and students actively participated by taking notes and engaging in a Q&A session about the country’s visual history. This segment was led by Dararoth Meta.
• Instructional Presentation: Delivered by Pheng Pong-Rasy, Head of the Prey Veng and Takeo Documentation Centers. The presentation focused on “Causes and Events of the Cambodian People’s Displacement Movement”, offering insights into historical and contemporary displacement issues.
The presentation was structured into three distinct phases to ensure academic clarity:
Phase I: Chronological Overview
• 1975–1978: Forced urban evacuations and internal displacement under the Khmer Rouge.
• 1979–1980s: The refugee crisis and the establishment of border camps (e.g., Khao-I-Dang) during the civil war.
• 2008–2025: Modern displacement arising from border tensions and regional instability, specifically the Cambodia-Thailand border conflicts.
Phase II: Conceptual Definitions
• Evacuation: Forced removal for ideological or “security” reasons (e.g., April 17, 1975).
• Refugees: Individuals who cross international borders to escape peril (e.g., the 1979 flight to the Thai border).
• War Displaced Persons (IDPs): Individuals forced to flee their homes who remain within national borders due to active conflict (e.g., displacements during the Preah Vihear disputes).
Phase III: Comparative Analysis of Displacement
The students conducted a comparative study to identify the shared experiences and unique characteristics of these events.
Similarities
• Loss of Home and Property: Abandonment of assets, residences, and livelihoods.
• Loss of Rights and Freedom: Loss of autonomy regarding residence and movement.
• Family Separation: Disruption of family units and loss of contact with relatives.
• Life-Threatening Risks: Exposure to hunger, disease, and death.
• Psychological Trauma: Long-term mental health challenges and severe emotional shock.
Structural Differences
Authority:
Evacuees are moved under orders from authorities or armed groups.
Refugees decide for themselves or with their families to leave.
Internally displaced persons either make the decision themselves or move at the request of authorities.
Primary Cause:
Evacuees are displaced due to politics, war, or development projects.
Refugees flee because of political or religious persecution or civil war.
Internally displaced persons move to survive immediate threats from active combat or explosions.
Destination:
Evacuees are sent to rural areas or specific assigned locations.
Refugees cross international borders to neighboring countries.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) seek any available safe zone within the country.
Key Traits:
Evacuees experience coercion, mass-scale movement, and have no choice.
Refugees gain official “refugee” status once they cross a border.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) move as an emergency, life-or-death decision.
Conclusion: The forum successfully enabled all 49 student participants to clearly distinguish between the legal and social definitions of “refugee” and “evacuee.” Through critical discussions and empathy-building exercises, students reflected on the long-term impacts of displacement, particularly its effect on education. By connecting Cambodia’s 20th-century history with modern border conflicts, the event underscored the recurring nature of such challenges and highlighted the importance of understanding historical suffering as a foundation for reconciliation and peace. Ultimately, the forum reinforced the need to equip future generations with knowledge and empathy to prevent similar tragedies and promote national stability.
Location: Prey Veng Documentation Center Office
Date: January 13, 2026
Presenter & Report: Pheng Pong-Rasy
Student Tour: Dararoth Meta
Photos & Student’s reflection: Thon Sreypich
My name is Soeun Niroth, 17 years old, studying in Grade 11B at Hun Sen Kampong Leav High School. During today’s classroom forum, I learned about the forced displacement of people during the Khmer Rouge era, especially the evacuation by train, where people or corpses were thrown out of windows in a cruel manner. I also learned about refugees after 1979, some of whom fled to neighboring countries. Another topic was modern-day war refugees who escape from conflict zones.
I understand that the displacement during the Khmer Rouge era and today is very different. Back then, people were forcibly removed from their homes without consent and had no right to protest against the regime. They also lacked sufficient food. In contrast, today’s displacement is voluntary, caused by emergencies, wars, or disasters, and people agree to move without government coercion. Moreover, the government provides adequate food supplies.
I believe the current conflict between Cambodia and Thailand has severely impacted Cambodia, damaging national infrastructure, causing deaths, leaving behind orphans, widows, and the elderly, and creating many refugees. This slows down national development. When the country faces war, as a young person, I must study hard to become a strong pillar for the nation.
In the future, I want to become a police officer because I love this profession. I want to arrest people involved in illegal drug trade and gambling, ensuring social security.
If I become a police officer and the country needs me to fight on the frontlines, I will not hesitate. After passing my high school exams next year, I will join military service as required by the government. Finally, I thank my teachers for giving me and my friends the opportunity to learn about war, displacement, and refugees. Thank you.
My name is Oeun Sreynath, 16 years old, studying in Grade 11B at Hun Sen Kampong Leav High School. From today’s classroom forum, I gained a lot of knowledge about refugees, displaced persons, and their similarities and differences across different periods. It also helped me understand war better and become more cautious.
I realize that displacement during the Khmer Rouge era was done through coercion and lies, while in modern times, people move voluntarily due to border conflicts with Thailand, seeking safety. I believe the current Cambodia-Thailand conflict has caused severe damage because Thailand invaded and destroyed Cambodian territory, making life difficult and forcing people to flee. It also causes anxiety among Cambodians.
As a young person, when the country faces war with neighbors, I should promote unity, understand war clearly, and study hard. In the future, I want to become a teacher because I believe teaching will allow me to educate the next generation about learning, discipline, and understanding war issues.
My additional opinion is that as students, we must strive to study and learn about war-related problems.