A National Day of Hatred after the fall of the Khmers Rouges The 'National Day of Hatred' was first launched in the
People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) on 20 May 1984. The commemoration was initiated by a 12 September 1983, conference in
Phnom Penh of around 300 intellectuals and clergymen. In the PRK, the full title of the event was 'Day of Hatred against the genocidal
Pol Pot-
Ieng Sary-
Khieu Samphan clique and the
King Sihanouk-
Son Sann reactionary groups'. The National Day of Hatred was an important holiday in the PRK, and the
Kampuchean United Front for National Construction and Defense mobilized Kampuchean mass organizations to ensure popular participation. In the PRK, the policies of the
United States (dubbed as
imperialist) and the
People's Republic of China (dubbed as
expansionist) were also targets of dislike during the Day of Hatred.
A commemoration put on hold by the United Nations During the
UNTAC period, the National Day of Hatred was put on hiatus as the UN administration sought to involve the Khmer Rouge into the political process. Later in the 1990s, the day was revived. In 2001, the event was officially renamed 'Day of Remembrance'.
Return of a National Day of Remembrance The National Day of Hatred is still marked in Cambodia, although the commemorations are of smaller scale today. Since the massive defections from the remaining Khmer Rouge guerrillas, the National Day of Hatred lost much of its prominence. Still commemorations are held, such as public theatre plays about the Khmer Rouge period. The
Cambodian People's Party (the modern incarnation of the KPRP, the ruling party in the PRK) still conduct commemorations of the National Day of Hatred, often to remind Cambodians of the Khmer Rouge links from the 1980s of the contemporary opposition parties. The Phnom Penh municipality has instituted a tradition of arranging visits to the
Choeung Ek fields, where
Buddhist ceremonies are held. == Hymn ==