Peace education at a middle school in Cambodia

Oita Godo Newspaper (2010/2/20)

[Phnom Penh News] On February 20 at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, where was a co-labor camps in the former Pol Pot regime in Cambodia, Chief Curator of Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum (Itoman city), Mr. Irabu Takashi (48) held a mock class for 23 local 3rd year middle school students and teachers, peace education is fundamentally "Life itself is a treasure " he said.
 

Mr Irabu began his lecture with the explanation on the history of the Battle of Okinawa which has killed more than 200,000 victims. He introduced the significance that at the Peace Memorial Park, all names of the dead were engraved upon the "Cornerstone of Peace" without distinction of friend or foe. However, a boy student argued that if he was in that situation, he would never engrave any name of the enemies.
 

This is a project of JICA, an international cooperation aiming at improving the awareness of peace, to transfer technology of management techniques and resource preservation to any museum aiming to be known as a museum for peace. Mr.Irabu and a colleague were sent this time.
 

At Tuol Sleng Security Prison 21 (S-21), about 15,000 people were tortured until death by the Khmer Rouge regime. Now it becomes a museum exhibiting photos of tortured victims. Under the cooperation with Okinawa Prefecture, there is a plan to open the museum's first international exhibition project this spring.
 

Comment: As you know I came from a country near Cambodia, I have heard a lot of violence there and actually sometimes we have conflicts. However, that is mainly about the governments not the people, I feel. I wish the peace for Cambodia, Thailand and everywhere in the world.
 

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

APS4