Dith Pran

[LeedsLeedsLeeds]

Sadly, at the age of 65, Dith Pran has passed away after a very short battle with cancer. He will always be remembered for his experiences in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge which were portrayed and the film and the book called The Killing Fields. Here's a brief excerpt from Wikipaedia - Dith Pran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dith Pran (born September 27, 1942 – March 30, 2008) was a photojournalist best known as a refugee and Cambodian Genocide survivor and was the subject of the Academy Award-winning film The Killing Fields. (He was portrayed in the movie by first-time actor Haing S. Ngor, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.)

In 1975, Pran and New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg stayed behind in Cambodia to cover the fall of the capital Phnom Penh to the communist Khmer Rouge forces. Schanberg and other foreign reporters were allowed to leave, but Pran was not permitted to leave the country. When Cambodians were forced to work in forced labor camps, Pran had to endure four years of starvation and torture before finally escaping to Thailand in 1979. He coined the phrase "killing fields" to refer to the clusters of corpses and skeletal remains of victims he encountered during his 40-mile escape. His three brothers were killed back in Cambodia.

From 1980, Pran worked as a photojournalist with The New York Times in the United States. He also campaigned for recognition of the Cambodian Genocide victims. He received an Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1998 and was founder and president of The Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project, Inc. He was a recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.

Pran died on 30 March 2008, having been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer just three months earlier

[natalie8]

RIP. It's always nice to hear stories about people who have dedicated their lives to doing something positive and rewarding.

[Killing Me Softly 101]

He was portrayed in the movie by first-time actor Haing S. Ngor, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.)

Who was sadly murdered in the carpark of his apartment in Los Angeles by a young gangbangger over a small gold neckless. --From the Killing Fields of SEA to the Killing Fields of LA.

[LeedsLeedsLeeds]

Thanks for the extra info KMS, another incredibly sad story. Haing S. Ngor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

imprisoned in a concentration camp along with his wife, My-Huoy, who subsequently died during childbirth in the camp. Although a gynecologist, he was unable to treat his wife who required a Cesarean section as he would have been exposed and both he and his wife would very probably have been killed

after handing over his gold Rolex watch willingly he refused to give them a locket that contained a photo of his deceased wife, My-Huoy

He is like a twin with me...He is like a co-messenger and right now I am alone

[Matthew]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/ny...hp&oref=slogin

Don't know if that link will work, but it's an NY Times obituary.
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Dith Pran - The New York Times > N.Y. / Region > Slide Show > Slide 1 of 17

^ And a good slide show of pics of and by him.

[Aquaman]

i was looking these guys up yesterday as well. the life these guys lived was incredible. so sad the actor survived all that then came to the usa and was murdered. tragic. Looks like Pran lived a good life. incredible story.

[crew]

I read of Dith's death on Monday morning and decided to dust off 'The Killing Fields' and watched it Monday night.

I dont' know which is more sad: Dith's death or the fact that people like Dith are still needed throughout the world.

If I had 1% of Dith's courage, I'd be a better person for it.

[phuketbound]

He led a amazing life. RIP. I just finished reading a book that he compiled, of memoirs from other child survivors of the Khmer Rouge. This was his introduction in the book.

-- Introductory note in his compilation "Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs by Survivors."

"I see ... a pile of skulls and bones. For the first time since my arrival, what I see before me is too painful, and I break down completely. These are my relatives, friends and neighbors, I keep thinking ... It is a long time before I am calm again. And then I am able, with my bare hands, to rearrange the skulls and bones so that they are not scattered about."

-- Writing about his return to Cambodia for The New York Times in 1989.

---------

His photography is great too.

Dith Pran - The New York Times > N.Y. / Region > Slide Show > Slide 1 of 17

[Piece Train]

A very good man. Sad story.

I saw The Killing Fields numerous times while I was living in Phnom Penh, and visiting the actual fields and the Tuol Sleng Museum. Really brought the movie to life.

[traveler2]

I was going to start a thread about him. PT you beat me to it!!

I visited Cambodia about 5 yrs ago and visited the actual killing fields and the S-21 prison too. It's beyond belief!

I watched the movie again this week.

It's amazing he made it out of there alive. He was very smart to say the least. What I still don't understand is why they did not evacuate him with his family? That was F'ed up!

RIP Dith.

[Piece Train]

Even before I saw this movie with Dith Pran, The Killing Fields, in Phnom Penh, I saw it as a teenager back home when it first came out. I remember going to see it with my family, and how the tears streamed when the journalist was reunited with his Cambodian assistant at the end of the film. I can remember someone in my family reacting with the words, "It's too bad how some people are just so land hungry in this world."

This member of my family went on to serve in the Peace Corps and as a high school teacher, and also had interests in Amnesty International.

[Cyrille]

Even before I saw this movie with Dith Pran, The Killing Fields, in Phnom Penh, I saw it as a teenager back home when it first came out.

Even before you saw it you saw it?

You really are fried, dude.

Is it mushrooms?

[Piece Train]

Leedsx3, you are really a good man to recognize Dith. Probably the most charitable. You really set the example.

Here's a link to add to this thread:

The Cambodian Killing Fields

They also have a program at Yale: Cambodian Genocide Program | Yale University