The tragedy of refugees, displaced persons and war victims is a universal story, but it is particularly significant in the case of Cambodia.

I was a victim of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, forced to live under the Pol Pot dictatorship for four years until I was able to escape. During those years, I was an eyewitness to torture, murder and forced starvation. The Khmer Rouge killed one to two million of my people, and would have killed more if they had not been toppled from power in 1979.

My story, as shown in the film, The Killing Fields, is not mine alone. It is the story of war victims throughout the world. And while many people condemn the Cambodian holocaust, little is being done to prevent another tragedy taking place today, on the Thai-Cambodian border.

Since 1979, more than 300,000 Cambodians have fled their homeland, seeking refuge from the Khmer Rouge and a bloody civil war. Although they want a better life for themselves and their children, like any other refugees, they have been categorized as displaced persons, stripped of most rights, and forced to live in camps until the day comes when they can return home.

Mostly women and children, they are trapped "inside the fence," pawns in the political tug-of-war between West and East. Some have been on the border for 12 years, and virtually all have been traumatized by the Khmer Rouge in one way or another. The only things they see are dusty fields, barbed wire and miles of tiny huts. Many of the children have never seen their homeland.

I am proud to be a citizen of the United States of America. I have a job, a home and a country. I applaud the American people because they have a tradition of helping suffering people. And so I plead with them to show compassion once again, for some 350,000 Cambodians living on the border. We must not forget them.

Beyond the Killing Fields is a powerful documentary about the people living in Site 2, the largest border camp. In pictures and words, it reveals the tragedy of Cambodia that has continued long after the Khmer Rouge. I urge you to read it, and share it with your neighbors. I am glad you care.

 Dith Pran

Cambodian Holocaust Survivor