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 OFFICE OF THE MAYOR PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, Cambodian has a long and venerated history reflected in the Khmer culture that cherishes architecture, art, music and dance; and WHEREAS, the Khmer people (Cambodians) are descendants of the talented architects and craftsmen responsible for creating the immense temples of the Angkor period – from the 9th through the 15th centuries – in northern Cambodia; and WHEREAS, music and performance styles were handed down for generations so that the arts became integral to life and are now inextricably connected to the core of Khmer identity; and WHEREAS, Cambodian society was devastated when the Communist Khmer Rouge took power in 1975, and during its four-year rule, brutally murdered tens of thousands of citizens, suppressing musicians, dancers, painters and sculptors; and WHEREAS, thousands of Khmers escaped the reign of terror in Cambodia, with 145,000 refugees settling in the United States, including about 60 families who immigrated to Hawaii, and WHEREAS, the Khmer New Year, traditionally celebrated over three days to mark the end of the harvest, will be hosted this year by the Cambodian Community of Hawaii on April 12, providing our local Khmer the opportunity to perpetuate and share their culture, bond as a community and heal from the trauma suffered in their ancestral homeland; and WHEREAS, festivities at the Parish Hall of the Central Union Church will feature Khmer ritual ceremonies, classical and folk dances, art and handicrafts, cuisine, kickboxing and live music, NOW, THEREFORE, I, MUFI HANNEMANN, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, do hereby proclaim April 12, 2008, to be KHMER NEW YEAR CELEBRATION DAY in the City and County of Honolulu to honor our local Khmer community, whose struggles are remembered while their successes are celebrated, and I extend my best wishes for a mememorable event. Done this 11th day of April, 2008, MUFI HANNEMANN |
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