Testimony and Textiles

Cambodia

This sturdy, traditional garment – Krama – is the national symbol in Cambodia. With many uses, the krama is worn by men, women and children, often doubling as protection from the sun. During the Cambodian Genocide, the symbolism of the krama was co-opted by the Khmer Rouge, but today, it has been reclaimed and restored as a unifying symbol of the Khmer spirit. USC Shoah Foundation has recorded five testimonies, now housed in the Visual History Archive, with witnesses to the Khmer Rouge’s evacuation of Phnom Penh in 1975, the forced marches that followed and forced labor under horrific conditions.

Learn more about the Cambodian Collection.