Honoring the memory of Dith Pran by remembering his life's work and continuing to acknowledge and remember the victims of genocides that have taken place around the globe.

Madam Speaker, I was in my district voting in the North Carolina primary election and I missed rollcall votes on May 5th, 6th and 7th. I ask that the Record show that had I been present:

For rollcall No. 240--To suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 952-- I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 241--To table the motion to reconsider H. Res. 952-- I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 242--To suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1011, as amended--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 243--To table the motion to reconsider H. Res. 1011--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 244--Motion to adjourn--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 245--Motion to adjourn--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 246--Motion to adjourn--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 247--Motion to instruct conferees on H. R. 2419--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 248--To table the motion to reconsider the vote on the motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 2419--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 249--To suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3658--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 250--To table the motion to reconsider H.R. 3658--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 251--To suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 317, as amended--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 252--To table the motion to reconsider H. Con. Res. 317--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 253--To suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1109, as amended--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 254--To table the motion to reconsider H. Res. 1109--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 255--Motion to adjourn--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 256--To suspend the rules and pass S. 2929, as amended--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 257--To table the motion to reconsider S. 2929--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 258--Motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 2419--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 259--To table the motion to reconsider the vote on the motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 2419--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 260--Motion to adjourn--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 261--Motion to adjourn--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 262--Motion to adjourn--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 263--To suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1168--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 264--To table the motion to reconsider H. Res. 1168--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 265--To suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1155--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 266--To table the motion to reconsider H. Res. 1155--I would have voted ``no'';

For rollcall No. 267--Motion to adjourn--I would have voted ``yes'';

For rollcall No. 268--To approve the journal--I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution which serves as yet another reminder of the haunting words inscribed in the Holocaust Museum: ``Never again.''

The Khmer Rouge-led slaughter of over 1 million innocent people took place more than three decades after the Holocaust ended. Yet the world was again largely silent and indifferent to this tragedy. There was no one person who more embodied the tragic and horrific story of this genocide committed by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia than Dith Pran. His harrowing personal story of courage, abandonment, struggle, escape and ultimate survival was recorded for all time in the gripping Academy Award-winning film ``The Killing Fields.''

After escaping from the Khmer Rouge and making his way across a treacherous border laden with mines, Dith Pran reached a refugee camp in Thailand and ultimately came to the United States. Here while continuing his career as a photojournalist, Dith Pran was a firm and clear voice appealing to the world's conscience to remember the genocide which occurred in his homeland. He worked tirelessly to achieve the establishment of an Office of Cambodian Genocide. It was officially called the Office of Cambodian Genocide Investigation in the Department of State.

It is a note of some consolation that Dith Pran lived to see the start of the genocide trial last November of surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sadly, it took almost 30 years to bring these architects of the killing fields to justice. There is thankfully no statute of limitations for those who carry out world genocide.

Without Dith Pran's steadfast determination, however, this aging Khmer Rouge cadre may have escaped their final hour of judgment. This trial now taking place in the Cambodian capital should give solace to Dith Pran's family and his friends at his passing. It also represents his greatest legacy as an advocate on human rights.

The current trial should also remind us to redouble our efforts to ensure that the words ``Never Again'' are finally realized. The best final tribute for Dith Pran would be for the world community to work together for a swift end to the current genocide in Darfur and the killing fields in North Korea.

I urge my colleagues to give their whole-hearted support to this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1109) honoring the memory of Dith Pran by remembering his life's work and continuing to acknowledge and remember the victims of genocides that have taken place around the globe, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. Sires, for offering this important legislation in memory of a great American, Dith Pran. Through the film ``The Killing Fields,'' Dith Pran is for many Americans the face of the Cambodian genocide. That movie documented Dith Pran's personal struggle, his friendship and cooperation with New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg, and the larger horror of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia.

Much as ``The Killing Fields'' reminded Americans of the Cambodian genocide, Mr. Dith's life work as a photojournalist and U.N. goodwill ambassador raised awareness around the world of the atrocities that took place for those in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge.

This resolution commemorates the work of Dith Pran's life, including his work as a photojournalist for the New York Times, his bravery in surviving the Cambodian genocide and escaping to Thailand in 1979; his advocacy for the Cambodian refugees and victims of genocide around the world after he became a U.S. citizen and a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations in 1994; and his work with former Senator Charles Robb to help pass the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act establishing an Office of Cambodian Genocide Investigations at the State Department.

Mr. Dith's work laid the foundation for ongoing justice and reconciliation tribunals within Cambodia that continue to this day.

For all these reasons, I support this resolution and urge my colleagues to join me as well.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, in countries all over the world, journalists are assisted, in fact, often dependent on local assistance, such as Dith Pran was to Sydney Schanberg, who was working for The New York Times. Such assistance often goes unrecognized.

But Dith Pran did not go unrecognized. His life would be noteworthy if only because of his survival. After the foreign military forces left southeast Asia, and horrific genocide and slaughter enveloped Cambodia, Dith Pran faced a situation that is hard to believe. He would be noteworthy also because of his excellent work as a photographer and photojournalist, but he is most noteworthy and truly admirable because of his work to bring the horrors of the genocide of Cambodia and of genocide anywhere in the world to the attention of the public. It was my honor and good fortune to know Dith Pran.

He covered stories and events in the New Jersey and New York area, and I saw him fairly often. He even accomplished the challenging achievement of sometimes making me look good on film. He was hardly a movie star, but he was always cheerful. In his daily contacts, looking through those smiling eyes, it would be hard to imagine the horrors that were back in his mind.

For months each year, after hours, on weekends, before students, before policymakers, before any audience that would listen, he used his experiences effectively to teach the horrors that humans can do to humans and to work for justice, truth and reconciliation in Cambodia and other countries around the world.

After each mass murder and genocide in history, some have said ``Never again.'' After the Nazi death camps, after Rwanda, after each genocide, we say never again.

Let us all hope, that the example of Dith Pran and his story will help us take action so that truly never again we will see the kind of horror that Dith Pran saw.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 1109, honoring the memory of Mr. Dith Pran, a constituent of mine from Woodbridge, New Jersey, who passed away on March 30, 2008, at the age of 65. Mr. Dith was a photojournalist for the New York Times and a renowned human rights advocate, who became the face of the atrocities in Cambodia carried out by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot. After fleeing Cambodia in 1979, Mr. Dith devoted his life to advocating against genocide and finding justice for victims of genocide through his advocacy.

After working as a translator and receptionist in Cambodia, he was hired in the early 1970s by Sydney H. Schanberg of the New York Times to be a guide and interpreter. The incredible friendship and partnership that developed between the two men became the basis for the 1984 film, ``The Killing Fields,'' which helped bring to light the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime.

In 1985, Mr. Dith became a U.S. citizen and a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 1994, he worked with former Senator Charles Robb to help pass the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act. Mr. Dith was a tireless advocate constantly speaking out about the Cambodian genocide, so that the world would know and never forget.

This resolution is to honor Mr. Dith's commitment to raising awareness about the atrocities that took place in Cambodia, as well as to recognize the strength and courage of an ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. Mr. Speaker, I would urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.