On Thursday 29 October, Mr. Chhay Visoth, Director of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, gave a presentation to around 70 students and faculty members at AUPP’s Center for Student Involvement focusing on the importance of not only preserving the historical museum but also on further development of the museum.
Mr. Chhay Visoth focused his presentation around the development of Tuol Sleng into more than a museum, but a Historical Landmark. The work by the museum until now focused solely around preservation of the site. Mr. Chhay Visoth’s vision for the future of the museum includes methods to greatly increase the frequency of Khmer visitors.
“Ninety percent of the visitors to the Tuol Sleng museum are foreigners,” stated Mr. Chhay Visoth. The director wishes to share this history with more people of Cambodia by creating a path towards moving forward and healing. In this way, the director hopes to improve the amount of local visitors through the newly created vision for the museum.
Development of the museum includes translation of documents throughout the museum’s history. In support of the director’s perspective, around one dozen students expressed their preparedness for the assignment.
AUPP is honored to host spectacular speakers and students prepared to take on extracurricular tasks in order to better their community, and themselves in the process.