By Peter Tan Keo and
Chhay Daroth
As part
of the WSD-AEF Distinguished Lecture Series, the University of Cambodia (UC)
hosted a lecture, “From the Killing Fields to the White House,” by Ambassador
Sichan Siv on October 25, 2011. UC also bestowed an Honorary Doctorate in
Public Service upon Ambassador Siv after the lecture, which was the first one
held at the new university campus location. H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, President
of UC and Adviser to Samdech Techo Prime Minister, presided over the lecture.
During
his lecture, Ambassador Siv shared his life story about surviving Pol Pot’s
Killing Fields and making his way to America where he ended up working for the
White House and then the United Nations. He was the only surviving member of
his family.
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| (Left to right) Martha Pattillo Siv, Ambassador Sichan Siv, and H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn posed for pictures after UC conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service to Ambassador Sichan Siv fo |
He was
born and raised in Cambodia and attended Pochentong Primary School and Sisowath
High School in Phnom Penh. He studied very hard as a university student and
learned how to speak English and French. After working for a Cambodian airline,
he started working for the CARE organization in Phnom Penh; it was during this
time that Cambodia fell to the communists.
His mother
feared that he would be a target because he was well-educated, had worked for
the airline and CARE, and wore glasses. She gave him a scarf and a rice bag and
told him to flee. She also gave him advice that he always remembered throughout
his journey: “No matter what happens, never give up hope.”
He rode
his bike for three weeks and almost reached the border of Thailand before he
was caught by the Khmer Rouge. For several months he was imprisoned in a
slave-labor camp, working 18 hours a day of hard labor after which he was given
one bowl of soup to eat; he knew he had to escape this nightmare.
During
this part of his lecture, he shared a quote reflecting his optimism during this
difficult time in his life: “The night is darkest for those who cannot wait.
The sun will rise soon enough for those who are patient.”
He
escaped to Thailand in 1976 by jumping off a logging truck and was sent to a
refugee camp, where he organized English classes. After several months in the
camp, he was allowed to enter the United States.
“I
arrived in the U.S. with $2 in my pocket, my mother’s scarf, and an empty rice
bag,” he said. “I was exhausted and tired, but full of hope.”
He
picked apples, worked as a taxi-driver, and did whatever he needed to in order
to make it in the United States.
“I told
myself that I must adapt to America in order to be adopted,” said Ambassador
Siv.
His
ability to never lose hope, even under the most dire of situations, helped him
persevere. At the end of his lecture, Ambassador Siv shared with the audience
some wisdom borrowed from his wife, who says, “We need to create our own luck,
and luck happens every day.”
He also
encouraged students to keep on trying, even after failures, and to never be
satisfied with what they are doing so they continue to work hard.
“And
when you are doing well, don’t forget to do good,” he said at the close of his
lecture.
Ambassador
Sichan Siv was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2001 and unanimously
confirmed by the Senate as a United States Ambassador to the United Nations,
where he served until 2006. Prior to this, from 1989 to 1993, he served as
Deputy Assistant to President George H. W. Bush at the White House and at the
State Department as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. He holds a Master’s
degree in International Affairs from Columbia University.
He is
the international bestselling author of Golden Bones, which has been published
in several languages including Khmer in 2011, and currently serves as a Texas
State Commissioner on holocaust and genocide. In addition to his public sector
experience, he has held several positions in the private sector in social
services, educational exchange, and financial services. He also delivers
motivational speeches around the world and volunteers his time to local
organizations. He and his wife, the former Martha Pattillo of Pampa, Texas,
spend their time in Texas, New York, and beyond.
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