Dith Pran: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Cambodian photojournalist}} | {{Short description|Cambodian photojournalist}} | ||
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{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Dith Pran | | name = Dith Pran | ||
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| caption = Dith in 2007 | | caption = Dith in 2007 | ||
| birth_name = | | birth_name = | ||
| birth_date = {{Birth date | | birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|9|23}} | ||
| birth_place = [[Siem Reap]], [[French protectorate of Cambodia|Cambodia]], French Indochina | | birth_place = [[Siem Reap]], [[French protectorate of Cambodia|Cambodia]], French Indochina | ||
| death_date = {{Death date and age | | death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|3|30|1942|9|27}} | ||
| death_place = [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]], U.S. | | death_place = [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]], U.S. | ||
| resting_place = | | resting_place = | ||
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}} | }} | ||
'''Dith Pran''' ({{langx|km|ឌិត ប្រន}}; 23 | '''Dith Pran''' ({{langx|km|ឌិត ប្រន}}; September 23, 1942 – March 30, 2008) was a Cambodian-American [[photojournalist]]. He was a refugee and survivor of the [[Cambodian genocide]] and the subject of the film ''[[The Killing Fields (film)|The Killing Fields]]'' (1984). | ||
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
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==Cambodian genocide== | ==Cambodian genocide== | ||
In 1975, Dith and ''[[New York Times]]'' reporter [[Sydney Schanberg]] stayed behind in Cambodia to cover [[Fall of Phnom Penh|the fall]] of the capital [[Phnom Penh]] to the Communist [[Khmer Rouge]].<ref name=nyt/> Schanberg and other foreign reporters were allowed to leave the country, but Dith was not.<ref name=nyt/> Due to the persecution of intellectuals during the genocide, he hid the fact that he was educated or that he knew Americans, and pretended that he had been a taxi driver.<ref name=nyt/> When Cambodians were forced to work in labour camps, Dith had to endure four years of starvation and torture before [[Cambodian–Vietnamese War|Vietnam overthrew the Khmer Rouge]] on 7 | In 1975, Dith and ''[[New York Times]]'' reporter [[Sydney Schanberg]] stayed behind in Cambodia to cover [[Fall of Phnom Penh|the fall]] of the capital [[Phnom Penh]] to the Communist [[Khmer Rouge]].<ref name=nyt/> Schanberg and other foreign reporters were allowed to leave the country, but Dith was not.<ref name=nyt/> Due to the persecution of intellectuals during the genocide, he hid the fact that he was educated or that he knew Americans, and pretended that he had been a taxi driver.<ref name=nyt/> When Cambodians were forced to work in labour camps, Dith had to endure four years of starvation and torture before [[Cambodian–Vietnamese War|Vietnam overthrew the Khmer Rouge]] on January 7, 1979.<ref name=nyt/> He coined the phrase "killing fields" to refer to the clusters of corpses and skeletal remains of victims he encountered during his {{convert|40|mi|km|sigfig=1|adj=on}} escape. His three brothers and one sister were killed in Cambodia.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} | ||
Dith returned to Siem Reap where he learned that 50 members of his family had died.<ref name=nyt/> The Vietnamese had made him village chief, but he feared they would discover his US ties, and he escaped to Thailand on 3 | Dith returned to Siem Reap where he learned that 50 members of his family had died.<ref name=nyt/> The Vietnamese had made him village chief, but he feared they would discover his US ties, and he escaped to Thailand on October 3, 1979.<ref name=nyt/> | ||
==Career in the United States== | ==Career in the United States== | ||
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==Death== | ==Death== | ||
On 30 | On March 30, 2008, Dith died, aged 65, in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]], having been diagnosed with [[pancreatic cancer]] three months earlier.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=July 30, 2019|title=Dith Pran: Survivor of the 'Killing Fields'|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dith-pran-survivor-of-the-killing-fields-803136.html|date=April 1, 2008|website=The Independent}}</ref><ref name="Brown">{{cite news|first1=Kerry|last1=Brown|access-date=July 30, 2019|title=Obituary: Dith Pran|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/apr/01/cambodia.pressandpublishing|newspaper=The Guardian|date=March 31, 2008|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> He was living in [[Woodbridge, New Jersey]].<ref name=nyt/><ref name=pyle>{{cite news | last = Pyle | first = Richard |title = "Killing Fields" survivor Dith Pran dies. | publisher=[[The Associated Press]] |date = March 31, 2008 | url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080330/ap_on_re_us/obit_dith_pran}}</ref> | ||
==Works== | ==Works== | ||
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{{wikiquote}} | {{wikiquote}} | ||
*{{Find a Grave|25633354}} | *{{Find a Grave|25633354}} | ||
*{{cite web | title=Dith Pran Biography|url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pe-Pu/Pran-Dith.html| access-date=2008 | *{{cite web | title=Dith Pran Biography|url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pe-Pu/Pran-Dith.html| access-date=March 31, 2008}} | ||
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227144325/http://dithpran.org/ |date=February 27, 2009 |title=The Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project }} | *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227144325/http://dithpran.org/ |date=February 27, 2009 |title=The Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project }} | ||
*[https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/multimedia/20080320_DITH_PRAN_LAST_WORD_FEATURE/index.html ''The Last Word of Dith Pran''] New York Times. March 30, 2008. Video Interview of Dith Pran. | *[https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/multimedia/20080320_DITH_PRAN_LAST_WORD_FEATURE/index.html ''The Last Word of Dith Pran''] New York Times. March 30, 2008. Video Interview of Dith Pran. | ||
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[[Category:Cambodian emigrants to the United States]] | [[Category:Cambodian emigrants to the United States]] | ||
[[Category:The New York Times visual journalists]] | [[Category:The New York Times visual journalists]] | ||
[[Category:People from Siem Reap | [[Category:People from Siem Reap]] | ||
[[Category:People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey]] | [[Category:People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey]] | ||
[[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in New Jersey]] | [[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in New Jersey]] | ||
Revision as of 20:43, 17 June 2025
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Dith Pran (Template:Langx; September 23, 1942 – March 30, 2008) was a Cambodian-American photojournalist. He was a refugee and survivor of the Cambodian genocide and the subject of the film The Killing Fields (1984).
Early life
Dith was born in Siem Reap, Cambodia. His father worked as a public works official.[1] He learned French at school and taught himself English.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
The United States Army hired him as a translator but after his ties with the United States were severed, Dith worked with a British film crew for the film Lord Jim and then as a hotel receptionist.[1]
Cambodian genocide
In 1975, Dith and New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg stayed behind in Cambodia to cover the fall of the capital Phnom Penh to the Communist Khmer Rouge.[1] Schanberg and other foreign reporters were allowed to leave the country, but Dith was not.[1] Due to the persecution of intellectuals during the genocide, he hid the fact that he was educated or that he knew Americans, and pretended that he had been a taxi driver.[1] When Cambodians were forced to work in labour camps, Dith had to endure four years of starvation and torture before Vietnam overthrew the Khmer Rouge on January 7, 1979.[1] He coined the phrase "killing fields" to refer to the clusters of corpses and skeletal remains of victims he encountered during his Script error: No such module "convert". escape. His three brothers and one sister were killed in Cambodia.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Dith returned to Siem Reap where he learned that 50 members of his family had died.[1] The Vietnamese had made him village chief, but he feared they would discover his US ties, and he escaped to Thailand on October 3, 1979.[1]
Career in the United States
After Schanberg learned that Dith had made it to Thailand, he flew halfway around the world, and they had a joyful reunion there. Schanberg brought Dith back to the United States to reunite him with his family, and in 1980 Dith joined his paper, The New York Times, where he worked as a photojournalist.[2] He gained worldwide recognition after the 1984 release of the film The Killing Fields about his experiences under the Khmer Rouge. He was portrayed in the film by first-time actor and fellow survivor Haing S. Ngor (1940–1996), who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. He campaigned for recognition of the Cambodian genocide victims, especially as founder and president of the Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project.[2] He was a recipient of an Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1998 and the Award of Excellence of the International Center.
Personal life
In 1986, he became a U.S. citizen with his then wife Ser Moeun Dith, whom he later divorced. He then married Kim DePaul but they also divorced.[1]
Death
On March 30, 2008, Dith died, aged 65, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three months earlier.[3][2] He was living in Woodbridge, New Jersey.[1][4]
Works
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References
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External links
- Template:PAGENAMEBASE at Find a GraveTemplate:EditAtWikidata
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Template:Webarchive
- The Last Word of Dith Pran New York Times. March 30, 2008. Video Interview of Dith Pran.
- Obituaries:
- Pages with script errors
- 1942 births
- 2008 deaths
- 20th-century journalists
- Cambodian genocide survivors
- Cambodian journalists
- Cambodian photojournalists
- Cambodian emigrants to the United States
- The New York Times visual journalists
- People from Siem Reap
- People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
- Deaths from pancreatic cancer in New Jersey