Dith Pran facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dith Pran
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Dith speaking in Athens, Ohio in May 2007
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| Born | 23 September 1942 Siem Reap, French protectorate of Cambodia, French Indochina
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| Died | 30 March 2008 (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Photojournalist & translator |
| Employer | The New York Times |
| Known for | The Killing Fields |
Dith Pran (born September 23, 1942 – died March 30, 2008) was a photojournalist from Cambodia. He survived the terrible Cambodian genocide and his story was told in the famous movie The Killing Fields (1984).
Contents
Dith Pran's Early Life
Dith Pran was born in Siem Reap, Cambodia, close to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. His father worked for the government, helping with public projects. Dith learned to speak French at school and taught himself English.
Later, the United States Army hired him to be a translator. After this job ended, Dith worked with a British film crew on the movie Lord Jim. He also worked as a receptionist at a hotel.
Surviving the Cambodian Genocide
In 1975, Dith Pran and a reporter named Sydney Schanberg from The New York Times stayed in Cambodia. They wanted to report on the fall of the capital city, Phnom Penh, to a group called the Communist Khmer Rouge.
Schanberg and other foreign reporters were allowed to leave Cambodia. However, Dith Pran was not. During this time, many educated people were in danger. So, Dith pretended he was a taxi driver and hid the fact that he was educated or knew Americans.
The Khmer Rouge forced many Cambodians to work in labor camps. Dith Pran suffered for four years, facing hunger and harsh conditions. This period ended when Vietnam took over the Khmer Rouge on January 7, 1979.
As Dith escaped, he saw many groups of dead bodies and bones. He called these terrible places "killing fields." Sadly, three of his brothers and one sister were killed during this time in Cambodia.
Life After Escape
Dith Pran returned to Siem Reap and found out that 50 members of his family had died. The Vietnamese made him a village chief, but he was afraid they would discover his past connections to the U.S. Because of this fear, he escaped to Thailand on October 3, 1979.
When Sydney Schanberg learned that Dith had reached Thailand, he flew there to meet him. They had a very happy reunion. Schanberg then helped Dith come to the United States to be with his family.
In 1980, Dith Pran joined The New York Times as a photojournalist. He became famous worldwide after the movie The Killing Fields was released in 1984. This movie told the story of his experiences under the Khmer Rouge.
The actor Haing S. Ngor played Dith Pran in the film. Haing S. Ngor won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his amazing performance.
Dith Pran worked hard to make sure people remembered the victims of the Cambodian genocide. He started and led the Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project. He also received important awards, like the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1998.
Later Life and Passing
In 1986, Dith Pran became a U.S. citizen.
On March 30, 2008, Dith Pran passed away at the age of 65 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three months earlier. He was living in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey.
See also
In Spanish: Dith Pran para niños
