Arn Chorn-Pond: Survivor of the Cambodian Genocide
Profile
Arn Chorn-Pond is a musician, survivor of the Cambodian genocide, human rights activist, and founder of Cambodian Living Arts. Born in Battambang, Cambodia, in 1966 to a family of performers and musicians, Arn grew up during the Khmer Rouge regime. He was sent to a children’s labor camp, where he escaped death by playing his flute for the guards. He later fled to a refugee camp on the Cambodia-Thai border, where he met Peter Pond, a Lutheran minister and aid worker, who adopted him in 1980 and moved with him to New Hampshire.
In 1984, Arn became the first Cambodian child soldier to speak publicly about the atrocities of the Cambodian genocide. He delivered a speech to 10,000 people at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. Arn then co-founded Children of War, an organization that helps young children experiencing trauma from war, child abuse, poverty, racism, and divorce.
After studying at Brown University and while attending Providence College, Arn co-founded the Southeast Asian Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America Association in Providence and founded Peace Makers, a US-based gang intervention program for Southeast Asian youths.
In the mid-1990s, Arn returned to Cambodia to find the legacy of his family involved in the Cambodian Opera, his music teacher from the Khmer Rouge era, and the stars of his early childhood. In 1998, he founded the Cambodian Master Performers Program, which grew into Cambodian Living Arts.
The organization’s original mission was to revive endangered traditional performing arts in Cambodia by locating former masters or professional musicians and helping them pass on their skills and knowledge to the next generation. Cambodian Living Arts has since expanded to include scholarships, fellowships, workshops, training, commissions, arts education, and a cultural enterprise providing job opportunities to Cambodian performing artists.
Arn remains engaged with the organization, particularly with the Khmer Magic Music Bus, a program that brings music performances and demonstrations to villages and communities in Cambodia, helping preserve rare forms of Cambodian music.
Today, Arn resides in Cambodia, where he tirelessly advocates for Cambodian Living Arts. He dedicates himself to supporting elderly Cambodian musicians and artists, ensuring their invaluable practices are passed on to future generations. Arn’s work extends to Cambodian refugees, trauma survivors, and Khmer traditional musicians, with a focus on forgiveness, reconciliation, and education about the Khmer Rouge genocide. His powerful personal story continues to resonate globally, making him a sought-after public speaker who inspires and captivates audiences around the world. Arn’s unwavering commitment to cultural preservation and healing stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Cambodian people.
Awards
Reebok Human Rights Award – 1988
The Reebok Human Rights Award honoured activists under the age of thirty who fought for human rights through non-violent means. The award was underwritten by the Reebok Foundation.
Amnesty International Human Rights Award – 1991
The Amnesty International Human Rights Award is the most prestigious human rights award. It celebrates individuals or groups who have furthered human rights by showing exceptional courage standing up to injustice and who have used their talents to inspire others.
Kohl Foundation International Peace Prize – 1993
The Kohl International Peace Prize celebrated individuals who made significant strides toward fostering peace and understanding. It was awarded by the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation, which operated innovative education and arts programs in the United States and abroad, recognized outstanding contributions to peace and education.
Spirit of Anne Frank Outstanding Citizen Award – 1996
The Spirit of Anne Frank Outstanding Citizen Award is given annually to exceptional leaders in their communities who demonstrate a commitment to combating intolerance, prejudice, and injustice.
Nominated Music Rights Champion by the International Music Council – 2018
An a musician, human rights activist, and survivor of the Khmer Rouge period, Arn Chorn-Pond has been nominated IMC Five Music Rights Champion rejoining in this role Dame Evelyn Glennie, Ramy Essam and Tabu Osusa nominated in 2018.
Stories
Never Fall Down
Based on the true story of an 11-year-old boy who survived the Khmer Rouge by playing music in the Killing Fields, NEVER FALL DOWN came out in May 2012 and is now a National Book Award Finalist.
Arn did have trouble telling his story in some ways – he would sometimes dart away from difficult topics or be overcome with sadness. But when he spoke about the way music saved his life, about his work to preserve Cambodia’s traditional music, or about his belief in the power of forgiveness, he was radiant. He had a fire to be heard and an irresistible insistence that you listen.
The Flute Player
The Flute Player is a one-hour documentary film about the life and work of Cambodian genocide survivor Arn Chorn-Pond. Arn was only a boy when the brutal Khmer Rouge regime overran Cambodia and turned his country into a ghastly land of “killing fields.” While most of Arn’s family, and 90 percent of the country’s musicians, were killed, Arn was kept alive to play propaganda songs on the flute for his captors. Now, after being adopted and living in the United States for 20 years, Arn goes back to Cambodia in The Flute Player, seeking out surviving “master musicians” and facing the dark shadows of his war-torn past. As the film follows Arn on his journey from Lowell, Massachusetts to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, his life is seen through his work in both communities of Cambodians. An extraordinary story of survival, the film is a testament to one man’s ability to transcend tragedy.