ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sophal Ear - Development economist
Sophal Ear leads research on post-conflict countries -- looking at the effectiveness of foreign aid and the challenge of development in places like his native land, Cambodia.

Why you should listen

Elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council in November 2015 for a 3-year term, encompassing more than 20,000 residents in unincorporated La Crescenta and Montrose, California, Sophal Ear, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor of Diplomacy & World Affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles where he lectures on political economy, security, development and Asia.

Previously, he taught how to rebuild countries after wars at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and international development at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He consulted for the World Bank, was Assistant Resident Representative for the United Nations in East Timor and Advisor to Cambodia's 1st private equity fund Leopard Capital. A TED Fellow, Fulbright Specialist, Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, he sits on the board of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Refugees International, Partners for Development, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the Southeast Asia Development Program, Diagnostic Microbiology Development Program, the Journal of International Relations and Development (Palgrave), the International Public Management Journal (Taylor & Francis), Journal of South-East Asian American Education & Advancement (Purdue), and Politics and the Life Sciences (Cambridge University Press).

He is the author of Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy (Columbia University Press, 2013) and co-author of The Hungry Dragon: How China’s Resources Quest is Reshaping the World (Routledge, 2013). He wrote and narrated the award-winning documentary film "The End/Beginning: Cambodia" (47 minutes, 2011) based on his 2009 TED Talk and has appeared in four other documentaries.

A graduate of Princeton and Berkeley, he moved to the United States from France as a Cambodian refugee at the age of 10.

More profile about the speaker
Sophal Ear | Speaker | TED.com
TED2009

Sophal Ear: Escaping the Khmer Rouge

Sofal Er (Sophal Ear): Beg od Crvenih Kmera

Filmed:
685,840 views

Član programa TED Fellows, Sofal Er je podelio neverovatnu priču o tome kako je negova porodica pobegla iz Kambodže pod režimom Crvenih Kmera. On se priseća domišljatosti i odlučnosti njegove majke kako bi spasila svoju decu.
- Development economist
Sophal Ear leads research on post-conflict countries -- looking at the effectiveness of foreign aid and the challenge of development in places like his native land, Cambodia. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I normallyнормално teachнаучити coursesкурсеви on
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Obično držim kurseve o
00:15
how to rebuildобновити statesдржаве after warрат.
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tome kako da izgradite države nakon rata.
00:19
But todayданас I've got a personalлични storyприча to shareОбјави with you.
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Ali danas imam ličnu priču koju
želim da podelim sa vama.
00:21
This is a pictureслика of my familyпородица,
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Ovo je fotografija moje porodice,
00:24
my fourчетири siblingsbrat i sestra -- my momмама and I -- takenузети in 1977.
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četvoro braće i sestara -- moje majke i mene -- slikana 1977.
00:28
And we're actuallyзаправо CambodiansKambodћanci.
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mi smo zapravo iz Kambodže.
00:30
And this pictureслика is takenузети in VietnamVijetnam.
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A ova fotografija je slikana u Vijetnamu.
00:32
So how did a CambodianKambodžanske familyпородица endкрај up in VietnamVijetnam in 1977?
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Kako je kambodžanska porodica završila
u Vijetnamu 1977. godine?
00:36
Well to explainобјасни that, I've got a shortкратак videoвидео clipклип
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Da bih vam to objasnio, imam kratak video klip
00:39
to explainобјасни the KhmerKmerski RougeRužu regimeрежим
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koji će objasniti režim Crvenih Kmera
00:41
duringу току 1975 and 1979.
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tokom 1975. i 1979.
00:44
VideoVideo zapis: AprilAprila 17thтх, 1975.
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Video: 17. april 1975.
00:48
The communistkomunistički KhmerKmerski RougeRužu
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Komunistički Crveni Kmeri
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entersулази PhnomPnom PenhPena to liberateosloboditi theirњихова people
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ulaze u Pnom Pen da oslobode njihov narod
00:53
from the encroachinguљao u naљu conflictконфликт in VietnamVijetnam,
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od širećeg sukoba u Vijetnamu
00:55
and AmericanAmerikanac bombingбомбардовање campaignsкампање.
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i američkih bombaških kampanja.
00:59
Led by peasant-bornRođen u seljaka PolPol PotLonac,
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Pod vođstvom seljaka Pola Pota,
01:02
the KhmerKmerski RougeRužu evacuatesprazni people to the countrysideselo
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Crveni Kmeri su evakuisali ljude na selo
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in orderнаручи to createстворити a ruralсеоски communistkomunistički utopiaутопија,
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da bi stvorili ruralnu komunističku utopiju,
01:09
much like MaoMao Tse-tung'sCe-tung CulturalKulturni RevolutionRevolucija in ChinaKina.
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nalik kulturnoj revoluciji Mao Ce Tunga u Kini.
01:15
The KhmerKmerski RougeRužu closesзатвара се the doorsврата to the outsideспоља worldсвет.
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Crveni Kmeri su zatvorili vrata spoljnom svetu.
01:19
But after fourчетири yearsгодине the grimгрим truthистина seepsšto prođe out.
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Ali nakon 4 godine sumorna istina curi napolje.
01:23
In a countryземљу of only sevenседам millionмилиона people,
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U državi od svega 7 miliona ljudi
01:25
one and a halfпола millionмилиона were murderedубијен by theirњихова ownвластити leadersлидери,
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jedan i po milion su ubile njihove vođe,
01:29
theirњихова bodiesтела pilednagomilao in the massмаса gravesгробнице of the killingубијање fieldsпоља.
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njihova tela su nabacana u masovne
grobnice na bojnim poljima.
01:33
SophalSophal EarUvo: So, notwithstandingбез обзира на то the 1970s narrationprateće priče,
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Sofal Er: Dakle, uprkos ovoj priči iz sedamdesetih,
01:36
on AprilAprila 17thтх 1975
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17. aprila 1975.
01:38
we livedживели in PhnomPnom PenhPena.
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živeli smo u Pnom Penu.
01:40
And my parentsродитељи were told by the KhmerKmerski RougeRužu
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Crveni Kmeri su rekli mojim roditeljima
01:43
to evacuateevakuaciju the cityград because of impendingвисећи AmericanAmerikanac bombingбомбардовање for threeтри daysдана.
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da evakuišu grad zbog predstojećeg
trodnevnog američkog bombardovanja.
01:47
And here is a pictureслика of the KhmerKmerski RougeRužu.
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A ovo su slike Crvenih Kmera.
01:49
They were youngмлади soldiersвојници, typicallyобично childдете soldiersвојници.
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To su bili mladi vojnici, tipična deca vojnici.
01:52
And this is very normalнормално now, of modernмодеран day conflictконфликт,
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Ovo je prilično normalno danas u savremenim sukobima,
01:55
because they're easyлако to bringдовести into warsратова.
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jer ih je lako uvući u rat.
01:58
The reasonразлог that they gaveдала about AmericanAmerikanac bombingбомбардовање wasn'tније all that farдалеко off.
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Razlog koji su dali o američkom bombardovanju
nije bio daleko od istine.
02:02
I mean, from 1965 to 1973 there were
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Hoću da kažem, od 1965. do 1973.
02:04
more munitionsмуниције that fellпао on CambodiaKambodža
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više municije je palo na Kambodžu
02:08
than in all of WorldSvet WarRat IIII JapanJapan,
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nego na Japan tokom celog Drugog svetskog rata
02:10
includingукључујући the two nuclearнуклеарна bombsбомбе
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uključujući dve nuklearne bombe
02:12
of AugustAvgusta 1945.
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avgusta 1945.
02:15
The KhmerKmerski RougeRužu didn't believe in moneyновац.
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Crveni Kmeri nisu verovali u novac.
02:18
So the equivalentеквивалент of the FederalFederalni ReserveRezervi BankBanka
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Tako da je ekvivalent Banke federalnih rezervi
02:20
in CambodiaKambodža was bombedбомбардована.
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u Kambodži bombardovan.
02:22
But not just that, they actuallyзаправо bannedзабрањено moneyновац.
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I ne samo to, oni su zapravo zabranili novac.
02:25
I think it's the only precedentпреседан in whichкоја
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Mislim da je ovo jedini presedan u kom
02:27
moneyновац has ever been stoppedпрестала from beingбиће used.
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je novac bio povučen iz upotrebe.
02:29
And we know moneyновац is the rootкорен of all evilзло,
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A znamo da je novac uzrok sveg zla,
02:31
but it didn't actuallyзаправо stop evilзло from happeningдогађај in CambodiaKambodža, in factчињеница.
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ali nije stvarno sprečio zlo u Kambodži, u stvari.
02:35
My familyпородица was movedпреселила се from PhnomPnom PenhPena to PursatPursat provincepokrajina.
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Moja porodica je bila preseljena iz
Pnom Pena u provinciju Pursat.
02:39
This is a pictureслика of what PursatPursat looksизглед like.
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Ovo je slika kako Pursat izgleda.
02:41
It's actuallyзаправо a very prettyприлично areaподручје of CambodiaKambodža,
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To je zapravo jedna lepa oblast u Kambodži,
02:44
where riceпиринач growingрастуће takes placeместо.
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gde se uzgaja pirinač.
02:46
And in factчињеница they were forcedприсиљен to work the fieldsпоља.
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U suštini, bili su primorani da rade u poljima.
02:48
So my fatherотац and motherмајка endedзавршио up in
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Tako da su moji otac i majka završili u
02:51
a sortврста of concentrationконцентрација campкамп, laborрад campкамп.
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nekoj vrsti koncentracionog logora, radnog logora.
02:54
And it was at that time that my motherмајка got wordреч
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To je bilo u ono vreme kada je moja majka čula
02:56
from the communekomuna chiefшеф
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od načelnika komune
02:59
that the Vietnamesevijetnamski were actuallyзаправо askingпитајући
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da je Vijetnam tražio
03:01
for theirњихова citizensГрађани to go back to VietnamVijetnam.
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da se njegovi građani vrate u Vijetnam.
03:04
And she spokeговорио је some Vietnamesevijetnamski,
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Ona je govorila nešto vijetnamskog jezika
03:06
as a childдете havingимати grownодрастао up with Vietnamesevijetnamski friendsпријатељи.
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jer je kao dete rasla sa vijetnamskim prijateljima.
03:09
And she decidedодлучио, despiteупркос the adviceсавет of her neighborskomšije,
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Odlučila je, uprkos savetima njenih komšija,
03:13
that she would take the chanceшанса
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da će ugrabiti priliku
03:15
and claimпотраживање to be Vietnamesevijetnamski
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i reći da je Vijetnamka
03:17
so that we could have a chanceшанса to surviveпреживети,
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da bi imala šansu da preživi
03:19
because at this pointтачка they're forcingприсиљавање everybodyсвима to work.
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jer su u to vreme sve terali da rade.
03:21
And they're givingдавање about --
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A davali su oko --
03:23
in a modern-dayсавремени дан, caloric-restrictionkalorika ograničenja dietдијета, I guessпретпостављам --
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u današnje vreme, dijetu zasnovanu na smanjenom unosu kalorija, pretpostavljam --
03:26
they're givingдавање porridgeкаша, with a fewнеколико grainszrna of riceпиринач.
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davali su kašu sa nekoliko zrna pirinča.
03:30
And at about this time actuallyзаправо
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Otprilike u ovo vreme
03:32
my fatherотац got very sickболестан.
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moj otac se ozbiljno razboleo.
03:34
And he didn't speakговорити Vietnamesevijetnamski.
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A nije govorio vijetnamski.
03:36
So he diedумро actuallyзаправо, in JanuaryJanuara 1976.
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Tako da je preminuo u januaru 1976.
03:39
And it madeмаде it possibleмогуће, in factчињеница,
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To je omogućilo, zapravo,
03:42
for us to take on this planплан.
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da mi pokušamo sa ovim planom.
03:44
So the KhmerKmerski RougeRužu tookузела us
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Zato su nas Crveni Kmeri odveli
03:46
from a placeместо calledпозвани PursatPursat to KaohKaoh TievTiev,
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iz mesta zvanog Pursat u Kaoh Tiev,
03:48
whichкоја is acrossпреко from the borderграница from VietnamVijetnam.
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koji je preko vijetnamske granice.
03:51
And there they had a detentionpritvor campкамп
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Tamo su imali kazneni kamp
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where allegednavodni Vietnamesevijetnamski would be testedтестирано, languageЈезик testedтестирано.
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gde su navodni Vijetnamci testirani o znanju jezika.
03:57
And my mother'sмајка Vietnamesevijetnamski was so badлоше
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A vijetnamski moje majke je bio toliko loš da je,
04:00
that to make our storyприча more credibleверодостојан,
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da bi priča bila uverljivija,
04:04
she'dона би givenдато all the boysдечаци and girlsдевојке newново Vietnamesevijetnamski namesимена.
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dala svim dečacima i devojčicama vijetnamska imena.
04:07
But she'dона би givenдато the boysдечаци girls'девојке' namesимена,
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Ali je dala dečacima ženska imena,
04:09
and the girlsдевојке boys'Boys namesимена.
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a devojčicama muška imena.
04:12
And it wasn'tније untilсве док she metиспуњен a Vietnamesevijetnamski ladyдама
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I sve dok nije upoznala vijetnamsku gospođu,
04:14
who told her this, and then tutoredpoduиavao her for two daysдана intensivelyintenzivno,
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koja joj je ovo rekla, a zatim je učila 2 dana bez prekida,
04:18
that she was ableу могуцности to go into her examispit
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nije mogla da ode na ispit
04:21
and -- you know, this was a momentтренутак of truthистина.
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i -- znate, ovo je bio trenutak istine.
04:24
If she failsне успева, we're all headedна челу to the gallowsveљala;
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Ako ne uspe, svi ćemo biti upućeni na gubilište;
04:27
if she passesпролази, we can leaveодлази to VietnamVijetnam.
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ako položi, možemo da idemo u Vijetnam.
04:29
And she actuallyзаправо, of courseкурс -- I'm here, she passesпролази.
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I ona je, naravno -- ja sam ovde, položila.
04:33
And we endкрај up in HongHong NguNgu on the Vietnamesevijetnamski sideстрана.
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Tako smo završili u Hong Ngu na vijetnamskoj strani.
04:36
And then onwardspa nadalje to ChauChau DocDoktore.
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Zatim u Čau Dok.
04:38
And this is a pictureслика of HongHong NguNgu, VietnamVijetnam todayданас.
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Ovo je slika Hong Ngua, Vijetnam danas.
04:40
A prettyприлично idyllicidiličnu placeместо on the MekongMekong DeltaDelta.
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Prilično idilično mesto u delti Mekonga.
04:42
But for us it meantмислио freedomслобода.
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Ali za nas je značilo slobodu.
04:44
And freedomслобода from persecutionprogon from the KhmerKmerski RougeRužu.
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Slobodu od proganjanja Crvenih Kmera.
04:49
Last yearгодине, the KhmerKmerski RougeRužu TribunalTribunala,
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Prošle godine, Sud za Crvene Kmere,
04:52
whichкоја the U.N. is helpingпомажући CambodiaKambodža take on,
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koji su UN pomogle Kambodži da uspostavi,
04:54
startedпочела, and I decidedодлучио that as a matterматерија of recordзапис
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počeo je sa radom i ja sam rešio da ostane zabeleženo
04:56
I should fileфиле a CivilCivilnog ComplaintŽalbu
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da treba da podnesem građansku tužbu
04:59
with the TribunalTribunala about my father'sотац passingпролаз away.
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Sudu o tome kako je moj otac preminuo.
05:02
And I got wordреч last monthмесец дана
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Dobio sam odgovor prošlog meseca
05:05
that the complaintžalbu was officiallyzvanično acceptedприхваћено by the KhmerKmerski RougeRužu TribunalTribunala.
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da je tužbu zvanično prihvatio Sud za Crvene Kmere.
05:08
And it's for me a matterматерија of justiceправда for historyисторија, and accountabilityодговорност for the futureбудућност,
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Za mene je ovo stvar pravde pred istorijom
i odgovornosti za budućnost,
05:13
because CambodiaKambodža remainsостаје a prettyприлично lawlessBez zakona placeместо, at timesпута.
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jer je Kambodža ostala mesto bezakonja,
s vremena na vreme.
05:18
FivePet yearsгодине agoпре my motherмајка and I wentотишао back to ChauChau DocDoktore.
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Pre 5 godina moja majka i ja smo se vratili u Čau Dok.
05:22
And she was ableу могуцности to returnповратак to a placeместо
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Ona je mogla da se vrati na mesto
05:24
that for her meantмислио freedomслобода, but alsoтакође fearбојати се,
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koje za nju označava slobodu, ali istovremeno i strah,
05:27
because we had just come out of CambodiaKambodža.
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jer smo tek izašli iz Kambodže.
05:30
I'm happyсрећан, actuallyзаправо, todayданас, to presentпоклон her.
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Srećan sam, zapravo, danas što mogu da je predstavim.
05:34
She's here todayданас with us in the audienceпублика.
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Ona je ovde danas sa nama u publici.
05:36
Thank you motherмајка.
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Hvala ti majko.
05:38
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Milica Petrovic
Reviewed by Sara Bgd

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sophal Ear - Development economist
Sophal Ear leads research on post-conflict countries -- looking at the effectiveness of foreign aid and the challenge of development in places like his native land, Cambodia.

Why you should listen

Elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council in November 2015 for a 3-year term, encompassing more than 20,000 residents in unincorporated La Crescenta and Montrose, California, Sophal Ear, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor of Diplomacy & World Affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles where he lectures on political economy, security, development and Asia.

Previously, he taught how to rebuild countries after wars at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and international development at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He consulted for the World Bank, was Assistant Resident Representative for the United Nations in East Timor and Advisor to Cambodia's 1st private equity fund Leopard Capital. A TED Fellow, Fulbright Specialist, Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, he sits on the board of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Refugees International, Partners for Development, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the Southeast Asia Development Program, Diagnostic Microbiology Development Program, the Journal of International Relations and Development (Palgrave), the International Public Management Journal (Taylor & Francis), Journal of South-East Asian American Education & Advancement (Purdue), and Politics and the Life Sciences (Cambridge University Press).

He is the author of Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy (Columbia University Press, 2013) and co-author of The Hungry Dragon: How China’s Resources Quest is Reshaping the World (Routledge, 2013). He wrote and narrated the award-winning documentary film "The End/Beginning: Cambodia" (47 minutes, 2011) based on his 2009 TED Talk and has appeared in four other documentaries.

A graduate of Princeton and Berkeley, he moved to the United States from France as a Cambodian refugee at the age of 10.

More profile about the speaker
Sophal Ear | Speaker | TED.com