The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, will hold a signing ceremony for the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation 2017 project on “Conservation of 20th-Century Ethnographic Objects” at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum on Monday, December 11, 2017, at 9:30 a.m.

The agreement will be signed by representatives of the U.S. government and H.E. Chuch Phoeun, Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

This first phase of the project will focus on preventing further decay of the clothing worn by the victims– the most sensitive aspect of the collection. The funding will address the most pressing conservation needs at the museum – between 3,000 and 5,000 artifacts that have never been properly treated or preserved by professional experts. The project will employ well-considered and tested methods for the specialized cleaning and long term preservation of the materials. These materials can then be viewed, studied, further analyzed, and included in the displays and for education. This conservation project aids in taking a permanent stand against genocide in Cambodia and the world.

Members of the media wishing to cover the event are requested to contact the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy either by calling 023 728258 or by email to ChreaV@state.gov.