Cambodia killing fields survivor address GVSU conference

A survivor of the killing fields of Cambodia will speak to participants at the annual RICE Conference, a daylong conference on topics of interest to Asian Americans. Sponsored by Grand Valley State University, the conference is Saturday, March 31, at the Pew Grand Rapids Campus; it is free and open to the public.

Loung Ung, author of "First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers," was forced out of Phnom Penh in 1978 after the Khmer Rouge had killed Ung's parents and two of her siblings. She and an older brother escaped to Thailand and then relocated to Vermont.

In 2005, she wrote a sequel, "Lucky Child," which reflects on reuniting with a sister who lived through the Khmer Rouge years in Cambodia.

Ung now serves as national spokeswoman for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World.

The RICE (Realizing/Addressing Issues in our Culture and Education) Conference offers three tracks -- culture, education and health -- to educate and raise awareness on Asian issues that matter to the community. Complimentary breakfast and lunch will be served. The conference is sponsored by Grand Valley's Office of Multicultural Affairs and Asian Student Union.

Registration for the conference begins at 8 a.m. in the DeVos Center, 401 W. Fulton St. Workshops on Asian American access to health care, cultural and education issues continue until 3 p.m., when Ung will speak. For more information and a list of workshop leaders, visit www2.gvsu.edu/~asu/rice.htm or call (616) 331-2177.