Contemporary heroes are often identified as individuals who have risen to fame because of wealth, circumstance or social profile; however, this is not the definition, nor is it the correct path, of a hero.
True heroes, however flawed and complex, are people that have done whatever it takes to ensure the survival of their loved ones. The survivors of armed conflicts, crimes against humanity, and other periods of inhumanity or depravation, genocide, are heroes.
The survivors are heroes because they sacrificed their health, safety, personal comfort, and life not in pursuit of a benefit, reward, or privilege, but because it is what was required for the survival of their family, community, and nation.
Survivors of the Khmer Rouge and other periods of inhumanity and deprivation carry a heavy burden that is not unlike soldiers in an armed conflict. Many survivors had to sacrifice their morals to survive. Many survivors observed or even participated in the horrendous acts that contributed to or perpetuated the inhumanity they suffered from.
For these reasons, many survivors bear inconsolable guilt not only for what they may have done, but also what they feel they should have done. These stories of survivors provide a window into the struggle between guilt and anger, sadness, and hope, and good and evil that defines not only true heroes but the condition of our world.
Youk Chhang is director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam)