Ghost Mountain: The Second Killing Fields of Cambodia

Marking Asian American History Month the Roosevelt House Human Rights Program and Network 20/20 with co-sponsorship by the Hunter Asian American Studies Program and Center and the History Department invite you to attend a documentary film screening and post-screening discussion of:

Ghost Mountain: The Second Killing Fields of Cambodia

Please join us as the Roosevelt House Human Rights Program and Network 20/20, with co-sponsorship by the Hunter Asian American Studies Program and Center and the History Department, co-host an in-person and virtual screening of the film Ghost Mountain: The Second Killing Fields of Cambodia followed by a post-screening discussion featuring Ghost Mountain co-producer and co-director James Taing; a survivor of the Khmer Rouge Genocide Bunseng Taing; former UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and Roosevelt House Scholar in Residence Kyung-wha Kang; Chief Operating Officer of the International Rescue Committee Madlin Sadler; and moderated by President of Network 20/20 Courtney Doggart.

Ghost Mountain is the story of Bunseng Taing, a Cambodian refugee who made his way to Connecticut in 1980 after surviving both the Killing Fields and a second horror never before documented. He was among 45,000 refugees who managed to escape to what they believed was safety in Thailand, only to be forced back over the Cambodian border in an area heavily infested with landmines.

Panelists:

James Taing is the son of Bunseng Taing, the main protagonist of the film Ghost Mountain. While serving as co-producer and co-director for the film he founded the Preah Vihear Foundation in 2016, a non-profit committed to advocating and preserving history related to Cambodia, particularly the rescue of refugees in the 1970’s. He is the author of Under the Naga Tail, 2023.

Bunseng Taing is a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia. He is the main protagonist of the short documentary film Ghost Mountain. The film has been featured in eleven film festivals, winning Best Documentary at HAAPI Film Festival. He lives in Connecticut and has run a full-time home painting business for more than thirty years.

Dr. Kyung-wha Kang was the 38th and the first female Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. During her ministerial tenure from June 2017 to February 2021, Dr. Kang endeavored to garner global support for the Republic of Korea’s initiative to engage with North Korea with a view to bringing about lasting peace and complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, while also striving to diversify the country’s diplomatic relations with further regions and countries. Joining the Foreign Ministry in 1998, Dr. Kang specialized in multilateral affairs and intergovernmental organizations, and started her career with the United Nations in 2007 following her appointment as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. She was then appointed in 2013 to the post of Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. She is currently a Roosevelt House Scholar in Residence.

Madlin Sadler is the Chief Operating Officer of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) where she is responsible for operational functions as well as Strategy, Gender, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, and External Relations. She previously worked as a Special Adviser in the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department of the Environment. Her prior roles include Director of Social Impact and External Affairs for Mishcon de Reya, Director of Governmental Affairs at Ford Motor Company, and Policy Advisor in the European Parliament.

Courtney Doggart (moderator) is President of Network 20/20. Throughout her career, Ms. Doggart has focused on international affairs with an emphasis on people-to-people diplomacy and cross-cultural communication. Most recently, she was Deputy Director of Global Communications and Media Relations at the Council on Foreign Relations and focused on communications strategy. Prior to that, she was a member of the U.S. Foreign Service, serving in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where she managed the U.S. embassy’s cultural and educational programming. For her work, Ms. Doggart has received an individual Superior Honor Award from the U.S. State Department, a group Meritorious Award from the U.S. State Department, and Network 20/20’s Ted Sorensen Award.