Father François Ponchaud, a Catholic priest who passed away in France at age 86 last week, is being celebrated for his dedication to revealing the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime and helping Cambodia rebuild after its devastation from 1975 to 1979.

Through his book *Cambodge année zero* (Cambodia: Year Zero), first published in 1977, Ponchaud shed light on the atrocities under Pol Pot's regime, bringing global attention to the plight of Cambodians. The book has been translated into eight languages and is widely regarded as a seminal work on Democratic Kampuchea.

Former Cambodian information minister Khieu Kanharith and French academic Henri Locard praised Ponchaud for his tireless efforts, calling his work the first and most comprehensive account of one of history's most brutal regimes.

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