In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 27 September 1942
- Died
- 30 March 2008
- Birthplace
- Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Country
- Cambodia
- Nationality
- Cambodian
- Known for
- Surviving the Khmer Rouge and helping tell the story behind The Killing Fields
- Reporting partner
- Sydney Schanberg
- Escape
- Reached Thailand in 1979
- Newspaper
- The New York Times from 1980
- Advocacy
- Cambodian genocide education
Why this life matters
Dith Pran’s life joined frontline journalism with survivor testimony, ensuring that a Cambodian witness remained central to the international memory of the Khmer Rouge period.
Timeline
Key moments
Worked with foreign correspondents
Served as interpreter, fixer and reporter during the Cambodian Civil War.
Stayed through Phnom Penh’s fall
Continued reporting with Sydney Schanberg before being separated and forced into rural labour.
Escaped to Thailand
Crossed the border after surviving nearly four years under the Khmer Rouge.
Joined The New York Times
Resettled in the United States and began a long career as a staff photojournalist.
The Killing Fields reached cinemas
The film dramatised his work, separation, survival and reunion with Schanberg.
Reporting a war from inside Cambodia
Dith Pran learned languages and became an indispensable interpreter and news assistant for foreign journalists. From 1972 he worked closely with New York Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg as the civil war closed around Phnom Penh.
When the Khmer Rouge entered the capital in April 1975, Pran helped foreign colleagues reach safety but could not leave with them. He was sent into the countryside, where he concealed his education and survived forced labour, hunger and mass violence.
Photography, film and remembrance
Pran escaped toward Thailand in 1979 and reunited with Schanberg. He moved to the United States and joined The New York Times as a photojournalist in 1980, turning survival into a long professional and public life.
The 1984 film The Killing Fields made his experience widely known, with Haing S. Ngor playing Pran. Pran spent later decades advocating genocide education and remembrance, insisting that Cambodian victims be understood as individual lives rather than an abstract number.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Dith Pran
- Who was Dith Pran?
- Dith Pran was a photojournalist, interpreter and genocide survivor. Dith Pran’s life joined frontline journalism with survivor testimony, ensuring that a Cambodian witness remained central to the international memory of the Khmer Rouge period.
- What is Dith Pran best known for?
- Dith Pran is best known for surviving the Khmer Rouge and helping tell the story behind The Killing Fields.
- When and where was Dith Pran born?
- Dith Pran was born on 27 September 1942 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
- When did Dith Pran die?
- Dith Pran died on 30 March 2008.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 9 September 2026.
