THE deputy mayor of Basingstoke may have caused offence yet again after comparing plans to change the way the Civic Offices are used to Year Zero which is widely recognised as Pol Pot’s takeover in Cambodia, during which 1.8 million people died.

In an email, seen by the Gazette, Cllr Onnalee Cubitt was responding to a request for councillors to complete a survey on the council’s Smarter Ways of Working programme (SWOW), which could see changes made to how the council offices are used, with the possibility of the Parklands building being rented.

Cllr Cubitt said councillors had not requested “these huge changes to the way our council works nor changes to our offices to be undertaken”.

She added: “I don’t recall any scrutiny committee discussing this proposal and the enormity of its impact on the workings of our council. We are in the midst of a once in a century pandemic. I don’t think it is prudent to implement such wide-ranging changes at this time nor base such significant changes on opaque ‘survey’ results.”

Basingstoke Gazette: Cllr Onnalee Cubitt is set to become mayor of Basingstoke next yearCllr Onnalee Cubitt is set to become mayor of Basingstoke next year

Cllr Cubitt, a Conservative councillor representing the Basing ward, objected to the suggestion of moving display cabinets, saying: “It is something to show visitors and the children of our borough and beyond. The council and its collective history does not belong to us. We should not be aspiring to create a utilitarian ‘Year Zero’ space at great expense, especially in these straightened times.”

The term Year Zero was applied to the takeover of Cambodia in 1975 by the Khmer Rouge, referring to the idea that all culture and traditions within a society are destroyed or discarded.

All the history of a nation or people before Year Zero would be deemed irrelevant, with them purged and replaced from the ground up.

Cambodian genocide survivor Sokphal Din, from Basingstoke, described Cllr Cubitt's comments as "appalling".

Basingstoke Gazette: Sokphal with his familySokphal with his family

The 63-year-old, from Popley, who lost nearly 60 members of his family in the genocide, said: "The phrase 'Year Zero' had been used by the group of evil dictators communist. This phrase had created the atrocity and the genocide in Cambodia. I find this is appalling to hear from someone using this kind of comments. It is very offensive to many Cambodian genocide victims and survivors. The phrase 'Year Zero' shouldn't be used at any situation, especially from a professional person."

Cllr Andrew McCormick described the comment made by Cllr Cubitt as lacking a "sense of proportion".

When asked by the Gazette what he thought of her comparison, he said: "Nobody should be using throw-away comments like that, in no way is a civic office re-organisation anything like a genocide."

It is not the first time Cllr Cubitt has caused offence with the language she uses.

As previously reported, she faced criticism after referring to Covid-19 as the “Chinese virus”.

Basingstoke Gazette: Sokphal with his familySokphal with his family

A complaint made about Cllr Cubitt accusing her of racism was dismissed by the council because it happened in her “private life”.

The complaint was made after she liked a Tweet by Donald Trump in which he referred to Covid as “a very bad ‘gift’ from China”.

The Gazette has asked the council if it intends to take any action regarding Cllr Cubitt’s reference to Year Zero, and if it received any complaints about this. It has not yet responded.

Cllr Cubitt has also not yet responded to a request for a comment.