A Cambodian Story

In February Carol & I visited Cambodia to see the wonderful temples at Angkor Wat (a UNESCO World Heritage site) . In the process we met a very interesting man who gave us his personal account of the recent history of the country and the terrible effect of Khmer Rouge and wars. Quite strangely as I write this (Tues, 17th Feb 2009) I hear the BBC report that the long-awaited UN-backed trial of a former Khmer Rouge leader in Cambodia has opened at a Phnom Penh court, 30 years after the murderous regime fell.

Travelling gives you the opportunity to meet people and some of the people you meet have a fascinating tale to tell. This was the case on our visit to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Our guide for three days was Dee* a man in his thirties who knew a lot about the temples, the Hindu and the Buddhist religions and history. However, his own story was even more fascinating, if tragic. Of course, everyone will know about the traumatic recent history of Cambodia and of the death of millions wrought by Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge.

When Dee was four years old both his father and brother were brutally killed by the Khmer Rouge. Between the ages of four and about ten there were terrible times of poverty and during his childhood he managed to get some schooling but secretly and in short bursts.

When Dee was about ten, the Khmer Rouge regime fell to the Vietnamese and many children were taken into the army and given guns and uniforms. After a few months he managed to run away, running literally for his life. His best friend was killed by a land mine as he ran at his side and a few feet to the other side another child was shot. He ran and ran and made his escape and was taken into a Buddhist monastery in Phnom Penh where he was educated and learnt English, even though that was not allowed by the Vietnamese.

Finally, the Vietnamese withdrew and the UN arrived (about 1991). Dee was in the right place at the right time and as he had studied English he was able to get a job working for the good guys as an interpreter. Some time later he returned to Siem Reap to find his mother. By the time he did this he was about thirty years old. At first she didn't recognise him. She had been told long ago that he was dead and had even held a special funeral for him. It was only by Dee showing her a childhood scar above his knee where he had fallen off a pedal bike his aunt had given him that she was able to accept him again.

Dee now lives in Siem Reap with his mother who is 86. He supports her in every way he can. She has had such a hard life, losing her husband and sons and being conscripted to build a dam by Pol Pot's army, carrying heavy stones back and forth which has left her with a chronically bent and painful back.

Dee praised Princess Diana as she had come to Cambodia on a mission to get the land mines cleared – at one time these were planted across the thousand of acres of fields that border Angkor Wat. These have been cleared but there are still many areas yet to be dealt with. These were planted both by the Khmer Rouge and then also by the Vietnamese.

Dee's story is both tragic and one of hope and success. What a pleasure just to meet him.

Historical & Contextual Notes:

* This is the name I have chosen for him, to protect his anonymity.

The Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975 and in 1979 lost power to Vietnam. though the Khmer Rouge maintained control in some regions until 1998 when their final stronghold, in Anlong Veng District, fell to the government.

Under the leadership of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge imposed an extreme form of social engineering on Cambodian society — a radical form of agrarian communism where the whole population had to work in collective farms or forced labour projects. Khmer Rouge believed parents were tainted with capitalism. Consequently, children were separated from parents and brainwashed to socialism as well as taught torture methods with animals.

Vietnam's victory wasn't the end to hostilities. It continued on into the 1990s. In the 1980s millions of landmines were sown across the countryside. Despite the clearing of mines they still cause casualties today.

According to a recent BBC news item the Khmer Rouge was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people through execution, torture, starvation and forced labour, (Population est. to be 7.5 million in 1975). In the last 30 years since the Khmer Rouge fell from power the population has grown to 14.7m (UN: 2008). For more information see the BBC web site profile of Cambodia.

Pol Pot died on 15 April, 1998 having never been put on trial for the terrible atrocities. Quite strangely as I write this (Tues, 17th Feb 2009) I hear the BBC report that the long-awaited UN-backed trial of a former Khmer Rouge leader in Cambodia has opened at a Phnom Penh court, 30 years after the murderous regime fell.

Research for these notes have come from Wikipedia and BBC web sites.