December 18, 1998

How Could Cambodia’s People Survive ?

By Amanda Schiefen

How can a person endure persecution and abuse by their own country and still physically and mentally survive? It is a rather difficult question to answer. Many people have endured this hardship from their own government, and have physically and mentally survived. For example, many Jews suffered tremendous abuse from Hitler and the Nazi’s. However, despite the death of six million Jews, many did survive. In more recent times, the people of Cambodia endured severe hardship under the reign of Pol Pot, and the Khmer Rouge. Many of them have survived to tell their story. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the nature of the events that took place with some of the survivors, and how they mentally and physically survived the ordeal. To understand what took place with the Cambodians and what led up to the killing fields, it is important to know the leader behind the Khmer Rouge, and who the Khmer Rouge were at the time. The leader was a man by the name of Saloth Sar, who used the alias of Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge were the men, women, and most often children, who were recruited by the government of Pol Pot to force Cambodians into labor camps in April of 1975. This is where the term the "killing fields" could best be understood. The killing fields is where the Cambodians were forced into fields to work. The work that they were made to do consisted of extremely long hours with little or no rest. They also were only allowed to eat once a day.

Dith Pran was one of the Cambodians who was forced into the killing fields. Pran managed to get his family out of Cambodia, but he was left to endure the hardships in Cambodia, until his escape to Thailand in 1979. The movie The Killing Fields, was based on his time spent in the killing fields, as well as his friendship with journalist Sydney Schanberg. The Killing Fields, represents a good portion of what took place for the people in Cambodia. It illustrated how the people worked extremely long hours, and how the Khmer Rouge showed no respect for human life. The man who portrayed Dith Pran in the movie The Killing Fields, Dr. Haing Ngor, was also a survivor of the killing fields. Ngor was a doctor who literally had to lie in order to save his life. Ngor had to deny that he was ever a doctor. He was even held over a fire for four days by the Khmer Rouge so he would confess. Ngor never did, and eventually made it to Los Angeles, California.

Sadly, Ngor was unable to leave Cambodia with the love of his life, Chang My Hoa. Chang was pregnant with the couple’s son, and needed to have a cesarean, but was unable to have one. She died with Ngor holding her close, while saying, "Take care of yourself, sweet."

What did happen in what is now known as the killing fields was ultimate horror. People were forced out of their homes. According to survivors that told their stories in Dith Pran’s book, Children of Cambodia’s Killing Fields, they were all told to evacuate their homes, because the Americans would be coming to bomb Cambodia, and they would be able to return back to their homes in three days. Sadly, they never returned, and many knew that they would not be returning, after walking many miles with very little rest. Eventually, many families were split apart, and put into different camps. Children were not allowed to see their families, and some saw the horror of their loved ones being blindfolded and taken away to their execution. Many Cambodians knew this, and because they knew this, they knew in their hearts and minds that they would never see their loved ones return again.

The Khmer Rouge eliminated anyone who they believed to be educated. This included people that were doctors, or teachers. Many of the families of the victims were executed as well, because the Khmer Rouge feared revenge. People were not just killed for being educated. It could be for such things as not working hard enough, or if someone was showing emotion. Sometimes they were shot, and sometimes the Khmer Rouge beat them to death.

People who were accused of crimes, such as treason, were often sent to a secret prison titled the S-21. S-21 was a code name. The S represented "Special Branch", while 21 meant "code for the facility." The prison was located in Tuol Sleng.

In the popular song, "Stand by Me," it says that "the moon is the only light we will see." This is how it was for the Cambodians living in the killing fields. At night when they were supposed to be sleeping, the moon was their only light. Many of the Cambodians could not sleep, because of being afraid, especially small children who had been taken away from their families. If the Khmer Rouge caught them not sleeping, then there could be instant death. Sophal Leng Stagg who was nine at the time of the Khmer Rouge takeover, remembers crying herself to sleep every night, because of being extremely frightened, and because the Khmer Rouge had taken her away from her parents.

It was also at night that children sometimes left their camp to go and see their parents. Children doing this were taking an enormous risk, because the Khmer Rouge would execute them if they were caught. Children were not thought of as children during the killing fields era. They had to work extremely long hours like the adults, and were also taught to hate their parents. They were also taught to spy on them as well, and report anything on their own parents to the Khmer Rouge soldiers.

The Khmer Rouge were just as cruel to the children as they were to the adults. Many times the children were told that they would be going to see their parents, who were dead. The children would walk away happy not really knowing what was going to happen to them. The people in their camp knew what had happened to them, because they never returned.

Many of these children saw much horror, such as being killed for things like not working hard enough, or for showing any kind of emotion. One example of showing emotion, was missing their family. For example, Roen Sam as a child saw a person murdered, and then the organs taken out. The reason for this was to let the children know that they were to behave, or this could happen to them.

Chintana Keo was around eight or nine when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia. Keo remembers escaping many times to go home to his family. He was caught each time. One time, he pretended to be sick, and was allowed to stay behind and not work. When one of the Khmer Rouge soldiers fell asleep, Keo escaped but was later spotted by another Khmer Rouge soldier. The Khmer Rouge soldiers eventually chased after him, and was Keo was put into a hard labor camp with people much older than him. Keo also remembers the people in his camp helping each other. The camp members helped those near death by giving them extra food, and also helping those that would be executed escape.

Peter Heng remembers much sadness when he was a child in Cambodia. His father was a judge, who the Khmer Rouge were going to kill, since he was considered an educated man. He did not give the Khmer Rouge a chance to kill him. Instead, Heng’s father committed suicide. Heng’s mother was teacher, but "played dumb," and outsmarted the Khmer Rouge.

In 1979, the Vietnamese came through Cambodia and ended things. With the Vietnam intervening in 1979, it is estimated that 1.5 million to two million Cambodians were either killed, died by starvation, or had diseases that were left untreated, during the years of 1975 to 1979. Many of these people were left homeless and with out families. Many of the surviving Cambodians departed to Thailand to border camps.

When the survivors were allowed to return back to their homes, there was nothing left. Many of the homes had burned down, as well as many bodies left there for everyone to see. There did not seem to be much hope for many of the Cambodians in staying in Cambodia, so many of them left the country.

It is estimated that the number of Cambodian survivors that came to the United States between 1975 to 1985, was 147,120. Many Cambodian refugees that came to the United States came through such organizations as the Red Cross, or other relief organizations. Many were sponsored by families that helped these refugees adjust to the American culture.

The American culture was very different to what the Cambodians were used to. For example, when Pu Ma, a refugee, was traveling to the United States, she did not eat anything for two days, because she was not sure what the American food being served was, or how to eat it.

The killing fields changed many lives for the victims. Pran lost his father, mother, and all of his siblings, except for his sister. Heng’s family was separated. His mom, and some of his brothers first came to Arizona, and later settling in the Los Angeles area, while some of his siblings went to Australia. Heng did not see his siblings that were in Australia, until he was in his early twenties.

While the Cambodians have survived, many have never forgotten the horror. Pran, among many of the survivors, speaks of continuing nightmares of the abuse that had taken place. Yet while the nightmares still haunt him, Pran still makes a strong effort to reach young students, and educate them on what took place.

Ngor has also made a strong effort to tell his story. However, he was shot in the spring of 1996. Questions have come about as to whether or not it was politically motivated, since he still had money with him at the time of his murder. As of this moment in 1998, the three juries have reached a verdict in the men accused of killing Ngor. All three of the men accused of killing Ngor, were found guilty.

Despite what Pol Pot had done to his own people, many of the survivors have done quite well, considering what they had been through with the Khmer Rouge. Many have gone on to receive college educations, and have become outstanding American citizens. Pran has gone on to work for the New York Times as a photojournalist, and Ngor won an Academy Award, for his role as Pran in The Killing Fields. Sophal Leng Staag and her husband have created a non-profit organization in helping to bring medical and other necessary supplies to Cambodia. Chintana Keo refers to himself as a survivor, and not as a victim.

While the present conditions still look dim for the survivors, there is one positive thing for the killing field survivors. President Clinton’s involvement in helping Cambodia has helped to make things look better. In early 1994, Congress passed legislation, which became know as the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act, that President Clinton signed into law in May of 1994.

The Cambodian Genocide Act, created the United States Department of State with the Office of Cambodian Genocide Investigations, or CGI, which is helping to prepare to bring the Khmer Rouge leaders to world court. Basically, this law is helping the United States to get involved with the Cambodian survivors, in bringing these Khmer Rouge leaders to World Court.

There is also a program at Yale University that is under the direction of Ben Kiernan, titled the Cambodian Genocide Program, or CGP. In 1994, the CGI, as well as the Bureau of East Asia, and the Pacific, and the United States Department of State, granted them $499,000. The purpose of this program is to investigate what took place during the killing fields era, so that the people involved would receive justice. It is also helping with the study of genocide activities.

Also, in April of 1998, President Clinton announced that the United States should be involved in finding the whereabouts of Pol Pot and bringing him to justice before he dies. Journalist Richard Carelli states that President Clinton has "ordered the departments of Defense, State and Justice to prepare strategies to arrest Pol Pot..." At one time, it appeared as if time would be an enormous factor for the United States in finding Pol Pot, since he was in such poor health, and also because there was a fear that his own comrades may kill him. Unfortunately, Pol Pot died in April of 1998 before ever being arrested, and before any of his victims could face him.

The death of Pol Pot has left many Cambodians feeling cheated. Finally after all of these years, it looked as if some closure would take place. By putting him on trial, Pol Pot could have faced what he did. But then how do you make a man face what he feels no remorse for?

While many Cambodians feel cheated, Peter Heng does not. He does not hate Pol Pot, but instead feels sorry for him. He realizes that he is receiving his punishment from God. Heng also believes that had Pol Pot not taken over, he would not be a Christian. When Heng came to the United States, he and his family were sponsored by a Christian family, that eventually led him to Christ.