Democratic Kampuchea History from the Villages

by Dy Khamboly

At a Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) public education forum attended by teachers, students and parents, Oam Rim, age 70, was eager to share her experiences during the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) period (1975-1979). Asked if she believes that mass atrocities occurred during the DK regime, Rim said, “Absolutely, because my husband and four children died at that time.” Then she told the participants about her experience—one of many stories of village life that should be documented and used to teach Khmer Rouge (KR) history in Cambodia.

Rim, a disabled widower, lives with her daughter in Wat Phnom village, Kampaeng commune, Kiri Vong district, Takeo province. Her first husband was taken for execution immediately after the KR victory, while she and her four children were evacuated to Romlech commune, Bakan district, Pursat province. In 1976, her two oldest sons were taken to join the army on the front lines near the border and have not been seen since. Her remaining two children, one son and one daughter, continued to live with her in Romlech, working in different units. Then they both fell ill from malnutrition at the same time and died after staying at a KR hospital for one week. Their bodies were carried by cart to the grave as Rim stood by and watched, unable to show any emotion for fear being killed.

After these tragedies, Rim was like a body without soul. Due to her disability, she was allowed to stay in the cooperative and work on light tasks such as raising pigs. Living in the cooperative allowed her to see many crimes. Many Khmer Krom and ethnic Cham Muslim were taken for execution every day. One day Rim saw the hundreds of dead bodies in a pit close to the cooperative. She saw the two killers every day but never dared to look at their faces. The two also raped and executed beautiful young girls evacuated from the Eastern Zone. In late 1977, Rim was forced to remarry in a mass ceremony of ten couples. Although she did not agree with the marriage, she had a daughter with her second husband and lived with him until he died in 2005.

Each village in Cambodia has similar stories, all of which should be documented, preserved and discussed with students. In 2009, Khmer Rouge history was added to the secondary school curriculum and in 2010 it was added to the list of required university courses. My textbook, A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) is now mandatory reading throughout the country. But that alone is inadequate. Survivors’ stories are the raw materials from which KR history will continue to be written and understood by future generations and must also be shared in the classroom.

For almost thirty years, the content of the KR history was dominated by politics and politicization. As a consequence, the younger and older generations have not discussed, much less reached a common understanding of, KR history. Documenting and discussing survivors’ stories prevents political distortions of history. History is no longer a political stand about political regimes and senior leaders, but is the concrete experiences of survivors expressed in their own words.

Hearing stories about what happened in villages like their own will encourage students to connect the content in the KR textbook to their families’ lives. Students will be encouraged to interview their own families—both victims and perpetrators—and uncover memories that will otherwise fade with time. Discussion and debate of village history in the classroom will lead common ground on which understanding and local reconciliation can grow.

Documenting and sharing stories from the villages will help people find a larger truth than can be found in any textbook: the truth of what happened to ordinary individuals throughout the country. These memories must be preserved and shared or the younger generation will never reflect on how their society today came to be. These memories, however horrible, are also part of Cambodia’s cultural heritage. Rim said, “I want my grandchildren and other young Cambodians to learn about killing, rape and other crimes that I witnessed when I was living in Romlech during the KR regime.

Dy Khamboly is the author of 'A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)' and Team Leader of Genocide Education project at the Documentation Center of Cambodia.

For details on the project, visit: http://www.dccam.org/Projects/Genocide/Genocide_Education_Public_Forum.htm

Searching for the Truth.
MEMORY & JUSTICE

“...a society cannot know itself if it does not have an accurate memory of its own history.”

Youk Chhang, Director
Documentation Center of Cambodia
66 Sihanouk Blvd.,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia