In June 2020, Anlong Veng Peace Center has already collected 11 photographs from three different families in Anlong Veng district and attempts to achieve its set goals to organize Women’s Rights forum and Community forum this weekend and to wrap up a Classroom forum at the end of the month.
Classroom Forum. Since the very first week of June, three of our team members: Sout Vechet, Mek Ven and Hean Pisey have made a smooth coordination with a history teacher of Anlong Veng High School and the director of Trapeang Tav High School to create an online study group that comprised of 76 students from the two schools. This online group was created while all schools were instructed to close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anlong Veng Peace Center’s first-ever online forum on a history of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) was conducted in a month-long timespan to engage the students and history teachers from two high schools in Anlong Veng district from June 11-30, 2020. It is intended to increase the knowledge of this history, to present them the definition of genocide and a preventive measure at individual, community and country levels, and also to generate an online debate on these topics in time of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Full report is coming up after the forum planned for June 30th)
Community Forum. The Anlong Veng Peace Center team plans to organize a community forum with 15 villagers in Tuol Sala village, Anlong Veng district, on June 27th. As usual, the forum is also intended to stayed connected and engaged with the villagers to raise a wider awareness about the history of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979), the phasing-out legal proceeding against senior Khmer Rouge (KR) leaders at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), widely called the KR tribunal, and the challenges the villagers encountered and wished to let their voices heard locally and nationally. This month, the team plans for the presence of fifteen villagers.
Women Rights Forum. The Anlong Veng Peace Center team has coordinated with local authority and villagers to conduct a Women Rights Forum with 15 villagers in Tuol Kruos village, Anlong Veng district. It will be organized on June 28th as part of an overall goal to reactivate and acknowledge their women’s life experiences through genocide and war, to uphold their rights and to strengthen their capacity for any leadership roles in their locality. The participants will receive a bunch of DC-Cam publications such as “A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)”, “Searching for the Truth” magazine, “A History of Anlong Veng Community: The Final Stronghold of the Khmer Rouge Movement—Guidebook for Tour Guide,” a Covid-19 poster, which constantly helped remind the public of the need to wash their hands and to be careful about the deadly virus. Fifteen villagers are expected to join the forum.
By: Ly Sok-Kheang with Sout Vechet, Mek Ven and Hean Pisey June 2020
នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៧៩ ខ្ញុំបានផ្លាស់នៅក្នុងខេត្ដកំពង់ធំ នៅពេលដែលកងទ័ពរណសិរ្សសាមគ្គីសង្រ្គោះជាតិកម្ពុជា និងកងទ័ពស្ម័គ្រចិត្ដវៀតណាមផ្តួលរំលំរបបខ្មែរក្រហម។ នៅពាក់កណ្ដាលទសវត្សរ៍ឆ្នាំ១៩៨០ ខ្ញុំបានធ្វើដំណើរជាមួយប្រជាជនច្រើននាក់ផ្សេងទៀតមកកាន់តំបន់អន្លង់វែង។ បន្ទាប់មក យើងបានផ្លាស់ទៅរស់នៅវាលដងទង់ក្នុងឆ្នាំ១៩៨៨ និងជំរំអូរត្រាវក្នុងឆ្នាំ១៩៨៩។ យើងបានរស់នៅក្នុងកម្រិតមួយប្រសើរឡើងវិញនៅទីនោះ។ មានរឿងរ៉ាវជាច្រើនទៀតដែលខ្ញុំបានភ្លេចភ្លាំងទៅតាមវ័យចាស់ជរា។ ខ្ញុំសោកស្ដាយនូវការបែកបាក់ក្រុមគ្រួសារជាទីស្រឡាញ់របស់ខ្ញុំ និងការចាកឆ្ងាយពីស្រុកកំណើត។
Kim Sry (Den), 60 years old, was born in Kang Meas district, Kampong Cham province. Sry recalled his experiences through the Khmer Rouge (KR) regime (1975-1979): “In 1975 I joined the KR revolution. At that time, I was assigned to carry those who injured at the battlefields. A year later, the KR sent me to a mibile unit in Kampong Cham province to build dams and to plant rice. Our lives at that time were extremely hard and we did not have any personal belongings. Each month, our unit was required to move back and forth between Kampong Cham province and some districts in Kampong Thom province. Our daily food was morning glory. Between 1977 and 1979 the KR sent me to an art performance group. We were trained to sing and perform. This form of arts was to remind the people to work hard on the rice fields.
I moved to Kampong Thom province in 1979 when the army of Kampuchean National Salvation along with the Vietnamese army overthrew the KR.
In mid-1980 I joined other people in moving to Anlong Veng. Then, I came to live in Veal Dangtung in 1988 and, later on, O-Trav camp in 1989. We could have better living conditions over there. I forgot so many things as I am getting old. I feel regret for being separated from my lovely family and being away from my homeland.”
ដុំ ស្មី កើតនៅឆ្នាំ១៩៦៦ ក្នុងស្រុកជីក្រែង ខេត្ដសៀមរាប។ ស្មី បានរៀបរាប់ពីប្រវតិ្តរឿងរ៉ាវដែលបានជំរុញឲ្យគាត់មកដល់អន្លង់វែងថា ៖ «កាលពីឆ្នាំ១៩៨២ ខ្ញុំបានធ្វើដំណើរមកតំបន់អន្លង់វែង ពីព្រោះនៅពេលនោះ កងទ័ពវៀតណាមបានចូលមកកាន់ភូមិដែលយើងរស់នៅ។ នៅចន្លោះឆ្នាំ១៩៨៣និង១៩៨៤ ខ្ញុំបានធ្វើជាកងដឹកជញ្ជូនរបស់ខ្មែរក្រហមនៅតំបន់អន្លង់វែង និងនៅលើខ្នងភ្នំដងរ៉ែក។ ជីវិតក្នុងកងដឹកជញ្ជូនគឺមានការលំបាកច្រើន ប៉ុន្ដែខ្ញុំនៅតែអាចទ្រាំទ្របាន។ ខ្ញុំពេញចិត្ដនឹងការដឹកជញ្ជូននេះ ព្រោះយើងអាចធ្វើដំណើរចល័តចុះឡើង និងទទួលបានការជួយឧបត្ថម្ភពីតាម៉ុក។ ចាប់ពីចុងឆ្នាំ១៩៨៤ ដល់ឆ្នាំ១៩៨៨ ខ្មែរក្រហមបានបញ្ចូនខ្ញុំឲ្យបម្រើការងារនៅក្នុងកងនារីពេទ្យ នៅជំរំដំកង់ ឬភូមិដំកង់។ ខ្ញុំ និងប្ដីរបស់ខ្ញុំក៏បានរៀបការនៅទីនោះដែរ។ នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៨៩ ខ្ញុំបានធ្វើដំណើរចុះពីលើភ្នំដងរែក ជាមួយប្រជាជនច្រើននាក់ផ្សេងទៀតមកកាន់តំបន់អន្លង់វែង។ យើងបានធ្វើស្រែចម្ការដើម្បីចិញ្ចឹមជីវិត អស់រយៈពេលជិតបួនឆ្នាំ។ នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៩៣ យើងបានរត់ទៅរស់នៅត្រង់ម្ដុំជើងភ្នំដងរ៉ែក និងភូមិស្រះឈូក។ ក្រោយមក យើងបានមករស់នៅត្រង់ភូមិអូរគគី នៃស្រុកអន្លង់វែង។ នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៩៨ យើងបាននាំគ្នាទៅរស់នៅក្នុងជំរំភូណយ និងត្រឡប់ចុះមកវិញក្នុងនៅពេលសមាហរណកម្មរួបរួមជាតិក្នុងឆ្នាំដដែល។ ខ្ញុំគិតថា បច្ចុប្បន្ន ស្រុកភូមិយើងមានសុខសន្ដិភាពហើយ។ យើងខ្លួនឯងត្រូវខិតខំស្វះស្វែងរកជីវភាពរស់នៅឲ្យល្អប្រសើរ ជាងពេលដែលយើងនៅតស៊ូក្នុងព្រៃ។
Dom Smey was born in Chikreng district, Siem Reap province, in 1966. Smey described why she ended up living in Anlong Veng: “In 1982 I left for Anlong Veng as the Vietnamese army entered my village. Between 1983 and 1984 I joined a Khmer Rouge transportation unit working both in Anlong Veng and on top of Dangrek mountain. Life in the unit was very hard but I could endure it. I was content with the work because it kept me moving and was supported by Ta Mok. From late 1984 to 1988, the KR sent me to work as a female medic in Dom Kang camp or Dom Kang village. I got married over there. In 1989, I and other people left the Dangrek mountain for Anlong Veng. We lived our lives by doing farms for about four years. In 1993, we fled for areas at the foot of Dangrek mountain and Srah Chhouk village. We then come back here in O-Korki village, Anlong Veng district. In 1998, we left this village again for Phou Nay camp and then returned. Currently, we enjoy peace and strive to make a living that is much better than in the jungle.
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 សឿប អាយុ៥៨ឆ្នាំ នៅភូមិជើងភ្នំ ឃុំត្រពាំងប្រិយ៍ ស្រុកអន្លង់វែង បាននិយាយថា៖ «មុនដំបូង ខ្ញុំចូលបម្រើបដិវត្តន៍ខ្មែរក្រហម ដោយសារតែគ្មានជម្រើសផង និងក៏ជឿជាក់លើចលនានេះផង។ ប៉ុន្តែ អ្វីដែលខ្ញុំបានលះបង់កន្លងមក វាដូចជាគ្មានផលចំណេញអ្វីទេ។ ខ្ញុំជួបប្រទះតែទុក្ខវេទនា ស៊ីអត់ស៊ីឃ្លាន។ ខ្ញុំត្រូវតស៊ូនឹងសត្រូវគ្រប់ពេលវេលា។ ក្រុមគ្រួសារក៏មិនសូវបាននៅជុំគ្នា។ បើតាមខ្ញុំដឹង សូម្បីសង្គមជាតិនិងសហគមន៍ ក៏មិនបានទទួលផលចំណេញអ្វីដែរ មានតែការបាត់បង់មួយមុខគត់។ ការលះបង់របស់ខ្ញុំនៅក្នុងការតស៊ូ មិនបានផ្តល់ជាបទពិសោធន៍ធំដំទេ។ តែទោះយ៉ាងណា សម័យកាលនោះបង្រៀនខ្ញុំខ្លះពីបទពិសោធន៍ក្នុងការតទល់នឹងសត្រូវ និងបង្រៀនឲ្យយើងចេះតស៊ូអំណត់ក្នុងការធ្វើសឹកសង្គ្រាម។ រូបថតមួយសន្លឹកនេះមានអត្ថន័យខ្លាំង ព្រោះវាជាលើកទី មួយហើយសម្រាប់ខ្ញុំនិងក្រុមគ្រួសារ។ យើងមានឳកាសទៅលេងស្រុកកំណើតនៅស្រុកក្រឡាញ់ ខេត្តសៀមរាប បន្ទាប់ពីខ្មែរក្រហមធ្វើសមាហរណកម្មចូលក្នុងរាជរដ្ឋាភិបាលវិញ នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៩៨។ យើងបានថតរូបជុំក្រុមគ្រួសារនៅខាងមុខប្រាសាទទៀតផង។ Khlei Soeup, 58 years old, of Chueng Phnom village, Trapeang Prei commune, Anlong Veng district, said: “In the first place, I joined the Khmer Rouge revolution because I both had no alternative and believed in it. But what I sacrificed seemed to have no benefit at all. I experienced so much hardship such as the scarcity of food. I had to fight the war all the time. I occasionally met my family. The struggle provided some life experiences to me, ranging from the fight against the enemy to the patience in waging a war. This photo is very meaningful to me as it was the first time that I and my family were together. We had the opportunity to visit our hometown in Kralanh district, Siem Reap province after the KR reintegrated into the government in 1998. We had a family photo in front of the temple. |
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