14-03-2007Source : Rasmei Kampuchea
Unofficial Translation from Khmer by The KR Trial Web Portal
Prasat Sombour, Kompong Thom: Dr. Handa Foundation has donated US$50,000 to assist 500 families of Khmer Rouge victims from Prasat Sambour and Sandan districts. However, it is believed that there are a lot more families of victims in those two districts.
Through the University of Cambodia, Dr. Handa Foundation has apologized for victims’ families who have not received donation.
Sitting in well-organized rows, Aunt Sokar Mith, 58, living in Tuek Vil village, Klaeng commune in Sandan district, told reporters that the Khmer Rouges killed four members of her family one after another in 1977. With sad and forgetful facial expression, she confirmed that four members of her family were killed in 1977 but she did not remember the date of the killings because during the regime she did not know even what the day was and Khmer Rouge cadres used to say, “Don’t believe in those iron or cooper [machines].”
The statement was to stop people from believing in clocks, watches and calendars. During the regime, there was nothing to tell people about the time and date.
She added that her husband was called by the “Angkar” to be re-educated. Her family members lived separately; for example, her husband entered the forest to collect vines and some of her children worked in dam construction sites while other worked in mobile teams. She learnt the killing of her husband from villagers and did not know where her husband was killed. Her husband’s name was Ok Yive. She has lost her husband since that time and has not known whom she should ask for information of her husband. Shortly after that, her younger brother Sao Yoeung was asked by the Angkar to study in Kompong Thom province where he has disappeared until today and what she learnt at that time was that her brother was called for to study.
She went on to say that a year later, a man whose name was Heng Kosal asked the Angkar to marry her to him. She refused to marry Heng Kosal because her attachment to her ex-husband was so strong and her brother was recently killed by the Angkar. However, a number of Khmer Rouge cadres who wanted her to marry a new husband used many threatening words to her until she felt very fearful; as a result, she decided to accept her new husband painfully.
Aunt Soka Mith described, “My new husband and I did not live together because we have to work in different places. He worked in a site far a way from the village whilst I worked in the village. We were husband and wife, but we did not live together.” She further described that then her new husband and her son (with her ex-husband) who were just 18 year-old were held and killed by the Angkar.
While talking about the killings of her new husband and son, she felt uncomfortable and could not speak about it any longer. She continued by saying that since that time, I has felt confused and forgetful. She has profoundly thanked Dr. Handa Foundation for giving her US$ 100 to organize a religious ceremony for the deceased members of her family to make them rest in peace.
(Informal translation)
Extracted from: Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4235, Wednesday March 14, 2007.
Through the University of Cambodia, Dr. Handa Foundation has apologized for victims’ families who have not received donation.
Sitting in well-organized rows, Aunt Sokar Mith, 58, living in Tuek Vil village, Klaeng commune in Sandan district, told reporters that the Khmer Rouges killed four members of her family one after another in 1977. With sad and forgetful facial expression, she confirmed that four members of her family were killed in 1977 but she did not remember the date of the killings because during the regime she did not know even what the day was and Khmer Rouge cadres used to say, “Don’t believe in those iron or cooper [machines].”
The statement was to stop people from believing in clocks, watches and calendars. During the regime, there was nothing to tell people about the time and date.
She added that her husband was called by the “Angkar” to be re-educated. Her family members lived separately; for example, her husband entered the forest to collect vines and some of her children worked in dam construction sites while other worked in mobile teams. She learnt the killing of her husband from villagers and did not know where her husband was killed. Her husband’s name was Ok Yive. She has lost her husband since that time and has not known whom she should ask for information of her husband. Shortly after that, her younger brother Sao Yoeung was asked by the Angkar to study in Kompong Thom province where he has disappeared until today and what she learnt at that time was that her brother was called for to study.
She went on to say that a year later, a man whose name was Heng Kosal asked the Angkar to marry her to him. She refused to marry Heng Kosal because her attachment to her ex-husband was so strong and her brother was recently killed by the Angkar. However, a number of Khmer Rouge cadres who wanted her to marry a new husband used many threatening words to her until she felt very fearful; as a result, she decided to accept her new husband painfully.
Aunt Soka Mith described, “My new husband and I did not live together because we have to work in different places. He worked in a site far a way from the village whilst I worked in the village. We were husband and wife, but we did not live together.” She further described that then her new husband and her son (with her ex-husband) who were just 18 year-old were held and killed by the Angkar.
While talking about the killings of her new husband and son, she felt uncomfortable and could not speak about it any longer. She continued by saying that since that time, I has felt confused and forgetful. She has profoundly thanked Dr. Handa Foundation for giving her US$ 100 to organize a religious ceremony for the deceased members of her family to make them rest in peace.
(Informal translation)
Extracted from: Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4235, Wednesday March 14, 2007.
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