Mey Makk, Pailin city deputy governor and former secretary of Pol Pot (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)25 March 2008
By Ros Dina
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
61-year-old Mey Makk is the deputy-governor of Pailin in charge of agriculture. He was Pol Pot’s secretary between 1980 and 1991. Contradicting himself, he wishes to be able to tell Pol Pot’s story while refusing to testify at the trial of the former Khmer Rouge leaders which is taking place in Phnom Penh.
Ros Dina (RD): Tell us how you became a Khmer Rouge.
Mek Makk (MM): I entered the Khmer Rouge forces by joining the army to serve King Norodom Sihanouk. It was after the 18 March 1970 coup d’état and the call made by the king for people to join him. The Khmer Rouge was recruiting people to form an army to oppose the Lon Nol forces. I was a radio operator in the province of Takeo until 1973. I was not part of the attack forces. I was only in charge of information communication.
RD: How did you know Pol Pot?
MM: Between 1975 and 1979, I was designated to work in the civil aviation in Pochentong and to take care of radio and information communication regarding plane landing and departure. Pol Pot came often to welcome delegations. He noticed that I worked at the airport and he was interested in me after the defeat to the Vietnamese forces in 1979. I was his secretary between 1980 and 1991. I learned how he lived. I noticed that he changed his attitude a lot between 1980 and 1991, by abandoning power. Following his failure, he became well behaved.
RD: Between 1975 and 1979, did you admire Pol Pot?
MM: I was close to him starting in 1980 only.
RD: How was he between 1980 and 1991?
MM: I noticed that he was very calm. He thought about his failure. He forced himself to try to regain power back. He was planning to make a comeback in 1997.
RD: Did you know that he set up a regime which caused the death of almost 2 million people?
MM: I knew that he held absolute power. I did not know what was happening. I could not leave the airport. I was only doing my work, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here today. I only knew that, thanks to the regime, I ate three meals with five dishes each every day. But my family could not come to see me.
RD: Did you always remain faithful to Pol Pot?
MM: It was a must. By remaining quiet, we survived.
RD: When did you find out that a genocide was taking place?
MM: Between 1975 and 1978, I did not know. I had some doubts between 1976 and 1977, when two of my friends and a third person who were working at the airport were arrested. They asked me to help them. One yelled out: “Take care of my wife.” I did not dare reply to him, I was afraid to be arrested. I learned that there were numerous victims when I fled when the Vietnamese and the Front for the solidarity and rescue of Cambodia arrived. From one village to another, everybody talked about the genocide.
RD: But you rejoined Pol Pot in 1980….
MM: They called us and gave us food to eat. Why shouldn’t I go? We wanted to find out if Pol Pot would continue to be mean or not. If I did not follow him, I would be dead. At the time, there was no “win-win” policy by Hun Sen. But at that time, if Pol Pot were to be a fascist, I wouldn’t be alive.
RD: Did you regret to be one of his faithful lieutenants?
MM: I regret it very much.
RD: Now you live in Pailin, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold. Do you feel that you are a Khmer Rouge still?
MM: No, we regret that we were misled for 20 years.
RD: Nowadays, Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary do not regret anything. What inspire your reaction?
MM: I do not know why they think so. I was not their friend. They were my supervisors. I took notes for Pol Pot, but I was not close to him. Once, I went to the sea with them. They were having fun with their families. They were eating delicious meals. But I had to stay in the car and I did not have anything to eat.
RD: Were you just a simple executor?
MM: I was not an executor, I wrote reports for Pol Pot. If I did not do fast enough, he did not give me enough to eat.
RD: What is your view about the trial which is being set up in Phnom Penh?
MM: This tribunal is positive. It has the agreement from the UN, from Cambodia and from the majority of the population. The $56 million budge is not sufficient. The donor countries must help us in order to provide justice to the victims of the genocidal regime. It will prevent other genocides from happening.
RD: Are you afraid to be arrested next?
MM: No, because I don’t have any blood on my hands. As a secretary, I discussed with Pol Pot so that he abandons communism. Some times, he asked me for my analyses. I told him that if we follow this past, we would sink. After his visit to China in 1981, he changed his attitude. He wished to see the end of the communist party.
RD: What do you want to tell to the families of the victims of the regime?
MM: I am happy that the court was set in place in order to bring peace to the minds. The victims can find peace again. I believe that Cambodia respect the law and the justice.
RD: Are you nostalgic of the Khmer Rouge era?
MM: I have regrets. This fascist and terror regime must not re-appear. When I returned to my village, I lost my father-in-law and my nephews. I was very shocked. I fought between 1970 and 1979 to protect my family. I declared that I was Pol Pot’s assistant because he gave us food to eat. Why others did not do it? They were afraid. But not me, because I want to show the world how Pol Pot was.
RD: Are you ready to testify in his trial?
MM: No, I don’t think so.
Ros Dina (RD): Tell us how you became a Khmer Rouge.
Mek Makk (MM): I entered the Khmer Rouge forces by joining the army to serve King Norodom Sihanouk. It was after the 18 March 1970 coup d’état and the call made by the king for people to join him. The Khmer Rouge was recruiting people to form an army to oppose the Lon Nol forces. I was a radio operator in the province of Takeo until 1973. I was not part of the attack forces. I was only in charge of information communication.
RD: How did you know Pol Pot?
MM: Between 1975 and 1979, I was designated to work in the civil aviation in Pochentong and to take care of radio and information communication regarding plane landing and departure. Pol Pot came often to welcome delegations. He noticed that I worked at the airport and he was interested in me after the defeat to the Vietnamese forces in 1979. I was his secretary between 1980 and 1991. I learned how he lived. I noticed that he changed his attitude a lot between 1980 and 1991, by abandoning power. Following his failure, he became well behaved.
RD: Between 1975 and 1979, did you admire Pol Pot?
MM: I was close to him starting in 1980 only.
RD: How was he between 1980 and 1991?
MM: I noticed that he was very calm. He thought about his failure. He forced himself to try to regain power back. He was planning to make a comeback in 1997.
RD: Did you know that he set up a regime which caused the death of almost 2 million people?
MM: I knew that he held absolute power. I did not know what was happening. I could not leave the airport. I was only doing my work, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here today. I only knew that, thanks to the regime, I ate three meals with five dishes each every day. But my family could not come to see me.
RD: Did you always remain faithful to Pol Pot?
MM: It was a must. By remaining quiet, we survived.
RD: When did you find out that a genocide was taking place?
MM: Between 1975 and 1978, I did not know. I had some doubts between 1976 and 1977, when two of my friends and a third person who were working at the airport were arrested. They asked me to help them. One yelled out: “Take care of my wife.” I did not dare reply to him, I was afraid to be arrested. I learned that there were numerous victims when I fled when the Vietnamese and the Front for the solidarity and rescue of Cambodia arrived. From one village to another, everybody talked about the genocide.
RD: But you rejoined Pol Pot in 1980….
MM: They called us and gave us food to eat. Why shouldn’t I go? We wanted to find out if Pol Pot would continue to be mean or not. If I did not follow him, I would be dead. At the time, there was no “win-win” policy by Hun Sen. But at that time, if Pol Pot were to be a fascist, I wouldn’t be alive.
RD: Did you regret to be one of his faithful lieutenants?
MM: I regret it very much.
RD: Now you live in Pailin, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold. Do you feel that you are a Khmer Rouge still?
MM: No, we regret that we were misled for 20 years.
RD: Nowadays, Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary do not regret anything. What inspire your reaction?
MM: I do not know why they think so. I was not their friend. They were my supervisors. I took notes for Pol Pot, but I was not close to him. Once, I went to the sea with them. They were having fun with their families. They were eating delicious meals. But I had to stay in the car and I did not have anything to eat.
RD: Were you just a simple executor?
MM: I was not an executor, I wrote reports for Pol Pot. If I did not do fast enough, he did not give me enough to eat.
RD: What is your view about the trial which is being set up in Phnom Penh?
MM: This tribunal is positive. It has the agreement from the UN, from Cambodia and from the majority of the population. The $56 million budge is not sufficient. The donor countries must help us in order to provide justice to the victims of the genocidal regime. It will prevent other genocides from happening.
RD: Are you afraid to be arrested next?
MM: No, because I don’t have any blood on my hands. As a secretary, I discussed with Pol Pot so that he abandons communism. Some times, he asked me for my analyses. I told him that if we follow this past, we would sink. After his visit to China in 1981, he changed his attitude. He wished to see the end of the communist party.
RD: What do you want to tell to the families of the victims of the regime?
MM: I am happy that the court was set in place in order to bring peace to the minds. The victims can find peace again. I believe that Cambodia respect the law and the justice.
RD: Are you nostalgic of the Khmer Rouge era?
MM: I have regrets. This fascist and terror regime must not re-appear. When I returned to my village, I lost my father-in-law and my nephews. I was very shocked. I fought between 1970 and 1979 to protect my family. I declared that I was Pol Pot’s assistant because he gave us food to eat. Why others did not do it? They were afraid. But not me, because I want to show the world how Pol Pot was.
RD: Are you ready to testify in his trial?
MM: No, I don’t think so.
3 comments:
This man is a liar. If polpot found out that he is a Sihanoukist he will be killed immediately.So no ,he was and still is a khmer rouge in his blood for sure.He and HUN SEN are the same, they both proclaimed that they were heed the call from traitor Sihanouk.
Any fool can condition any human to behave with food and not just human and they can do it with animal too such as rescue dog, circus animals, pet...
Mey Makk always afraid of not having enough to eat from day to day and beside he won't get a fair trial anyway for associating with Pol Pot! At the age of 61, this man doesn't need to attract any more attention to oneself and he needs to move on with his life and for 20 years he was misled which is a suffering in his mind already!
Human had been known to kill other human over food or even eat other human for food!
After reading the interview, May Makk may not tell everything, but he showed some truth of his words. He admitted the KR mistakes.
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