Chea Marie, a Cambodian American living in Arlington, Virginia.By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Virginia
03 June 2009
Some nights, Chea Marie finds herself running from the black-clad Khmer Rouge guerrillas who have come to torture her. She runs and keeps on running until she wakes up. More than 30 years after the collapse of the regime, these nightmares continue to haunt her, even though she has moved to the US.
“I look everywhere to see where I am now. Am I in Pot Pot’s time or in America?” she told VOA Khmer at a recent gathering of regime victims, in Virginia.
Chea Marie’s father was burned alive in a brick kiln. Her mother and her seven siblings were all killed under the regime. Now, like others who met last week in Arlington, Va., Chea Marie has filed suit as a civil party in upcoming Khmer Rouge trials under the UN-backed tribunal in Phnom Penh.
Chea Marie filed her case during a gathering organized by the Applied Social Research Institute of Cambodia and Cambodian American for Human Rights and Democracy this weekend in Arlington, Va.
According to research by Nou Leakhena, a sociology professor at the Long Beach University, nightmares often follow victims of the Khmer Rouge, a symptom of the trauma that has eroded trust in Cambodian communities at home and abroad.
“I don’t trust others, not even my friends, and, honestly speaking, not even my own husband,” Chea Marie said. “I always think all people are bad.”
Most of the victims do not speak out about the tragedy and continue to bear their sufferings silently.
Mam Somethea, who was seven years old when the Khmer Rouge rose to power, was forced to work like an adult. He witnessed torture and killings in his area. More than 30 years later, Mam Somethea never talks about it and the Arlington gathering was his first time to speak out.
“They would accuse someone of a crime without concrete evidence and started torturing until the accused was dead in front of the whole community, to establish an example,” Mam Somethea said.
Mam Somethea, whose mother and two sisters died, has now also filed as a civil party in the tribunal.
The Applied Social Research Institute has so far received 35 complaints, including three civil party cases.
The third to file a civil party case was Neou Sarem, a staff member at Voice of America who was imprisoned in one of Khmer Rouge correction camps after she returned to Cambodia from a study in France. She also filed as a witness.
Efforts to collect more complaints are underway before a January 2010 deadline, despite some difficulties.
“They are afraid that the [Cambodian] government will do them harm,” Nou Lekhena said. “They are afraid that the government will abuse their rights and harass their relatives in Cambodia. They are afraid that they will not be allowed to go back to Cambodia.”
The Khmer Rouge tribunal is currently trying the former director of Tuol Sleng prison, Kaing Kek Eav, or Duch. The subsequent case, which involves Noun Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith, is still open for complaints.
“I look everywhere to see where I am now. Am I in Pot Pot’s time or in America?” she told VOA Khmer at a recent gathering of regime victims, in Virginia.
Chea Marie’s father was burned alive in a brick kiln. Her mother and her seven siblings were all killed under the regime. Now, like others who met last week in Arlington, Va., Chea Marie has filed suit as a civil party in upcoming Khmer Rouge trials under the UN-backed tribunal in Phnom Penh.
Chea Marie filed her case during a gathering organized by the Applied Social Research Institute of Cambodia and Cambodian American for Human Rights and Democracy this weekend in Arlington, Va.
According to research by Nou Leakhena, a sociology professor at the Long Beach University, nightmares often follow victims of the Khmer Rouge, a symptom of the trauma that has eroded trust in Cambodian communities at home and abroad.
“I don’t trust others, not even my friends, and, honestly speaking, not even my own husband,” Chea Marie said. “I always think all people are bad.”
Most of the victims do not speak out about the tragedy and continue to bear their sufferings silently.
Mam Somethea, who was seven years old when the Khmer Rouge rose to power, was forced to work like an adult. He witnessed torture and killings in his area. More than 30 years later, Mam Somethea never talks about it and the Arlington gathering was his first time to speak out.
“They would accuse someone of a crime without concrete evidence and started torturing until the accused was dead in front of the whole community, to establish an example,” Mam Somethea said.
Mam Somethea, whose mother and two sisters died, has now also filed as a civil party in the tribunal.
The Applied Social Research Institute has so far received 35 complaints, including three civil party cases.
The third to file a civil party case was Neou Sarem, a staff member at Voice of America who was imprisoned in one of Khmer Rouge correction camps after she returned to Cambodia from a study in France. She also filed as a witness.
Efforts to collect more complaints are underway before a January 2010 deadline, despite some difficulties.
“They are afraid that the [Cambodian] government will do them harm,” Nou Lekhena said. “They are afraid that the government will abuse their rights and harass their relatives in Cambodia. They are afraid that they will not be allowed to go back to Cambodia.”
The Khmer Rouge tribunal is currently trying the former director of Tuol Sleng prison, Kaing Kek Eav, or Duch. The subsequent case, which involves Noun Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith, is still open for complaints.
8 comments:
Good idea, we might also seek justice and compensations from the US Army & Government for the lost of our relatives and families members by the US-bombs in Cambodia from 1970 until 1975.
Hey 4:00 PM,
Why the U.S did the bombing? Wasn't it because of the North and the South Yuon fighting each other and Sihanouk's involvement in that?
SEND YOUR BILLS to that freaking SIHANOUK or better yet put that freaking SIHANOUK on trial...
That's fair, don't you think smart ass???
The reality the bombs were from the US Air Forces.
i was living in pot pot regime and now living in usa. i am 45 year olds and still have nightmare about that regime. sometimes i woke up sweat and wonderin where i was. when i felt my bed and know that i was in my bed i was relief.
Back to not smart azz 6:59PM.
Why did Sihanouk go to China and had Lon Nol joined the US? Because the US and its allies UK, Thailand, SV and NV refused to accept Cambodia neutrality proposal. With Stalin billion USD instructed to take Cambodia and Laos at all cost Communist allies determined to take Cambodia and Laos. If Sihanouk fully joined with the US, the Viet sleeping army
will react from inside Cambodia, supported by China and Soviet. Lon Nol did not kill all of them just a small percent of it. Every secret Lon Nol started the VN knew beforehand. Guess who're among Cambodians?
You are too pro to one side you cannot see the other side. I am more toward the US but its policy failed in Cambodia because of Cambodia is not Thailand or S. Korea as the US and UK said she was not. Cambodia is always a pawn of the superpower to fight no matter what.
Why did US and Communist care about Cambodia if the US has its own grand base in Utapo, Thailand and the Communist had tri-joint-army VN, China and Soviet and eventually they will beat up each other on Cambodia anyway. And how many million more will die than this? It could be almost a whole nation just one hydrogen bomb.
The problem in Cambodia was that the US knew she was fully infiltrated by the VN mostly in countryside, and those million people believed in Maoist long times ago since before French defeated.
No matter which side Cambodia joined with, she will be always a victim of the war between Communist and Capitalist, and because VN prepared its strategy to take Cambodia since in 1900. With or without Sihanouk helped VN still won the war. Because of Soviet, China, Cuba, N. Korea would help VN to win the fight.
Guess who bombed Cambodia, you may be surprised some were Thai-US royal Pilots.
Talk is cheap until you dig up more you will see Cambodia always remains a pawn of the superpower fight. I can bet if the 3rd WWIII breaks out, Cambodia will be a battle field.
The only thing that may save Cambodia is its people need to be like Israel.
Politics is not easy. It takes a lot of sacrifices to bear pain and fight for what is best to survive.
The question is: can the US win the war in Vietnam without the helps from Cambodia?
Before anyone answers please study the internal problems in the US, American people protested all over in the country, problems between the leaders in the US in regard to Vietnam war.
American people believed that War in Vietnam was the wrong WAR, and what if the US pulled out, what will happen to Cambodia????
Cambodia had major problems, she is small with less population, and poverty started since Jayavaraman 8 (not 7) the national treasure has been declined and the nation became weak.
Khmers lost the country to Siam and Youn, until King Ang Doung came, she was freed and got back two provinces.
Then the new problem came, it was Communism and Capitalism.
The problems today carried from the past.
Btw: One thing I knew about is Vietnam lost about nearly 8% of its population, but Vietnam's strategy was cleaver, rather she announced only more than a million, and its people stayed calm and moved on in spite of thousand years sufferings. They continue to rebuild their country while Cambodians never stopped fighting each others for this lost, and look what happens to them? They are falling behind the world.
Now I understand why Cambodians are well known as the stupid people on earth. I am Cambodian and I am sad to hear this.
Hey 11:53 PM,
This one for you,
Whiskey Tango 560065...
You know what it means, right Ass hole? Quit bullshitting and don't ever pretend to know about abything you don't know, got it you jack ass?
Ramrod 01
Ramrod 01,
Dropped too many thousand bombs on a small nation like Cambodia then said it was the punishment for helping Viets is absurbed.
The US (Pentagon) even said Cambodia is small and weak, her neighbors can just walk in and out any time they please. With or without Cambodia helped they'd still invite themselves in or even kill Cambodian any time.
The US didn't have to beat up a weak child while he is being beatned and abused by her neighbors for 600 years.
The US and China and Soviet should pay the damage before holocaust (US and Soviet) and after (China and Vietnam). These four should stand trial for war crimes.
http://billfields.tripod.com/utapao/
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