Original report from Phnom Penh
28 September 2009
A former child soldier of the Khmer Rouge described on Monday being forced to kill innocent people, saying he still has nightmares about the past.
Arn Chorn Pond, who is now 42, told reporters at a press conference in Phnom Penh he was pressed into service in Battamabang province when he was 11 or 12 years old, a few days after the Vietnamese ousted the Khmer Rouge from Phnom Penh, in January 1979.
Arn Chorn Pond’s testimony was sponsored by Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst, under the German Development Service in Cambodia, which gathered former child soldiers from Cambodia and Liberia to tell their stories.
“They armed us,” he said. “If we hadn’t carried the weapons, we would have been shot.”
Arn Chorn Pond, who now lives in America, said he soldiered for the Khmer Rouge for a year, as it battled Vietnamese-backed soldiers. He was injured, as well, he said. The Khmer Rouge also ordered children to bring the dead to their graves.
The experience made him sad and lonely, he said, and he felt he as not a good person and is plagued by nightmares.
Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, said at least 200 children between the ages of 12 and 17 were forced to fight the Vietnamese. Around 20 girls were also pressed into service, carrying food and supplies.
“A number of Khmer Rouge soldiers were children,” he said.
Arn Chorn Pond was willing to tell his story, but he said he was not very interested in the current trials of former Khmer Rouge leaders under a UN-backed tribunal. He did not know enough about Cambodia’s political situation, he said.
Arn Chorn Pond, who is now 42, told reporters at a press conference in Phnom Penh he was pressed into service in Battamabang province when he was 11 or 12 years old, a few days after the Vietnamese ousted the Khmer Rouge from Phnom Penh, in January 1979.
Arn Chorn Pond’s testimony was sponsored by Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst, under the German Development Service in Cambodia, which gathered former child soldiers from Cambodia and Liberia to tell their stories.
“They armed us,” he said. “If we hadn’t carried the weapons, we would have been shot.”
Arn Chorn Pond, who now lives in America, said he soldiered for the Khmer Rouge for a year, as it battled Vietnamese-backed soldiers. He was injured, as well, he said. The Khmer Rouge also ordered children to bring the dead to their graves.
The experience made him sad and lonely, he said, and he felt he as not a good person and is plagued by nightmares.
Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, said at least 200 children between the ages of 12 and 17 were forced to fight the Vietnamese. Around 20 girls were also pressed into service, carrying food and supplies.
“A number of Khmer Rouge soldiers were children,” he said.
Arn Chorn Pond was willing to tell his story, but he said he was not very interested in the current trials of former Khmer Rouge leaders under a UN-backed tribunal. He did not know enough about Cambodia’s political situation, he said.
11 comments:
Don't belive Arn Chorn Pond. He was just a flute blower or a leave blower!!!
20% of what he said might be true, but from what I experienced, some of young Khmer Rouge like killings. They enjoyed it when they had a chance to kill the innocent, like killing Meas Hok Seng in the Hob commune, about 5kms east of Koas Krolor district. If the victims were beautiful women, the animal Khmer Rouge would rape them first before they killed them ans left them stay naked in the position of being raped. I said all this because I saw those swollen corpses with my own eyes when some other villagers and I were assigned to burry those dead bodies.
Arn Chorn Pond probably the one that raped those women too. He could been forced to do that. I'm totally agreed.
... and order to kill didn't need to be passed down from the Angkar Leu. The commune cadre himself could act as Angkar Leu and excuted the orders.
I bet you Arn Chorn Pond has blood stains on his hands too.
What a weird Cambodian name "Pond".
You fools! they may enjoy of that time because of their inocent and the brainwash!
But they open their eyes now, not like ah KwacK!!!!
You are a real fool who needs to see it to believe.
Why are the hates to this man?
6:41
Some people in here talk out of their ass, instead of their mouth.
Both of you 6:41AM and 8:35AM are equally dumb and blind to what happened ot most of us before you were born. You should sometimes shut up on something that you don't know for sure. Get to the side and keep sucking your fingers. Listening gives you more knowledge about what you don't know. Don't just bark because you want to bark!
10:00
Asshole, I don't need your childish advice. I'll go suck on my fingers, while you come here and suck on my dick.
I've lived through the KR.
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