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| Him Huy, 54, a former Khmer Rouge soldier. (Photo: by Chun Sakada) |
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Tuesday, 19 April 2011
“Heavy weapons and light weapons both were used by Khmer Rouge in the attack.”
On April 17, 1975, Him Huy, an 18-year-old soldier within the Khmer Rouge revolution, found himself on Road 24, passing Kandal province’s Sa’ang district as part of a concerted attack on the capital, Phnom Penh.
“That day, all units and divisions came from every side into Phnom Penh,” Him Huy told “Hello VOA” Monday, recalling the day 36 years later. “Heavy weapons and light weapons both were used by Khmer Rouge in the attack.”
By the end of the day, the city had fallen to the revolution, and Year Zero had begun. Him Huy, who led a group of 12 soldiers into the city for the attack, would find himself assigned to a former high school the Khmer Rouge turned into a prison, S-21, or Tuol Sleng.
More than 12,000 people were tortured there and sent for execution at the nearby killing field of Cheoung Ek. Last year the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal sentenced Duch, Him Huy’s supervisor, to a commuted 19 years in prison for crimes committed at the prison.
Now 54, Him Huy said Monday he had been recruited as a young man the year before the capital fell. He had joined, he said, to overthrow the US-backed regime of Marshall Lon Nol and to put Norodom Sihanouk back on the throne.
“Back then, people loved the king,” he said.
He’d rejoiced at the fall of Phnom Penh, he said.
“We knew that there would be no more war, and that we would not be killed,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t know it had turned into a communist regime.”
The Khmer Rouge emptied the city, frightening residents by saying the US bombers were coming. “This is all that I knew,” he said.
In 1976 Him Huy was instated at the head of security guards at S-21, he said. He led arrests of “enemies” of the regime, he said, but it was Duch, or Kaing Kek Iev, who ordered their torture.
By that measure, he said, Duch deserved imprisonment of up to 40 years, with no deduction.
7 comments:
pourk a chhker york vea teouv vay chol oy os.
tuk min chrânegn , york cheng min khat.
the criminal KR !
les criminels KR !
pourk a kheat kâr !
Most Cambodian that involve in politic as politicians in Cambodia because they are try to get better position in government and plus better chance of corruption to gain millions of US dollars. That is the only one purpose of most politicians in Cambodia.
They don't care about The Cambodian people, The Khmer Nation as much as they care about their luxurious cars, big modern villas, millions $US deposited in the banks, Sex with teenagers.
If they just put their mind to build Cambodia. The Cambodia will be like Singapore right now or even better Country and Nation.
Innocent Cambodian people die to serve politic but the politicians are the only group get happiness at the end. Is it true through Cambodia history?
Examples:
Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Funcinpec Party, from 1979 to 1993, how many Khmer lives were dying or lost their limbs because of they believe in Dr. Prince Norodom Ranariddh and his Funcinpec Party. They were carry guns, bombs to fight with Vietnam. They don’t even have salary or proper foods. They were fighting because they believe they would have better chance to have better future as they promised them during they were using them as tool to gain power in serve their politic goal.
As they won the election 1993, Funcinpec Party and the party leaders slowly forget them and their suffering in severing Ranariddh and Funcinpec politics goal and purposes. They (disable veterans of war) lived like animals bag people for money on the street but the majority of top Funcinpec Party are living in Luxury lifestyle practice their European lifestyle and their Royal lifestyle. The disable veterans that were serve them before can’t even meet them ask for their charity because they simply have forgotten and order their bodyguard push them away like animals.
1997 Thousand of Khmer lives again were dying for serving Ranariddh and Funcinpec Party leaders but they have been simply forgotten by Dr. Ranariddh and Funcinpec Party again and again. They were dying for the sake of serving politic lead by the politicians as mention above.
So the question is “Are you Khmer people willing to die for they can be rich and famous and you be forgotten?”
Not all from You, the question will be raised: Did you hear or know MR Hun Sen during that time? Who was he?
VOA should ask Him Huy, did he know what is he fighting for?? Or did he just fellow the poverty crowd from the country side?
The low Khmer Rouge officials knew
nothing what happened in Cambodia.
Him Huy told the truth;even the new
people did not know what went on at
that time.
The Khmer Rouge set up two:the old
class and the new class people.
The Khmer Rouge fighters in the
countryside called old class people
and the people who lived in town
called new class people.
Both of them listened to ANGKA order(high officials)what to do
how to do without arguing,no talking back .
stupid KR. You are killing your own Khmer people. yall should killed all the Royal. They are the bad one for the country.
3:14AM, your suggestion of wholesale slaughter of "the Royal" is not at all different from the KR's evil work.
They're bad because you say so? Where's your sense of justice?
Look at yourself in the mirror before calling the KR stupid because you sound like one.
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