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| Police examine remains found in a suspected Khmer Rouge mass grave discovered in Siem Reap’s Kralanh district yesterday. |
DO DONTREI, Cambodia (AP) — Crowds of people traveled to a rural village in northwestern Cambodia on Tuesday after the discovery of what could be a Khmer Rouge mass grave. Some came to search for the remains of relatives.
Among them was 56-year-old Muoth Sam Khan, who believes eight of his relatives could have been killed and buried at the site, near a former Khmer Rouge prison.
"I have tried not to think about this for 30 years, but when I heard they had found bodies, I had to come," said Muoth Sam Khan, who lives in a nearby village.
An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians — about one in five people in the small Southeast Asian country — died of torture, starvation, medical neglect, hard labor and execution during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule. The regime ran nearly 200 prisons where inmates were tortured before being killed.
On Saturday, villagers discovered about 20 skulls and the remnants of skeletons — some with legs bound by rope — while excavating the ground in an attempt to sell the land. Historians and researchers say there could be thousands of bodies buried in the area, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) from Siem Reap, the site of Cambodia's famed Angkor temples.
Digging crews are expected to begin work after a Buddhist ceremony planned for later this week, said Chheng Theng, the village chief. He said hundreds of people have come to the site each day since the bones were unearthed over the weekend.
The Documentation Center of Cambodia, which collects evidence about Khmer Rouge atrocities, identified the area in 1998 as having several mass graves based on interviews with hundreds of villagers but it was never excavated, said Youk Chhang, its director.
An estimated 35,000 people died at this particular prison, he said. The prison was located between two villages, Do Dontrei and Thkov.
Muoth Sam Khan said eight of his family members were secretly eating some chicken soup one night in 1977 when Khmer Rouge officials stormed in. A few days later all eight were arrested, imprisoned and later killed, he said. The Khmer Rouge banned private meals as part of its effort to transform the country into a communist agrarian utopia. Common eating areas were set up where people had to eat the meager meals provided.
"My wife and I don't know if these skulls and bones are my family but we wanted to come and pay our respects," he said.
Associated Press writer Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh contributed to this report.
11 comments:
To those who had lived during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Concerning the Khmer Rouge era that you are still interested and seem not to forget the past, let focus on the living situation at present day in our country, I don’t where you live now. Can you compare by living in the Khmer Rouge regime and now, which living society is the better sharp? Lets’ start at the present day, we are facing problems such as land grabbing, hit and run, argument, killing each other, rubbing, stabbing, no admiration, no respecting to the law and everyone want to be superior. In Khmer Rouge regime, did you encounter the problems as I mention above? Absolutely not my friend, we had had people work in order for the living, the killing field was another issue, because they were crime against Angka, the starvation, sick are part of life. Do you think now no body get kill, sick like when you were living in Khmer Rouge regime? Thus, there’s not thing new, it is part of life, we all will died someday base on God. I am so sick and tire when I heard the people complaining about Khmer Rouge business.
former Khmer Rouge soldier
As a cop, I already wen there yesterday and saw the grave...well it was part of life, my friend. We all will daid someday. It is past, we all should look into the future.
former KR soldier
To both former KR above,
You both look only to the future, this sounds very good but the future has a lot of ways, i.e. some way can bring your country like Syria under Assad today or the other can push Cambodia into the slave of foreigners.
To lead the own country without thinking the background in the past, it means that you buil the house without the fundament. For I can tell you, the European politicians before they do somethings deal with their national interest, they think minimum + and - 100 years. That is why their countries are stable till now. That is the fact.
to ex Khmer Rouge:
Only dumb people will believe you and your dumb Khmer rouge politic.
You said "No land grabbing during Khmer Rouge"? don't lie this to me. Angkar robbed all from people and kill all and everybody know that.
Hun Sen regime is bad and they took some and kill some but AngKar took all and kill all. And you said this is better, no way.
To former Khmer Rouge soldier:
Youn do many bad thing on Cambodia but at least they did one right thing: they put your dumb Khmer Rouge in the jungle, the place you deserve.
To former Khmer Rouge soldier:
From Khmer rouge point of view, we don't have right to learn Khmer, English,... and even use computer. And now what the hell are you doing here, why don't you go to live in the jungle or work at your rice field?
fuck you, dumb Khmer rough ass
Hope atleast these authority knows their boss is a former khmer rouge , and now a communist vietcong.
The dumb former Khmer Rouge soldier does not know the difference between you are evicted now and you were forced to leave your houses forever and never came back on April 17th 1975.
Hah...ha...some of you here made me laught. you didn't seem to understand my point of view. You did not answer my questions. I just want you to compare the living society now and then, you didn't seem to be bother to provide me your idea, and complaining, hate Khmer Rouge. I get a laptop and I can the review and response to you as quickly as possible. Com'm pal!.
former KR soldier
Ah Khmer Grawharm, are you responsible for this mass grave, since you lived within the vicinity?
Answer my question, ah lop!!!
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