The elegantly-clad Khmer Sar soldiers, wearing French soldier-like hats, who are allegedly being anti-Lon Nol and anti-Pol Pot, are seen being prepared for the filming (Photo: Chauk Chey, Koh Santepheap newspaper)
An evacuation scene during the shooting a documentary film, allegedly penned down by King-Father himself (Photo: Chauk Chey, Koh Santepheap newspaper)Click here to view Cartoonist Sacrava's opinion about this film
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Phnom Penh – On 02 January 2008, about 100 people gathered at the Monument of Independence in Phnom Penh city for the filming of a documentary about the evacuation of city dwellers on 17 April 1975. The filming took place all morning long, and it created quite a stir among the travelers when they found out that streets leading to the Monument of Independence were all closed by cops who were providing strict security.
In the early morning of 02 January 2008, about 100 city dwellers were brought in by cars to the Monument of Independence for a preparation to the filming of a documentary, and all the preparations were said to be organized by the royal palace directly. People with bicycles, cyclos, pushing carts, some carrying luggage pieces, hand carriers loaded with cooking pots, including both young and old, and including soldiers as well, were actively participating in the filming which was all planned in advance. Nevertheless, because of the many takes the filming was conducted, it seems that there was no initial preparation at all.
A man from Russei Keo district, Phnom Penh city, claimed that he and more than 100 other people were brought by car to the Monument of Independence to participate in the filming of the documentary, organized by the royal palace about the evacuation of Phnom Penh city dwellers during the period when Pol Pot troops entered the city on 17 April 1975. A man, who declined to provide his name, claimed: “The producer of the film gave me an old bicycle and a big piece of luggage to participate in the filming of this scene.”
The filming included a scene with a group of young and old people, all carrying various objects, who were forced to walk out of the Wat Langka pagoda towards the Monument of Independence. The walking scene was repeated several times. When they reached the Monument of Independence, the marchers were met by a group of soldiers riding 3 Jeep cars who were preventing them from climbing up the Monument of Independence.
The black-clad soldiers, armed with AK-47 rifles, indicated that they were representing the Khmer Sar (White Khmer) group, and in the film, these Khmer Sar soldiers oppose both the Lon Nol and the Pol Pot armies. The Khmer Sar soldiers have the duty of broadcasting their group ideology to the people being evacuated from the city, right prior to the arrival of the Khmer Rouge soldiers.
Reach Sambath, spokesman for the KR Tribunal, said that he did not know about the filming of this documentary, and he also does not know about the meaning of this filming either. He added: “This has nothing to do with the KR Tribunal. I am not providing any comment about it.” Nevertheless, those who were part of the filming crew said that, in the near future, another similar scene will be shot at the Phnom Penh International airport, showing the arrival of returning Cambodian students during the KR regime.
On 02 January 2008, Koh Santepheap could not obtain any clarification from the royal palace officials regarding the shooting of this documentary film, however, an anonymous cameraman said that the story was penned down by former King Norodom Sihanouk himself. When the group of actors playing the role of evacuees were brought to sit on the south side of the Monument of Independence, the group of armed black-clad (Khmer Sar) soldiers forced them to shout and repeat after them: Victory! Victory!
Observers of the documentary shooting indicated that the evacuation of Phnom Penh started at around 2:00 PM on 17 April 1975, following the entrance of the KR soldiers into the city at about 11:00 AM. Some of the actors claimed that they don’t know the exact details of the evacuation because they did not live in Phnom Penh at all during that event, and they used to live in the provinces, but they did hear about this evacuation.
On 17 April 1975, the Khmer Rouge took over the city of Phnom Penh at around 11:00 AM, at that time Marshall Lon Nol’s soldiers dropped their weapons and several city dwellers came out to welcome the KR soldiers. Nevertheless, a few hours later, the KR soldiers forced them to leave the city without protesting.
In the early morning of 02 January 2008, about 100 city dwellers were brought in by cars to the Monument of Independence for a preparation to the filming of a documentary, and all the preparations were said to be organized by the royal palace directly. People with bicycles, cyclos, pushing carts, some carrying luggage pieces, hand carriers loaded with cooking pots, including both young and old, and including soldiers as well, were actively participating in the filming which was all planned in advance. Nevertheless, because of the many takes the filming was conducted, it seems that there was no initial preparation at all.
A man from Russei Keo district, Phnom Penh city, claimed that he and more than 100 other people were brought by car to the Monument of Independence to participate in the filming of the documentary, organized by the royal palace about the evacuation of Phnom Penh city dwellers during the period when Pol Pot troops entered the city on 17 April 1975. A man, who declined to provide his name, claimed: “The producer of the film gave me an old bicycle and a big piece of luggage to participate in the filming of this scene.”
The filming included a scene with a group of young and old people, all carrying various objects, who were forced to walk out of the Wat Langka pagoda towards the Monument of Independence. The walking scene was repeated several times. When they reached the Monument of Independence, the marchers were met by a group of soldiers riding 3 Jeep cars who were preventing them from climbing up the Monument of Independence.
The black-clad soldiers, armed with AK-47 rifles, indicated that they were representing the Khmer Sar (White Khmer) group, and in the film, these Khmer Sar soldiers oppose both the Lon Nol and the Pol Pot armies. The Khmer Sar soldiers have the duty of broadcasting their group ideology to the people being evacuated from the city, right prior to the arrival of the Khmer Rouge soldiers.
Reach Sambath, spokesman for the KR Tribunal, said that he did not know about the filming of this documentary, and he also does not know about the meaning of this filming either. He added: “This has nothing to do with the KR Tribunal. I am not providing any comment about it.” Nevertheless, those who were part of the filming crew said that, in the near future, another similar scene will be shot at the Phnom Penh International airport, showing the arrival of returning Cambodian students during the KR regime.
On 02 January 2008, Koh Santepheap could not obtain any clarification from the royal palace officials regarding the shooting of this documentary film, however, an anonymous cameraman said that the story was penned down by former King Norodom Sihanouk himself. When the group of actors playing the role of evacuees were brought to sit on the south side of the Monument of Independence, the group of armed black-clad (Khmer Sar) soldiers forced them to shout and repeat after them: Victory! Victory!
Observers of the documentary shooting indicated that the evacuation of Phnom Penh started at around 2:00 PM on 17 April 1975, following the entrance of the KR soldiers into the city at about 11:00 AM. Some of the actors claimed that they don’t know the exact details of the evacuation because they did not live in Phnom Penh at all during that event, and they used to live in the provinces, but they did hear about this evacuation.
On 17 April 1975, the Khmer Rouge took over the city of Phnom Penh at around 11:00 AM, at that time Marshall Lon Nol’s soldiers dropped their weapons and several city dwellers came out to welcome the KR soldiers. Nevertheless, a few hours later, the KR soldiers forced them to leave the city without protesting.
