Chou UngMonday, December 1, 2008
by Shern-min Chow
11 News (Houston, Texas, USA)
HOUSTON – In the late 1970s, the Ung family escaped the infamous killing fields in Cambodia by moving to Houston.
“They had to carry the youngest son on their back and whatever food they could. Then, they to tiptoe through the jungle because there were minefields everywhere during that time,” said Leng Abassi, family friend.
With their two little boys, the Ung family were able to escape the Khmer Rouge regime, which slaughtered as many as two million people.
They made their way to a refugee camp in the Phillippines, where their daughter, Chou Ung was born.
Eventually they found their way to Houston, where they thought senseless killing was history.
But it turns out they were wrong.
Sunday night, 28-year-old Chou Ung was shot and killed while filling up at a Chevron station. Police said that robbery was the likely motive.
“A family could try to put all the killing behind. But now it happens again and it brings it up all again,” said Pastor Clifford Lee, River Oaks Chinese Baptist Mission.
The Ung family is devastated at the loss of their family member. Ung was studying to be a teacher, which was a goal she put second to her family’s needs.
“She was always helping out at our restaurants stuff,” said Wendell.
The family owns two restaurants on Westheimer.
Chou was leaving one of them when her family last saw her. Her brother says she was supposed to go to the Texans game on Monday night.
“They had to carry the youngest son on their back and whatever food they could. Then, they to tiptoe through the jungle because there were minefields everywhere during that time,” said Leng Abassi, family friend.
With their two little boys, the Ung family were able to escape the Khmer Rouge regime, which slaughtered as many as two million people.
They made their way to a refugee camp in the Phillippines, where their daughter, Chou Ung was born.
Eventually they found their way to Houston, where they thought senseless killing was history.
But it turns out they were wrong.
Sunday night, 28-year-old Chou Ung was shot and killed while filling up at a Chevron station. Police said that robbery was the likely motive.
“A family could try to put all the killing behind. But now it happens again and it brings it up all again,” said Pastor Clifford Lee, River Oaks Chinese Baptist Mission.
The Ung family is devastated at the loss of their family member. Ung was studying to be a teacher, which was a goal she put second to her family’s needs.
“She was always helping out at our restaurants stuff,” said Wendell.
The family owns two restaurants on Westheimer.
Chou was leaving one of them when her family last saw her. Her brother says she was supposed to go to the Texans game on Monday night.
