July 20, 2006
PAILIN, Cambodia — They have the blood of millions staining their souls, but for Christian missionaries that just makes the Khmer Rouge veterans better prospects for conversion.
The ultra-Maoists' former stronghold of Pailin, the Cambodian town where they held out for almost two decades after a Vietnamese invasion ended their brutal regime in 1979, is now home to five churches. It is an incongruous statistic for a town peopled by atheists in what is a Buddhist country.
During their time in power, the Khmer Rouge killed an estimated 1.7 million people.
But church leader Phannith Roth's message is simple: However hideous your sins, Jesus can cleanse you.
"Our purpose is to convert the Khmer Rouge to the Lord," said the pastor of Pailin Bible Presbytery Church, which has 200 worshippers.
He cited the example of a former soldier. "Before he converted, every day his face was so low and his mind disturbed because he said he had guilt — he had committed something wrong under Pol Pot," Phannith Roth said. "He confessed to killing a lot of people. Since he converted, he is happy and says his sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus."
The pastor sees the establishment of a court this month to try the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders as an opportunity to spread the word of God. He has visited two of the likely accused, Pol Pot's deputy, Nuon Chea, and the regime's head of state, Khieu Samphan.
"We want to give them God's love.We want to show them that when they go to the trial, what is the hope for them? Only God," Mr. Roth said. "If they accept God, then they don't need to worry because God will forgive them."
The Good Samaritan Church, which was the first in the town, has five senior Khmer Rouge officials among its congregation.
Mey Meakk, a former secretary to Pol Pot who converted and is now one of the town's deputy governors, estimates the Christians in and around Pailin at about 3,000.
"It's better with a God," he said. "A God will protect you if you do wrong."
The director of information for the town, Kong Duong, converted in 2002. A radio broadcaster for the Khmer Rouge after the regime fell, he lived and worked with Pol Pot. He said he felt much calmer as a Christian.
"Believing in God and Pol Pot are a bit different," Kong Duong said. "Believing in God is something you keep in your mind to live peacefully.
"I had to believe in Pol Pot. My father was killed by the Khmer Rouge, my sister had a rock tied around her waist and was drowned."
The ultra-Maoists' former stronghold of Pailin, the Cambodian town where they held out for almost two decades after a Vietnamese invasion ended their brutal regime in 1979, is now home to five churches. It is an incongruous statistic for a town peopled by atheists in what is a Buddhist country.
During their time in power, the Khmer Rouge killed an estimated 1.7 million people.
But church leader Phannith Roth's message is simple: However hideous your sins, Jesus can cleanse you.
"Our purpose is to convert the Khmer Rouge to the Lord," said the pastor of Pailin Bible Presbytery Church, which has 200 worshippers.
He cited the example of a former soldier. "Before he converted, every day his face was so low and his mind disturbed because he said he had guilt — he had committed something wrong under Pol Pot," Phannith Roth said. "He confessed to killing a lot of people. Since he converted, he is happy and says his sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus."
The pastor sees the establishment of a court this month to try the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders as an opportunity to spread the word of God. He has visited two of the likely accused, Pol Pot's deputy, Nuon Chea, and the regime's head of state, Khieu Samphan.
"We want to give them God's love.We want to show them that when they go to the trial, what is the hope for them? Only God," Mr. Roth said. "If they accept God, then they don't need to worry because God will forgive them."
The Good Samaritan Church, which was the first in the town, has five senior Khmer Rouge officials among its congregation.
Mey Meakk, a former secretary to Pol Pot who converted and is now one of the town's deputy governors, estimates the Christians in and around Pailin at about 3,000.
"It's better with a God," he said. "A God will protect you if you do wrong."
The director of information for the town, Kong Duong, converted in 2002. A radio broadcaster for the Khmer Rouge after the regime fell, he lived and worked with Pol Pot. He said he felt much calmer as a Christian.
"Believing in God and Pol Pot are a bit different," Kong Duong said. "Believing in God is something you keep in your mind to live peacefully.
"I had to believe in Pol Pot. My father was killed by the Khmer Rouge, my sister had a rock tied around her waist and was drowned."
4 comments:
Sure run to God just because of the blood stained hands you have. Just because you created Hell on Earth doesn't mean heaven will appear.
after what you've done to thousands of inocent lives, thought you can get away by converting????. Well, if your shift don't smell any longer then, you'll be blessed other wise roit in hell mother fuckers....blood for blood....cheam srei sbeak houir!! will come to you.. be prepared for it, when you died. NO EXCAPE!!
Convert Khmer Rouge to dogs and eat them.
You wouldn't say that if you were on the other side. Once your realize what you have done you would just be begging for forgiveness the same way. Remeber that these Khmer Rough are not "special" people who were born to be killers. They mostly regular poor khmer farmers who felt that it was their duty to join the revolutionary party to rid the country and themselves of oppression and poverty. People that need to be punished are the leading dogs who mislead these people to think they're fighting for the good of the nation when in fact they were destroying it.
If you find it no compassion or pity in your heart for these people, let me tell you that I do. And I love all Khmers despite their past political affiliation, All Khmers except the leading dogs and corrupt men and women who was and are ruining the country. Those people have more resentment from me then these khmer rough soldiers that have been brainwash.
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