Golden memories

Khao I Dang refugee camp in the 1980s [google]. The camp and the place is named after the 'mountain' visible in the background of this picture. At its height the camp is believed to be the largest concentration of Khmer population outside Cambodia, drawing "displaced people" [the Thai government refused to treat them as 'refugees' in a legal sense so as to deprive them of any due legal protection they would have been entitled to under international norms] from all over the worn torn country like a gigantic demographic magnet. The landmark itself is a recurring theme in the dreams [or nightmares] of the innocent multitudes who had had to pass through it. Geo-politics apart the place represents not so much a 'new dawn' but more of a new poignant human chapter in the troubled history of a long suffering land where human lives held [and still hold] no greater worth or significance than pawns on a cynical chess board that these people neither wanted nor comprehended. Driven in the main by necessity and in part by humanity's unrelenting faith in a better tomorrow, families, friends, relatives, neighbours, farmers, town-dwellers, victims as well as their former captors had paid their due price and sacrifice, risking being robbed, shot and raped  to be at the camp. It was an eerie and surreal place where instances of common and extreme compassion intermingled with those of cruelty of all shades; where night-time robberies staged to the tune of prewar romance of  happier times as rendered by the great romantics and poets of that era, and where some residents still listened religiously to the daily radio broadcast of their beloved Angka Leu or Democratic Kampuchea with an air of total freedom and immunity - School of Vice

Readers’ comments:

ពេលវេលាបានកន្លងទៅជាង ៣០ឆ្នាំទៅហើយ អ្វីៗដែលខ្មែរភៀសខ្លួនទទួលបានហាក់ដូចជានៅថ្មីៗសោះ ភាពសប្បាយ ភាពហ៊ឺរហារ ភាពអួតអំនួត
ភាពជូរជត់ ខ្លោចផ្សារ ឈឺចាប់ ខាំម៉ាត់ ទារុណ ព្រាត់ប្រាស់ វេទនា ភាពថោកទាប ភាពប្រមាថមើលងាយ ភាពភ័យខ្លាច។ល។ ទាំងអស់នេះវាជារូបមន្តនៃខ្មែរភៀសខ្លួន នៅតាមជំរុំនានាក្នុងទឹកដីដែលមានរបងព័ទ្ធជុំវិញ គ្រួសារនីមួយៗរស់នៅក្រោមដំបូលស្លឹកជាជួរ ជាជួរ ពេលយប់បំភ្លឺដោយចង្កៀងប្រេង គួរអោយសែនស្រណោះ ដែលមានបន្លឺរសម្លេងបទចម្រៀងអតីតដ៏សែនក្រលួច ធ្វើអោយនឹកស្រណោះដល់គ្រួសារដែលបានស្លាប់ទៅហើយ ។
ពេលនេះខ្មែរភៀសខ្លួនបានមករស់នៅលើទឹកដីប្រទេសនានាដែលមានសន្តិភាព សេរីភាព ជីវិតក្នុងការរស់នៅដ៏សុខសាន្ត ខុសប្លែកពីជំរុំរបងព័ទ្ធជុំវិញ
ជំរុំភៀសខ្លួនទាំងអស់អើយខ្ញុំក៏មិនបំភ្លេចអ្នកដែរ យើងក៏នៅមានរូបភាពអនុស្សាវរីយ៏ជាមួយអ្នកដែរ គ្រាន់រំលឹកឃើញនូវរឿងៗពិតកាលគ្រារនោះដែរ ប៉ុន្តែគ្រា
នេះខ្មែរភៀសខ្លួនខ្លះបានលាចាកលោកយើងហើយ ដោយបានទុកនៅអនុស្សាវរីយ៏ថែមទៀតសំរាប់គ្រួសារ នឹងមិត្តភ័ក្រ ។ នេះជារំលឹងនៅអនុស្សាវរីយ៏ដែល
បានឃើញក្នុង YouTube ។

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Where a lot of friendships were made and then......separated to different countries and never to be seen each other again.

After world war two, it was the Chinese who immigrated out of their country and spreading all over the world, now it's the Cambodian turn.

Baay Kdaing

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With the pictures of Khao I Dang refugee camp and 2 beautiful songs about it, I am transported back in time to the place that formed the beginning of my freedom and hope for a better future.

I believe many Cambodians share the same feeling about this refugee camp.

Thank you, School of Vice for the picture and the songs.

Anet Khmer

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The word "Khao I Dang refugee camp" and the songs about it certainly bring back a lot of past, but unforgettable souvenirs.

It was certainly my home for a few years!

Thank you Mr. School of Vice for the songs and picture posted.

Pissed off

KHAO I DANG CHOMROM JET KHGNOM 

Khao I Dang Doung Chit - Chhun Vanna

Keo Sarath - Chum rum khaov i dang