Interview with

Chhayrann

What is your name?

Yekmong

KHORNG Yekmong.

Chhayrann

Where is your birthplace?

Yekmong

Village No. 5, Prek Achi subdistrict, Krouch Chhmar district.

Chhayrann

What is your parent's name?

Yekmong

My father's name is CHIV Khorng, and mother's name is PHEN Chrea.

Chhayrann

How many siblings do you have?

Yekmong

4 siblings.

1). KHORNG Song Lay, male, died in Sihanouk regime. [died of heart disease]

2). KHORNG Yekmong, Female [interviewee]

3). KHORNG Siv Lay [person we're following up].

4). KHORNG Say Lay. [he was adopted by someone else after his mother died. He was shot  by the KR]

My mother had passed away since my youngest brother was 2 months.

Chhayrann

So, your mother died before the Pol Pot regime?

Yekmong

She had died since I was 5 years old.

Chhayrann

How old are you now?

Yekmong

I'm 55 years old.

Chhayrann

What is your husband's name?

Yekmong

Hien Srouy.

Chhayrann

How many of your siblings are still alive?

Yekmong

Only me is alive.  My oldest brother died before Khmer Rouge regime, and my youngest brother was given away to others [adopted], but he was shot to death at Angdoung Svay.

Chhayrann

When was your brother given away?

Yekmong

When he was 2 months. No one in my family could take care of him; and I was only 5 years old.

Chhayrann

How did your oldest brother die?

Yekmong

He died because of disease. He was 25 years old.

Chhayrann

How old was Siv Lay when separated from your family?

Yekmong

He was 24.

Chhayrann

Did he marry yet?

Yekmong

Not yet.

Chhayrann

Why did he separate from your family?

Yekmong

The Khmer Rouge recruited the soldiers. All youths here were recruited.

Chhayrann

When did he join the Khmer Rouge?

Yekmong

In 1972.

Chhayrann

What did he do before the Khmer Rouge?

Yekmong

He was ordinary people.

Chhayrann

Did he study?

Yekmong

He studied at Kampong Krabei school. He was in grade 7.

Chhayrann

Did your mother die when he joined the Khmer Rouge?

Yekmong

She died. We were orphan since we were young.

Chhayrann

Did your oldest brother die yet when Siv Lay joined the Khmer Rouge?

Yekmong

He already died.

Chhayrann

How did he join the Khmer Rouge?

Yekmong

He was forced to join the Khmer Rouge even he was fever. He asked them for being late to join the revolution until he got better; but they replied that even you got fever you had to join the revolution now; and then they carried him with hammock to down stair.

Chhayrann

Who did that?

Yekmong

He was the chief of combatant in this commune [Achi commune]. His name was Porn Lork.

Chhayrann

Does he still alive?

Yekmong

I don't know; but he disappeared for long time and I never see him again.

Chhayrann

Before he was forced to join the Khmer Rouge, did they inform him?

Yekmong

No. He was invited to join the meeting every 3 o'clock in the evening. He joined only 3 times of meeting, and then he was collected.

Chhayrann

Did you join that meeting?

Yekmong

No. I was at female unit, which separated from combatant unit.

Chhayrann

Where did they hold the meeting?

Yekmong

Sometime at subdistrict office, and sometime at village office.

Chhayrann

Who was the villager chief at that time?

Yekmong

His name was Khlin.

Chhayrann

Does he still alive?

Yekmong

I don't know.

Chhayrann

How did your brother feel when he was forced to join the revolution?

Yekmong

As I told you, he was sick; and he asked them for delaying his joining the Khmer Rouge, but they said no.

Chhayrann

How did your father feel?

Yekmong

He was so cry. He said they should let my brother cure himself to be better than that; and I cried too. I said would you please let us cure his disease to be better than that, if so he would die along to road to your unit.

Chhayrann

How many youth were joined the Khmer Rouge at that time?

Yekmong

It was over hundred. They stood in row in front of my house.

Chhayrann

How many people carried him down stair?

Yekmong

4 people.

Chhayrann

Did they have any guns?

Yekmong

No.

Chhayrann

What did you say when you see that?

Yekmong

I said if you carried him now, he would die; and they replied to me that don't be so serious, all the youths here already joined the movement.

Chhayrann

How did you feel when you hear that?

Yekmong

I was so painful.

Chhayrann

Did you come to take him back home?

Yekmong

No. I thought that this terrible thing happened everywhere during that time, so I tried to reduce my thinking about him.

Chhayrann

Did they say anything when they came to take him to join the Khmer Rouge?

Yekmong

No, they didn't say anything. They just said all the youths had to go to the front line, and female stayed at home front.

Chhayrann

Did you what do the meeting mainly discuss about?

Yekmong

I didn't know. All anything during that time was high secret.

Chhayrann

Where did they take him?

Yekmong

To Dam Ber distrct, but I didn't remember the village and sub-district's name.

Chhayrann

Did he ever contact you?

Yekmong

He sent a message with someone to me that he got better, please don't worry about him.

Chhayrann

Who told you that?

Yekmong

I am not quite remember, maybe my village militia.

Chhayrann

You said he used to send letters to you, how did he send them?

Yekmong

He sent letters to me when he was moved to D1.

Chhayrann

So when he worked at Dam Ber, did he send you a letter?

Yekmong

No. He just asked someone to tell me that he was doing fine.

Chhayrann

When did he move to Dam Ber?

Yekmong

I don't know the year.

Chhayrann

Which unit did he work for?

Yekmong

It was unit 21.

Chhayrann

What was its zone?

Yekmong

It was eastern zone.

Chhayrann

What was the district chief's name?

Yekmong

I didn't know.

Chhayrann

Where was he moved next after Dam Ber?

Yekmong

I had completed his training at Dam Ber, they transferred him to Svay Lmiet, Me Sang district, Prey Veng province.

Chhayrann

What did he do there?

Yekmong

He was a soldier.

Chhayrann

When did he move there?

Yekmong

Maybe in 1973 or 1974.

Chhayrann

How about the villagers who joined with him?

Yekmong

They were separated each other. Some were sent to work as soldiers; security... When he moved to Prey Veng, he had an adopted father and 12 adopted siblings there. They used to come to my home, and I cooked a chicken soup for them. They stayed at my house for a night.

Chhayrann

What was his adopted father's name?

Yekmong

I didn't know his name.

Chhayrann

Did they tell you anything about your brother?

Yekmong

They just told me that my brother assigned to work there for a while, then he would transfer to D1 factory.

Chhayrann

So when did his adopted father come to visit your house?

Yekmong

In 1976. In March 1976, he sent 2 letters to home to inform that he was fine there, and now he worked for D1 factory.

Chhayrann

So where was D1?

Yekmong

It located in Phnom Penh.

Chhayrann

Did you know what kind of that factory?

Yekmong

I did not quite remember; maybe it was weaving factory.

Chhayrann

Did he ever visit home?

Yekmong

No.

Chhayrann

Did you ever go to visit him?

Yekmong

No, but my great-grand cousin used to go to visit him for 9 nights.

Chhayrann

Did your great-grand cousin tell you about your brother?

Yekmong

He just told me that my brother worked for a factory.

Chhayrann

What was his position?

Yekmong

Maybe he was deputy-chief there.

Chhayrann

Why did your great grand cousin meet Siv Lay?

Yekmong

Because he was a board driver from Phnom Penh to Kratie.

Chhayrann

Did your brother send you something?

Yekmong

He sent a package of medicines, clothes, and hammocks.

Chhayrann

What was your great grand cousin's name?

Yekmong

Chhun Chhang Leng. He still alive now. He lives at Phsa Thmei, Phnom Penh.

Chhayrann

Relate to this photo, do you remember all the persons in the photo?

Yekmong

First one was Chhun Hieng, my great grand cousin, second [unknown], third, Chhun You Sieng, he was my nephew [died]. Fourth, Lanh San, and fifth was Siv Lay.

Chhayrann

When did he take this photo?

Yekmong

Maybe in 1967 or 1968.

Chhayrann

Why he took this photo?

Yekmong

He took just for fun with his friends who study together.

Chhayrann

How do you preserve this photo?

Yekmong

I found it at cousin's house [Chhun You Sieng's house].

Chhayrann

Why you do keep this photo?

Yekmong

I keep it because I can't see my brother any more, so I keep his photo.

Chhayrann

How do you feel when you see his photo again?

Yekmong

I feel like painful.

Chhayrann

What did you do during the Khmer Rouge?

Yekmong

I worked at fishery unit, but responsible for doing Prahuk [fish paste].

Chhayrann

Were you forced to marry?

Yekmong

Yes, but I refused it.

Chhayrann

Did they punish you?

Yekmong

They criticized me everyday, but they didn't punish me at all.

Chhayrann

So when did you marry?

Yekmong

After 1979.

Chhayrann

So how do you think about Khmer Rouge?

Yekmong

It was so corruption; oppressed the people, and communism.

Chhayrann

Did you ever share your story during the Khmer Rouge to your children?

Yekmong

Yes, I did.

Chhayrann

Why did you tell them?

Yekmong

For a history record, and memory.

Chhayrann

Did you regret for losing your love ones?

Yekmong

No, he scarified his life for the nation.

Chhayrann

So do you want to find a justice for him?

Yekmong

Yes, I do.

Chhayrann

How can you find a justice for him?

Yekmong

Hmmm... I don't know.

Chhayrann

So thanks a lot for your information.