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SEARCHING FOR FAMILY MEMBERS
Peou Dara Vanthan
It is very
important, and can come as a shock to discover information regarding one’s lost,
beloved relatives. Millions of people perished in the “Killing Fields” of
Democratic Kampuchea between 1975-1979. It is now hoped that true justice will
be found for these victims, one of whom was Chan Nhoung, known as Nuon. In a
hoarse voice full of terror and despair, we hear Chan Nhoung on the audio-tape
left behind by the Khmer Rouge in their hasty retreat from Phnom Penh. It is an
appeal to all of us to continue our search for justice for Nuon and all the
victims.. Nuon’s audio- taped “confession” inspired the research team of the
Documentation Center of Cambodia to search for members of his family at the
place he identified as his home.
Nuon was a Deputy
secretary of Battalion 331, Regiment 33 of Division 703 in Democratic Kampuchea.
After being accused of “treachery”, he was made to become another person-a
pitiful victim among the many thousands of victims who were held at Tuol Sleng
Prison, or Office S-21, now known to the public as a center of torture where the
Khmer Rouge leadership sought to extract detailed “confessions” from the
inmates. Although the regime had a paper constitution proclaiming the existence
of a judiciary, no legal process ever intervened in the workings of S-21. Chan
Nhoung was forced to confess three times over a period of months. His
confessions are preserved on the audio-tape, recorded on November 11, 1977, and
in two handwritten confessions dated January 20 and February 16, 1978.
Chan Nhoung was
born in Koh Thom Sub-district, Koh Thom District of Kandal. The day before our
arrival, Chan Nhoung’s niece, Tha, had had a vivid dream of her Uncle Nhoung. In
the dream, she saw her uncle visiting her family. Witnessing such an unexpected
occurrence, Srei remarked with surprise, “Mom, uncle Nhoung is bringing money
for you. He said he really missed you, and in the meantime, he brought some
money for you. Nhoung said he was still alive and living happily in a foreign
country.” Is it believable that
someone dead for over twenty years can cause another person to dream of him,
claiming his survival? To this writer, personally, “good deeds are praised”.
Yes. On the morning after the dream, I arrived at Tha’s homestead and asked
people around for a person named Nhoung. This question caused quite an uproar,
with some people shouting and others rushing to my side with expressions of
astonishment, eagerly questioning me about Nuon. An elderly woman, Soeun, Tha’s
mother, pointed to Tha and exclaimed, “This woman has just narrated this morning
about him, and now you come. Is it true that Nhoung is still alive?”
Chan Nhoung was a
pitiful boy whose parents bereaved when he was a child of less than ten. Nuon’s
aunt, an elderly woman named Bo, brought Chan Nhoung up to help with the
housework. Bo has been dead for over seven years now. When he was young, Nuon
and his aunt Bo often picked tamarind fruit to sell. In November, 1973, at the
age of about seventeen, Nuon left Bo’s family to join the Khmer Rouge army in a
Special Zone Military Unit, after having received political and military
training at Wat Trabek for a period of one month. After that, Nuon never again
visited his home. Chanthy, a beloved niece of Nuon who was the last to see him,
recounted: “...He cried and said with despair that he had no choice because it
was the end of his life. ‘Please look for the future’, he added.” Chanthy met
with Nuon during his hospitalization at Po Ban Hospital, Koh Thom Sub-district,
Koh Thom District, Kandal Province. Chanthy’s statements concur with Nuon’s
forced confession of February 16, 1978, where he asserts that he was
hospitalized at Po Ban Hospital in 1975, and that the Hospital was under the
authority of Military Division 12, and
supervised by one, “Kong”. Through tears, Chanthy recalled, “The place I
still remember is Po Ban Hospital, where Nhoung, in a condition of physical
deterioration, said that he would never again have the chance to meet me, and
therefore asked me to have a final look at his face.”
Chanty had a
chance to meet Nuon again when we brought to her the audio-tape, photographs,
and “confession” documents. Although Chanthy had not seen Nuon for over twenty
years, when confronted with these things, her tears flowed. “Honestly” she said,
“my heart is boiling. But I don’t know what to do. Everything is gone. However,
I feel a relief. Her mother Srouen was also filled with emotion. “Thank you very
much for your helpfulness in searching us out. Although he is dead, to hear his
voice is precious to us. Without you, we would never have learned his fate.” Tes
Leang, one of Nuon’s relatives, gave his impression: “I myself also want justice
and truth. I want to live in a land with justice.”
This interview
with Cham Nhoung’s family took place in Kbal Koh Thom Village, Koh Thom
Sub-district on January 22 and 26, 2000. With great sympathy, we gave Chan
Nhoung’s family a small contribution so that they could hold a Buddhist
traditional ceremony and pray for the soul of Chan Nhoung. The celebration was
held on Sunday, January 30, 2000. May the soul of Chan Nhoung rest in peace. Our
special thanks also go to Chor, Ouch Mut, Tes Leang, Him Sroeun, Tha, Chan Thy
and all villagers in Kbal Koh Thom Village, Kbal Koh Thom Sub-district, Koh Thom
District, Kandal Province.
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