Chhim Morn

VPA-KD0024

Chhim Morn

Male

Khmer

Khmer

Prek Rokar Village, Prek Rokar Commune, Kandal Stung,

19560615

Farmer

Koh Khnol Village, Prek Roka Commune, Kandal Stung District, Kandal Province

197604

Region 4, Trapeang Chorng District or Mong Russei (Prey Trach security center)

My name is Chhim Morn. I am 52 years old and currently live in Koh Khnor Village, Prek Roka Commune, Kandal Stung District, Kandal Province.

In May 1975, my uncle, Chhim Chann, along with his two children (a son named Chhim Vann Than and a daughter named Chhim Vann Neang), two sons-in-law/daughters-in-law, two grandchildren and an uncle/aunt, were evacuated from Phnom Penh to his home village. A month later, they were all relocated to Battambang Province. The cooperative chief was named Im Chhum. The person who ordered the evacuation of my uncle’s family to Battambang Province was Keo Koy. My uncle and his family were evacuated because he was a rich person in the village. In addition, his son was a lieutenant and his son-in-law, Rin, was an officer in the Ministry of Interior during the Lon Nol regime. I witnessed the evacuation of my uncle’s family, as well as ten other families, to Battambang Province.

Soon after their arrival in Battambang, his family was separated; old people lived in one place; youth and children lived in another place. My uncle was assigned to live in Region 4 at Tram Seh Village, Preah Ampil Commune, Mong Russey District. Mong Russey District was close to Trapeang Chorng District. So most people called it either Mong Russey or Trapeang Chorng.

After the harvest of April 1976, his son and son-in-law were arrested and detained in Kandaol Dom Security Office (Pursat Province) or Prey Trach Security Office (because this security office was behind the Preah Ampil Cooperative where his family lived). The inmates were detained for a month during which they were starved and forced to do hard labor. After that, they were executed in the compound of Prey Trach Security Office where there were many pits on the north side of the office. It was a jungle.

His son and son-in-law were killed in Prey Trach Security Office because they had worked for the former government in Phnom Penh and they were senior students. The office’s chief, Ta Sam, ordered the arrest. The village chief, Yean, gave the order to other two militiamen (unknown names). I learned this story from my neighbor, Nhep Sopheap, who was also evacuated to Region 4 at Tram Seh Village, Preah Ampil Commune, at that time.

In 1978 my uncle, as well as his daughter, daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and an uncle/aunt, died of starvation. In Preah Ampil Cooperative, people began to suffer from hunger when quotas for rice production were increased, especially because they were forced to perform hard labor (such as using human labor instead of cows for plowing). Ta Sam was the Preah Ampil Cooperative Chief and the chief of Prey Trach Security Office. He was the one who caused the starvation and forced my uncle and his family to be worked to death. I learned the story from Nhep Sopheap, a neighbor who lived in the village. She currently lives in Prek Roka Village, Prek Roka Commune, Kandal Stung District, Kandal Province.

Part C: Civil Party Status:

I am Chhim Morn, 52 years old, currently living in Koh Khnor Village, Prek Roka Commune, Kandal Stung District, Kandal Province. After learning that my uncle, Chhim Chann, and his eight family members were exterminated through torture, forced labor, and starvation, I grieved deeply and felt very sorry for them. I have suffered emotional trauma as a result of the barbarous Khmer Rouge regime which controlled Cambodia and separated me forever from my uncle’s family.

In 1989, I often experienced headaches. For about a month, I became unable to move my arms and legs, though these symptoms eventually stopped. I think I became sick because of the stress associated with thinking about my uncle and his family who were executed by the Khmer Rouge. I went to see a doctor in Kandal Stung District in Kandal Province; however, I lost the prescription. Even today, I sometimes still have headaches.

Additional Information: (dated 23 March 2010)

Evacuation from Phnom Penh:

In 1972, I lived in Phnom Penh with support from my uncle, Chhim Chann. At that time, I had been ordained a monk in Moha Montrey Pagoda. When the Khmer Rouge took control of the city on 17 April 1975, all the monks living in the pagoda, including me, were evacuated from the city at about 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. We had only a carrier GERmk, books, rice and clothes with us. I traveled for seven days to reach my home village – Prek Roka Village in Kandal Province. I saw elderly people and kids crying out for help while others died along the way. There were a lot of corpses lying along the road.

After reaching my home village, I stayed with my mother. Two days after my arrival, I decided to quit the monkhood because the pagodas had been emptied of monks. At that time, my uncle and his six family members were also evacuated to the village. He and his family stayed in the village for about two months before being evacuated to Battambang Province. I witnessed them boarding the truck along with other villagers comprising approximately thirty total households. The cooperative chief told me that because my uncle’s son was a former officer of the Lon Nol regime, their family was assigned to do the farming in Battambang. Only when the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed did I learn this information. I learned the details from Nhep Sopheap, the daughter of Nhep Chhiv, who was evacuated along with my uncle at that time. She told me that my uncle died of illness during the Khmer Rouge regime. His daughter, Chhim Vann Neang, and her child passed away. Vann Neang’s husband, Rin, was arrested and killed because he served in the Ministry of Interior during the Lon Nol regime. My uncle’s son, Chhim Vanthan, used to work for the Lon Nol government as a military policeman, and thus he was also executed. His wife and children died of illness. I learned all of these stories from Nhep Sopheap, who currently lives in Prek Roka Village of Kandal Province.

Civil Party

No;

Commune hospital

No;

20081002

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