Vietnam and January 2014

Featuring:

Cambodian Genocide- A book review of First They Killed my Father

Destruction- The effects of Agent Orange

A Larger Glance at Cambodia- A timeline of events through- out the world

A wider look at the War

3 Letter from the editor

4 By Caitlyn Swartwout

6 Destruction By Caitlyn Swartwout

8 A Larger Glance at Cambodia By Caitlyn Swartwout

Dear Readers,

The magazine you are about to read centers on the lasting effects and the specifics of the Cambodian genocide, the Vietnam war, and how they intertwine with each other. To look at the Cambodian genocide, there has been a book review of Loung Ung’s book, First They Killed my Father. There has also been a timeline included in the magazine to show world events and spe- cific events that happened in Cambodia and to Ung’s family. A lot was learned about the topic in order to show an accurate depiction of it to readers. Personally I learned that one persons views can start a huge amount of trouble in a country. I also learned a great deal about the hardships soldiers have to face during war and how those hardships can be a lot worse for the people of the country they are fighting in. This issue is important because of the fact that if the young people of this country know what has happened in the past, then they are less likely to commit similar crimes. Everyone learns from the past, no matter how old or young they are.

Sincerely,

Caitlyn Swartwout whatever means they can accomplish. Revenge is Cambodian probably the second most prominent because of things that happen in her life; Ung feels the need to seek revenge from the at multiple Genocide points. Hunger is something every single person in Cambodia had to deal with to a fatal degree for By Caitlyn Swartwout some. “However fearful I am, my hunger makes me want to go myself, but I do not have the strength or courage to actually do it” (Ung 114). My first impression of First They Killed My Fa- Stealing was strictly forbidden and the law against ther by Loung Ung was very confused in some it was strictly enforced by Khmer Rouge soldiers. parts of it. I wasn’t very interested in it, and as the Hunger is what caused a lot of the deaths in Cam- book went on I began to like it. It showed to me bodia. how horrible someone can be when they are fight- The book as a whole was very well written. ing for something they believe is right or good. There were some parts that I felt needed more em- Loung Ung shows her past by showing ex- phasizing and more details. Parts like when a new actly what went on during the Cambodian geno- character is introduced. When some characters are cide in the 1970’s. The book follows Ung and her introduced they are not very well explained. At the family between 1975 through about 1978. The same time, all aspects are very well developed and book starts off showing what life was like for the detailed, sometimes even overly done. Ung family in . When the Khmer This book made me cry in multiple places. Rouge took over they were forced out of their It made me laugh, more so in the very beginning home and into the country side. and Ung gave so much detail in certain things that The book primarily follows the Ung fam- I felt very connected to it. I would say that the ily, but centers on Ung herself through her hard- book was appealing to me on more of an emo- ships throughout the 3 or so years. Her family tional level than a logical one. The details were so went through the worst things imaginable; things well written that I almost felt that at parts I was like being beaten, murdered, almost being worked feeling the sadness or rage that a character was to death, sickness, and starvation. “One soldier’s feeling. face darkens and he raises his rifle. Seconds later, The thing that caused me to like the book Geak too is silenced” (Ung 162). Chou, Kim, and the most was the amount of detail that was put into Loung were told by their mother to leave the vil- it. Ung could have just put minimal detail into it lage they were at. About a year and a half after this and basically said the same thing, but the fact that happened, Ung felt the need to go back to see her she put so much detail and information in the book mother and her sister Geak. When she arrived made me like it a lot. The book tended to be a little there she heard of their murders. Thousands of slow sometimes though, so at those parts I wasn’t people died in this way, no matter how old they super fond of the book. In general, I liked it very were. much. My overall opinion of the book is that it is This book made me think about how one horrible that people have to go through these person with enough influence can change the way things every day. I don’t think my family would be an entire country works. I definitely see how this is able to handle it all. Just everything that happens horrible for everyone involved. Throughout the to Ung and her family is just so horrible and sad reign of the Khmer Rouge thousands, if not mil- that a reader can’t help but feel sorry for everyone lions of people died through horrible ways. My involved in this genocide. feelings about this will always be bad. Themes that are in this book include sur- This book is something that readers who vival, revenge, and hunger. All three of these enjoy historical books would enjoy. This book in- themes are very prominent throughout the book. cludes a lot of sadness, rage, and things of that na- Survival is probably the one that is the most seen. ture. People who enjoy books that are very sad Throughout the book Ung and her family fight to would enjoy this. survive the harshness of the Khmer Rouge through

Loung’s mother, Ay Choung Ung.

Loung Ung, the author of First They Killed my Fa- ther.

Resources:

"Loung Ung Writes Home - Page - Interview Magazine." Interview Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.

Ung, Loung. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 2000. Print.

Loung Ung’s father, Seng Im Ung.

tion, only 1-4 parts per trillion (PPT) of Dioxin in Destruction breast milk can cause severe deformities in fetuses and even death. But up to 1,450 PPT are found in maternal milk in Vietnam. (TruthOut Archive). By Caitlyn Swartwout Millions upon millions of people have had to deal with some form of health side effect from Agent Orange. One of these people is To Nga Tran. To Nga Tran is a French Vietnamese woman who worked as a journalist during the spraying. Her daughter weighed 6.6 pounds at the age of three Agent Orange is a toxic substance that was used months. Her skin began shredding and she could during the Vietnam War to clear the area of forest not bear to have skin contact or simple demonstra- lands so that American soldiers could travel tions of love. She died at 17 months, weighing 6.6 through the area unimpeded. It also cleared the pounds. Ms. To described a woman who gave birth area so that the forest could not provide enemy to a "ball" with no human form. Many children are cover. At the time the effects that this substance born without brains; others make inhuman sounds. would have on not only the Vietnamese people but (TruthOut Archive). the American soldiers fighting the war were un- Besides having devastating health side ef- known. We now have a more clear understanding fects, Agent Orange was, and still is, the cause of of the damaging effects it has and is having on millions of acres of farmland and forests to now be people and forest lands. wiped away. About 5 million acres of land were Agent Orange is comprised of a very toxic sprayed with Agent Orange and is now either com- substance called Dioxin, which is thought to be the pletely gone or is fairly close to it. The most heav- component to have caused the health problems and ily sprayed areas in Vietnam were Rung Sat Spe- the environmental damage. It is actually one of the cial Zone, the Ca Mau peninsula, and the inland most toxic substances known to man. Agent Or- forests. About 34% of the areas that were sprayed ange was not the only chemical that was sprayed were sprayed more than once. Many areas were in Vietnam. There was also Agent White, Agent sprayed more than four times. Many ecosystems Blue, Agent Pink, and Agent Purple. They were have been destroyed and Dioxin continues to poi- named after colors because of the color of the bar- son Vietnam, especially in the several "hot rels the chemicals were in. Agent Orange is the spots." (TruthOut Archive). combination of the code names for Herbicide Or- Rodney Smith was 19 when he went to ange and Agent LNX, one of the herbicides and Vietnam from the U.S. to fight in the Vietnam defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its War. He was very scared but he knew one of his chemical warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, friends was already there, Gran Teasley. Gran had during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971 already been there for about four years. He knew (Generation Orange). he was getting into something that maybe he Agent Orange has been found to have couldn’t have handled. He made it through boot caused, and is still causing, millions of birth de- camp without getting himself hurt. Now he was fects and health problems in Vietnamese and the going for the real challenge. He was to be shipped families of people who fought in the war from off to Vietnam that morning. When he got onto the other countries. These health problems can include plane that was to take him to his destination he Spina Bifida, Chronic B-cell Leukemia, Parkin- was surprised to find that the plane did not have sons disease, Prostate Cancer, Respiratory Cancer, very many people on it yet. He made it to Vietnam etc. It is estimated that approximately 4.5 million completely safe. While he was there he took part people were exposed to Agent Orange. There have in the spraying of Agent Orange. About three been about 400,000 people killed or maimed by years later Gran and Rodney were surprised to find Agent Orange. It has been estimated that at least 3 that they were being sent back home to Yreka, million people have had some type of health com- California together. About 42 years later Rodney plication that was caused by the exposure to Agent Smith died of cancer at the age of 61 that was Orange. According to the World Health Organiza- caused by exposure to Agent Orange. Millions of families have had to go through the pain of losing heard. The United States “began a clean-up of the a loved one because of exposure to Agent Orange remnants of Agent Orange, a defoliant that Ameri- and other chemicals that were sprayed in Vietnam can planes sprayed on the South Vietnamese jun- during the war. Agent Orange has brought devasta- gle in order to deprive Viet Cong of tree cover tion to an entire country and its inhabitants, along during the Vietnam War but this will take time to with U.S. soldiers who were fighting in the Viet- be able to see the effects of the operation nam War. This chemical is the cause of dozens of (Generation Orange). In the meantime, people are problems and diseases in millions of people. It is still suffering daily with the effects that this deadly also the cause of a lot of harm to the ecosystem in chemical has had on the people of Vietnam and the Vietnam. The effects of Agent Orange are still be- soldiers from all the countries who fought. One ing studied and argued over now, even after about can only say that the cleanup effort of this opera- four decades. tion has been a long time coming and will have a Upon return from Vietnam, Rodney had no huge impact on the future generations of Vietnam. way of knowing that the effects of Agent Orange While it is too late to bring any peace to those who had already damaged his body from the inside. At have already suffered or are suffering, we can rest the time, there was little help for Veteran’s return- assured that the mistake of using this deadly ing from Vietnam. When he returned from Viet- chemical will be cleaned up and will no longer nam, it was as if he was looked down upon by the take a toll on the Vietnamese people and their fu- American people for even going to war. The Viet- ture generations. nam War caused a huge controversy with the We must all remember one thing from this: American people not agreeing with it. He didn’t “for every action, there is always an equal and op- feel as if there was anything he could do when he posite reaction”. (Newton’s Third Law). We took returned except deal with all the after affects of action during the war against Vietnam and now we being in Vietnam. At the time, there was no real are all paying the price of that action with each evidence ensuring that he or anyone else for that reaction of the chemical Agent Orange. We always matter would receive adequate medical help for wish we knew what we know now but hopefully in being exposed to Agent Orange. They had no idea the future, we can all make the change for the bet- that it was even harmful. The harmful effects ter. would show themselves later on. The effects that Agent Orange had our American Veteran’s are not the only problem we face from this deadly chemical. We are also facing the effects of Agent Orange on the citizens of Viet- nam who are still fighting to have their voices heard. They are still attempting to make the United States and the chemical companies take responsi- bility for the spraying of this deadly toxin. This toxin has killed hundreds of acres of land where the vegetation will not grow back for hundreds of years. Even decades after this toxin was sprayed, Vietnamese people are still feeling the effects of it. Their children are born with deformities that come from exposure to this deadly toxin. We are not talking only about first generation children, but also of third generation children. The effects of the toxin are still being recorded to this day and this is Two boys with physical deformities that were over 50 years later! taken to an orphanage in 2005. We initiated the Agent Orange Act of 1991 for our Veteran’s who were affected but for the Vietnamese who were affected; they are still fight- ing their battle and trying to make their voices

"About Agent Orange." About Agent Orange. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2014.

"Facts about Herbicides - Public Health." Facts about Herbicides - Public Health. N.p., 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 03 Jan. 2014.

"Generation Orange: Heartbreaking Portraits of Vietnamese Children Suffering from Dev astating Effects of Toxic Herbicide Sprayed by US Army 40 Years Ago ." Mail Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2014.

Khazan, Olga. "Agent Orange’s Health Effects Deformed: Nguyen and Hung Vuong Pham, 14, and Continued Long after the Vietnam War’s 15, await their daily bathing in the Kim Dong dis- End."Washington Post. The Washington trict of Hai Phong, Vietnam. Their days are occu- Post, 09 Aug. 2012. Web. 05 Jan. 2014. pied watching people pass by the front area of their "Make Agent Orange History." Make Agent Or home. Taken in 2013. ange History. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2014.

"Newton's Third Law." Newton's Third Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2014.

"The Embryo Project Encyclopedia." Birth Defects Caused by Agent Orange. N.p., 21 June 2013. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. "Truthout." Truthout. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2014.

"TruthOut Archive." Agent Orange Continues to Poison Vietnam. N.p., 16 June 2009. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. Wilcox, Fred. Waiting for an Army to Die: The Tragedy of Agent Orange. New York: Vintage, Nguyen Quang, 11, on his bed at home in the Kim 1983. Print. Dong district of Hai Phong, Vietnam. Village presi- dents believe most of the children to be third- generation Agent Orange victims due to the com- Photos: monality in mental disorders and physical deformi- ties. (Credit: Brian Driscoll)2013 "Vietnamartwork." Vietnamartwork. N.p., n.d.

Resources: Web. 03 Jan. 2014.

"Generation Orange: Heartbreaking Portraits of "Agent Orange - Public Health." Agent Orange - Vietnamese Children Suffering from Dev Public Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. astating Effects of Toxic Herbicide 2014. Sprayed by US Army 40 Years Ago ." Mail November 1975- They arrive in April 1975- Khmer Rouge July 1975- The Ung family is Ro Leap and are forced to wear enters Phnom Penh. The forced to leave Krang Troup. Ung family and everyone They arrive in a mountainous specific clothes, eat at specific else who lived in major cit- village and are given very small times, and to work. All colorful ies were forced to move into food rations. Eventually leave clothes are destroyed. the countryside. The Ung this village to go to a new one. family lived in Krang Troup with some family for three months.

A Larger Glance at Cambodia

1949- End of Chinese Civil War- The war began in 1945- End of WWII- April 1927 and ended in The war officially 1950-1953- Korean 1950. In October 1949, Mao War- The war was be- ended when Japan sur- Tse Tung proclaimed the tween north and south rendered on August15, capital of the People’s Re- 1945 and then signed public of China to be Beip- Korea. The two sides those surrender docu- ing, later renamed Beijing. were at a stalemate for ments on September 2, the last two years of the 1945 aboard the USS war until 1953 when Missouri. the war ended. January 1976- Food rations August 1976- Keav became very were decreased in Ro Leap ill from dysentery, so Ma and Pa even farther than they al- go to try and get her from the teen ready were. Villagers were work camp. They arrive to late, as also forced to work harder. she is already dead. They were Khouy is married to Laine April 1976- Pa trades any jewelry unable to find her body. and Keav is forced to be- they have for food. The entire come a soldier. Ung family fights a lot. Ma had to be very careful of her accent as to not be noticed by other villagers and the Khmer Rouge.

1953- Cambodian Inde- 1954- Defeat at Dien pendence- Cambodia be- Bien Phu- The French comes an independent 1954-1973- Vietnam War- A war lost against the Viet that went on for about 19 years. country led by Prince Si- Minh. The battle re- hanouk. This war gave the Khmer Rouge a sulted in France retreat- sort of “kickstart” in there efforts ing from all colonies in in Cambodia because of the U.S. French Indochina. bombing the Ho Chi Minh trail that was on the border of Vietnam and Cambodia. December 1976- Pa May 1977- Ma forces Kim, Chou, April 1977- Kim decided to was taken away by the and Loung to leave their home. try and steal corn. He ended soldiers and killed, They went in separate directions though the family is up being ok. He again tries to but the two girls end up going to- not outright told that. steal corn but this time is Ma always has hope caught. He is beat but his life gether. They come across a camp Pa will come back. is spared. for girls and Loung continuously Loung and Ma defy gets into fights with other girls. the Khmer Rouge and eat baby shrimp when no one is looking.

1969-1970- U.S. bombing in Cambo- 1958- Great Leap For- dia- The U.S. was bombing the Ho Chi 1970- ousts ward- the Great Leap Minh trail that bordered Vietnam and Prince Sihanouk- Lon Forward was a cam- Cambodia. These bombings were paign led my Mao Tse called menu bombings. There were Nol led forces against Tung that included about 3,630 flights over Cambodia that Prince Sihanouk and making China a com- resulted in about 110,000 tons of was able to overthrow munist society. bombs being dropped. him and take power in 1970. August 1977- Food rations continue to increase. Met Bong approaches Loung May 1978- Food rations decrease again with “good news”. She is going to be and Loung goes to the infirmary. While taken to a different camp so she can there, she finds her family. All except train to be a soldier. When Loung is at Khouy is there. Eventually Loung is the camp she is told to stand guard dur- forced to leave to make room for other ing the night. people who are sick or injured.

November 1977- Loung goes to visit Ma and Geak at their camp. Ma tells Loung of a time that she tried to sell earrings to try and get food for Geak, but failed.

1970-1975- Lon Nol fights to 1973- U.S. leaves Viet- 1975- comes to power- ward off the Khmer Rouge- Not nam- after about 19 After winning against Lon Nol, long after Lon Nol overthrew years of war, The U.S. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge Prince Sihanouk, Pol Pot and the finally leaves Vietnam. took over Phnom Penh, the Khmer Rouge start to try to over- The U.S. military in- throw Lon Nol. Lon Nol continu- volvement ended on capital of Cambodia, and con- ously fights to keep them away August 15, 1973. tinued to rule as president. but fails in 1975. January 1979- The village is at- tacked by Youns, Loung instantly November 1978- Loung searches for the family that she has wakes up one morning with left. Once Kim, Chou, and Loung February 1979- The Khmer Rouge at- a feeling of dread and are reunited, they go to Pursat City tempts to attack the city. The grand- panic. She runs to her and see that the Vietnamese (Youns) mother of the family that the kids are mother’s village to find are there. The reunited children look staying with gets injured just above her that Ma and Geak were for a family to help care for them. ankle. Loung is forced to take food to her both killed. Upon returning They are put up with a family that a while she is in the hospital. When she to her village, Loung is son is someone Loung knew from arrives there, the grandmother is getting yelled at and slapped by one of the camps she was at. her bandages changed and Loung is Met Bong. asked to help do that. The grandmother accuses her of stealing. The children are then asked to leave that family. The chil- dren are with the new family as helpers to watch the younger kids. They are treated nicely. The Khmer Rouge attacks then. Meng and Khouy are both found and the three children go with them so they can all be together.

1975-1979- Rule of Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge- 1979-1989- Vietnamese take Phnom Penh- After the four year The rule of Pol Pot 1979- Pol Pot moves to Thai lasted about four years rule of Pol Pot, the Vietnamese border- Once Pol Pot saw until he fled to the jun- was able to get into Phnom Penh gles of Cambodia and and take it from Pol Pot. Once the that the Vietnamese was tak- later, in 1998, commit- Vietnamese had Phnom Penh, they ing Phnom Penh, both him ted suicide. set up a puppet government. and the rest of the Khmer Rouge moved over near the Thai border. April 1979- The older kids October 1979- Loung and Meng March 1979- Meng tells the other decide that it is time to leave go through Phnom Penh to get to kids that a Khmer Rouge soldier Pursat City and make their has been captured and given to way to Bat Deng again. The Vietnam. While with Eang’s fam- the people to decide what to do kids make it to Bat Deng and ily, Loung is taken to a salon to with him. Loung goes to the exe- Meng becomes married to a get her hair done. Meng, Eang, cution and witnesses all of it. girl named Eang. Meng finds and Loung go to live with one of a way to get out of Cambodia Eang’s sisters on a house boat. via Vietnam to . Later, they get onto a large boat They only have enough on their way to the Thai refugee money for two to go. Loung is chosen to go with Meng. camp. The boat is stopped by pi- rates and all the people on the boat are fed, but as they get back on their boat precious items are taken from them. They finally make it to the refugee camp. February 1980- Meng is baptized into the Chris- tian faith, more people get sponsors that way. The family is told they have to get a sponsor before they are able to go to America. It takes months before this happens. Finally on June 5, 1980 they get a sponsor. They then make their way to America.

1997- Pol Pot is given 1998- Pol Pot dies- Pol Pot up- Some of Pol Pot’s commits suicide but some say colleagues gave him up he was actually poisoned. to the authorities who were trying to find him.