A HIstoRy Of Anlong Veng CommunIty A wedding in Anlong Veng in the early 1990s. (Cover photo) Aer Vietnamese forces entered Cambodia in 1979, many Khmer Rouge forces scaered to the jungles, mountains, and border areas. Mountain 1003 was a prominent Khmer Rouge military base located within the Dangrek Mountains along the Cambodian-Thai border, not far from Anlong Veng. From this military base, the Khmer Rouge re-organized and prepared for the long struggle against Vietnamese and the People’s Republic of Kampuchea government forces. Eventually, it was from this base, Khmer Rouge forces would re-conquer and sele Anlong Veng in early 1990 (and a number of other locations) until their re-integration into Cambodian society in late 1998. In many ways, life in Anlong Veng was as difficult and dangerous as it was in Mountain 1003. As one of the KR strongholds, Anlong Veng served as one of the key launching points for Khmer Rouge guerrilla operations in Cambodia, and it was subject to constant aacks by Cambodian government forces. Despite the perilous circumstances and harsh environment, the people who lived in Anlong Veng endeavored, whenever possible, to re-connect with and maintain their rich cultural heritage. Tossed from the seat of power in 1979, the Khmer Rouge were unable to sustain their rigid ideo- logical policies, particularly as it related to community and family life. During the Democratic Movement of the Khmer Rouge Final Stronghold Kampuchea regime, 1975–79, the Khmer Rouge prohibited the traditional Cambodian wedding ceremony. Weddings were arranged by Khmer Rouge leaders and cadre, who oen required mass ceremonies, with lile regard for tradition or individual distinction. Over time the harsh policies and practices that pervaded life under the Democratic Kampuchea regime gave way to the cul- tural practices of generations past. The cover picture, which shows a woman in a wedding dress, is one example of this trend. Khieu Rom’s wedding is a symbol, not only of a struggling life, but also the resilience of Cambodian traditions. On her le, her aunt Ken Nim helped arrange her wedding, including the preparation of the Khmer traditional wedding gown. Ken Nim and her husband Nup Socheat, a former KR military commander of the Division 980 in Anlong Veng, continue to remember this time period. The couple joined the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s and stayed with the movement up until the 1998 integration of all KR forces into the Royal Government of Cambodia. Nim passed away in 2013; however her story and this photo remain a priceless teaching tool for the young generations to come. DY KHAMBOLY] and CHRISTOPHER DEARING and CHRISTOPHER KHAMBOLY] DY A HIstoRy Of the Anlong Veng CommunIty The Final Stronghold of the Khmer Rouge Movement DY KHAMBOLY CHRISTOPHER DEARING Documentation Series No. 20 in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Kingdom of Cambodia 1 2 A HIstoRy Of the Anlong Veng CommunIty The Final Stronghold of the Khmer Rouge Movement DY KHAMBOLY CHRISTOPHER DEARING Documentation Series No. 20 in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Kingdom of Cambodia i Copyright © 2014 by the Sleuk Rith Institute/ Documentation Center of Cambodia and the Ministry of Tourism. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any informa- tion storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Sleuk Rith Institute (SRI)/ Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) P.O. Box 1110, Phnom Penh, Cambodia | Tel.: +855 (23) 211-875 | Fax.: +855 (23) 210-358 [email protected] | dccam.org | cambodiatribunal.org | cambodiasri.org Concept and Book Design Artistic concept © 2014 by Youk Chhang Photo selection and caption © 2014 by Christopher Dearing and Khamboly Dy Graphic design © 2014 cover: Yvonne Wong Design; text: James Wawrzewski, Ludlow6 CAMBODIA: GENOCIDE EDUCATION IS GENOCIDE PREVENTION Printed in Cambodia, 2014 //DISCLAIMER// The views expressed in this book represent the opinions of the authors only and do not reflect the position of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Sleuk Rith Institute or the Documentation Center of Cambodia. Funding for this project was generously provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). ii Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................1 Aknowledgements........................................................................3 Abbreviations ............................................................................5 Introduction..............................................................................9 Chapter 1: Anlong Veng Early History.................................................... 11 Chapter 2: The Rise of the Communist Movement & Early Arrival of the Khmer Rouge in Anlong Veng.............................................21 Chapter 3: Anlong Veng under the Khmer Rouge ........................................29 Chapter 4: The Khmer Rouge: Defeat & Escape...........................................35 Chapter 5: Anlong Veng Under Vietnamese Control .....................................43 Chapter 6: The Khmer Rouge Re-Organization...........................................47 Chapter 7: Guerrilla War and People’s War...............................................53 Chapter 8: Life on the Mountain ......................................................... 61 Chapter 9: Anlong Veng: The Last Khmer Rouge Stronghold.............................73 Chapter 10: The Legacy of Ta Mok .......................................................87 Chapter 11: The Beginning of the End ...................................................101 Chapter 12: The Dispute between Pol Pot and Ta Mok...................................105 Chapter 13: The Arrest and Trial of Pol Pot...............................................111 Chapter 14: The 1998 Re-Integration into the Royal Government of Cambodia...........115 Chapter 15 Anlong Veng in Retrospect.................................................. 129 Chapter 16: Stories ...................................................................... 143 Epilogue ................................................................................ 149 Notes . 151 Author’s Biographies ................................................................... 176 iii iv Foreword Books are like people in the sense that we o¦en associate them with certain se§ings. For example, religious books gravitate to places of worship, thick academic books find their way in schools and libraries, and short fictional pieces will o¦en accompany the office worker or traveler as a means of escape from the daily routine or commute. Books can inform, cultivate, and inspire. They serve as the seeds of our imagination—a lesson Cambodians have forgo§en amidst the endless stream of modern technology. I think it is good for authors to take the circumstances of se§ing into account, particularly if they are going to truly match their work to the target audience. I see this book being read outside near a historic site or in a classroom not far from the Anlong Veng region and its people. This se§ing makes sense particularly because the authors clearly intended to focus on the human element of the Khmer Rouge movement. Focusing on people rather than groups, circumstances, or events, has its benefits as well as its dis- advantages. The benefit of this focus is it reveals the complexity of the human soul amidst war, atrocity, and social upheaval. The disadvantage of this approach is we are exposed to the uncom- fortable reality that perpetrators have faces like our own, and we must make a choice. All crimes are commi§ed by human beings, and it can be difficult for the victims of crimes (as well as their offspring and family) to recognize this fact because it is beyond their imagination. There is an inherent need to disassociate the perpetrators of crimes, their accomplices, as well as their fam- ily members from the rest of society. This response only seems just given the horrible costs that society must repay as it moves forward. However, in the long term, this approach is not the answer. In order for Cambodia to move forward, we must face the difficult fact that the Khmer Rouge were human beings too. If history is truly to be an effective guide to the future, then we must also recognize the unceasing need to study all aspects of our past, including the ones that are troubling and difficult to explain. Justice cannot be served in a state of ignorance, and healing and reconciliation only become genu- ine if we are willing to see each other as human beings. This book will help in these endeavors, but it is only one small piece of a much wider struggle to find justice in Cambodia. We need the beginning to search for an end, if any. It has been over fi¦een years since peace descended on Anlong Veng, but we would be mindful to note that peace and jus- tice must go hand-in-hand for a society to move forward. The future of Cambodia will depend on how well we recognize and appreciate this fact as individuals, communities, and a Nation. ~ HIS EXCELLENCY, DR. THONG Khon, Minister of Tourism 1 2 Acknowledgements The research, writing and publication of this book would not have been possible without the inspiration, assistance, and suggestions from a number of individuals and organiza- tions. First, we wish to present our special thanks to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for providing