From May 26 to May 30 2025, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) team, including Long Dany and Sok Vannak, traveled from Phnom Penh to Tbong Khmom Province. The purpose of the field trip was to search for witnesses who may have knowledge about POW/MIA cases in Kampong Cham Province (now Tbong Khmom Province) during the early 1970s. The DC-Cam team began their search in Memot Commune, Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province.
The team conducted interviews with three witnesses in the commune who had met and conversed with an American who had been detained by the Viet Cong close to the Cambodia-Vietnam border and later turned over to the Khmer Rouge in Memot District. At the Memot District Security Office in Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village, Memot Commune, Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province, the Khmer Rouge arrested the American. The witnesses further reported that, following the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power in 1975, he was transferred to another detention facility known as the Coffee Plantation Security Office, situated in Lo Village, Kampoan Commune, also within Memot District.
Between May 29 and 30, 2025, the research team conducted a field visit to Kampoan Commune, Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province. During this visit, the team interviewed four additional survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime. These survivors provided critical information regarding the American’s detention at the Coffee Plantation Security Office, as well as the specific location where the Khmer Rouge executed both the American and his wife.
In total, the DC-Cam team interviewed seven Khmer Rouge survivors who witnessed the POW/MIA case in Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province.
The following is a summary of the testimonies provided by seven Khmer Rouge era survivors who witnessed events related to the POW/MIA case in Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province:
1) Huon Khim
Huon Khim, an 80 year old male born in 1945, is originally from Romlech Village, Romchek Commune, Kampong Siem District, Kampong Cham Province. He currently resides in Kampoan Village, Kampoan Commune, Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province. His wife, Hak Ly Eng, is 68 years old, and together they have five children, including three daughters. His father, Huon Wang, passed away in 1991, and his mother, Vong Thy, died at the age of 66. Huon Khim is the third of five siblings, including two sisters.
During his childhood, Huon Khim attended school in Romlech village. After completing primary school, he successfully passed the entrance examination for high school and was admitted to Sihanoukville High School in Kampong Cham Province. However, due to financial hardship, he was forced to pause his studies for approximately six months in 1968. In mid 1968, his family made the decision to relocate in pursuit of better employment opportunities and cultivable land to support their livelihood. Following inquiries made by his father through acquaintances, they learned that Memot District offered abundant land suitable for agricultural development.
When Khim’s family first settled in Kampoan Village, only around ten families resided there, most of whom were of S’tieng ethnicity. The family cleared land and forested areas to cultivate agricultural crops, including rice, beans, and sesame. In addition to farming, they also worked as laborers on a French-operated rubber plantation, where a Vietnamese translator facilitated communication. Khim’s family, consisting of five members, cleared approximately one hectare of forest for rice cultivation.
In 1970, armed conflict erupted between Viet Cong forces and Thieu Ky troops along National Road 7, extending to Lo Village in Kampoan Commune. When the Viet Cong arrived in Kampoan Village, they took shelter in the surrounding forests and along streams at the village’s edge. Thieu Ky forces did not enter the village itself but remained stationed along National Road 7. American aircraft conducted bombing raids on the forested streams and rivers in an attempt to strike Viet Cong positions, though the village itself remained unaffected. During this period, Khim befriended a Viet Cong soldier who once brought him to see vegetable plots cultivated to supply the military. Through his interactions with the soldier, Khim acquired a basic understanding of the Vietnamese language.
In 1971, Khim was employed by the district army under the command of Pech Suon, the head of the Memot District military. During this period, the Viet Cong captured several Vietnamese and American soldiers and brought them to Kampoan Commune. Wounded Viet Cong soldiers were transported to Teuk Tum Hospital, the largest medical facility in Memot District, which was designated exclusively for Viet Cong personnel and villagers were strictly prohibited from entering.
Between 1971 and 1972, Khim learned that the Viet Cong had captured a Black American soldier, known locally as “A-Ye’s father,” and handed him over to the Khmer Rouge. The American was described as tall and physically strong. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge transferred him to the Coffee Plantation Security Office in Lo Village, Kampoan Commune, Memot District. The office was overseen by Kao Ban, who served as its chief.
In 1975, the Khmer Rouge evacuated 40 families from Phnom Penh to Kampoan Village due to the influx of people. Some evacuees stayed with local families, while others built huts in the forest. The commune chief at the time was Touch Lon. In Kampoan Commune, people were organized into work groups such as honey collectors (seven members), bamboo cutters (four members), and resin collectors (eight members). Every village in the commune was required to participate in labor. Throughout 1975 and 1976, Kampoan Village primarily focused on honey and resin collection, which were bartered for rice and fish from other districts in Region 21. On productive days, honey collection groups from Kampoan, Teuk Tum, and Lo villages could gather up to six tanks of honey (each tank holding 30 liters). After the collection, Khim was responsible for contacting Khmer Rouge cadres in Region 21 to arrange the exchange for food supplies. Due to the large number of evacuees, Kampoan Commune often faced food shortages. Once the cadres were notified, they would collect the honey and resin and return with rice and fish, which the cooperative leader would distribute to families based on household size. However, these supplies were frequently insufficient.
From 1976 to 1977, the Khmer Rouge assigned Khim to work in Lo Village and at the Coffee Plantation Security Office as part of a seven member unit. He noted that a surveillance group operated in the area, tasked with monitoring the villagers. Those suspected of disloyalty to Angkar, violating moral codes, or criticizing the regime were sent to the Coffee Plantation Security Office. In 1976, the facility held between 10 to 20 prisoners in which more serious cases were transferred to Sre Sangke Prison in Sok San Village, Romchek Commune, Memot District. Khim became acquainted with a guard at the Coffee Plantation Security Office named Ouk Ri, who informed him that prisoners were mainly fed porridge, with rice served only occasionally. Most detainees were accused of resisting Khmer Rouge control, violating moral conduct, or committing theft. The facility itself comprised five buildings for meetings and four buildings for housing prisoners and guards.
In 1978, Khmer Rouge soldiers from the Southwestern Zone arrived and began arresting and executing cadres at the village, commune, and district levels in Memot.
2) Tony Matt
Tony Matt, a 72 year old male of Cham ethnicity, was born in Chlong 1 Village, Kampoan Commune, Memot District, Kampong Cham Province. He currently resides in Prek Puoy Village, Korki Commune, Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province. His late wife, Kop Khamis, passed away in 2015 at the age of 62. Together, they had 11 children, including nine daughters, four of whom are still living. Two of their children died from illness during the Khmer Rouge regime. Matt’s father, Man Tony, also passed away in 2015, while his mother is Sos Mas. Matt is the eldest of 16 siblings, including two sisters.
During his early years, Matt attended So Ba Primary School, located in Chlong 1 Village, Kampoan Commune. After completing primary education, he continued his studies at Memot Secondary School.
Between 1970 and 1971, while still in secondary school, Matt met an American soldier known by the nickname “A-Ye’s father.” The soldier, who was Black and spoke a few words of Khmer, communicated with Matt through a combination of Khmer and French, as both spoke some French. Matt learned that the American had been captured by the Viet Cong and handed over to the Khmer Rouge in Memot district. Matt and the American often met on weekends, when the soldier walked along the streets of Sangkum Meanchey in Memot Commune. At that time, the American was approximately 30 years old, tall, physically robust, dark-skinned, and typically wore black shorts.
In 1972, planes began dropping bombs on Kampoan commune, and the Viet Cong engaged in combat with Thieu Ky forces along National Road No. 7. The Viet Cong established a strong presence throughout much of Kampoan Commune, including a substantial rice warehouse in So Hai Village (now Chlong 3 Village, Kampoan Commune), where rice was procured from the Khmer population. During a battle between Viet Cong and American forces along National Road No. 7, an American tank was destroyed near Chlong 3 Village and Salang Pi Village in Dar Commune, Memot District. Two months later, Matt visited Salang Pi Village and observed the remains of the tank at the site of the conflict.
In 1975, the Khmer Rouge evacuated Matt to Korki Commune, where he was forced to live and work in exile. At that time, the head of Korki Commune was Taing Soem. The Khmer Rouge resettled the Cham population among the Khmer residents. Under Taing Soem’s direction, Matt was tasked with establishing a woodworking workshop in Korki Commune. Subsequently, he joined a blacksmith team responsible for producing axes, knives, and various tools for cooperative use. Matt manufactured these items, which were then delivered to the base by the transport chief.
In 1976, Matt transported iron from the Coffee Plantation Security Office to Korki commune. While riding a cart, he encountered a prison guard at the security office who assisted him in loading the iron. The security office consisted of three sheds: a large central one flanked by two smaller structures. Inside, Matt observed handcuffs, chains, and wires. Heavy prisoners were kept outdoors in the middle of a field without shelter. During his visits, Matt met Ya, an ethnic Cham prisoner accused of rebellion on Koh Phal Island. Prisoners were classified into two categories: “minor-level prisoners,” who were held at the Coffee Plantation Security Office, and “serious-level prisoners,” who were transferred to the Sre Sangke Security Office, located in what is now Soksan Village, Romchek Commune, Memot District. Approximately 100 prisoners were detained at the Coffee Plantation Security Office, which was overseen by Ta Douch from Sralob Commune, Tboung Khmum District, together with Ta Sandek Dei from Kampong Som, Ta Ven from Romchek Village, Tat from Koh Kong, Kao Ban from Romchek Commune, and a guard named Sorn.
Matt made about ten trips delivering iron from the Coffee Plantation Security Office and three trips from Prek Puoy village to Korki commune. Each time he visited, he saw the American known as A-Ye’s father about 100 meters away. Although the American occasionally walked along the road, Matt did not engage him in conversation, focusing instead on loading the iron and returning promptly. Matt was acquainted with Sorn, a guard at the Coffee Plantation Security Office, who informed him that the American had been transferred by the Khmer Rouge from Sangkum Meanchey to the Coffee Plantation Security Office in 1975. Later, Matt lost track of the American and was unsure if he had been killed by the Khmer Rouge at the Coffee Plantation Security Office or elsewhere.
In 1978, the Khmer Rouge assigned Matt to work as a blacksmith in Sre Poul village, Memot district. During this time, Khmer Rouge soldiers from the Southwestern zone arrived and arrested several cadres in Memot district and Region 21, including the army commander, commune chief, and teachers. Matt, who was armed at the time, was advised by his godfather, Meas Huon, to discard his weapon and return to civilian life. He complied by throwing the gun into a canal and lived as an ordinary citizen until the arrival of Vietnamese soldiers. Subsequently, Matt was taken to Long Khanh, Vietnam, where he spent eight months learning war tactics, studying at night, and working as a blacksmith during the day, similar to his previous life in Cambodia.
3) Nuon Pov, also known as Khorn
Nuon Pov, also known as Khorn, a 70 year old male from the Stieng ethnic minority, was born in Lo Village, Kampoan Commune, Memot District, Kampong Cham Province. He currently lives in the same village and commune, now part of Tbong Khmom Province. His wife, Yun Yeoung, is 63 years old. They have seven children, including three daughters, all of whom have their own families. Khorn is the youngest of eleven siblings, including five sisters. His father, Yim, and his mother, Braech, both passed away in 1980.
As a child, Khorn attended school in Kampoan Commune until 1971, when bombings in Memot District forced all schools to close. Afterward, he helped his parents with farming in the rice fields of Lo Village.
In 1972, Khorn was appointed head of the militia unit in Lo Village, tasked with preventing Viet Cong infiltration amid fears of American airstrikes. At that time, the chief of Memot District, Ta Kungkea, was Khorn’s brother-in-law in which he was married to Yim Sen. Originally from Takeo Province, Ta Kungkea had moved to Memot District to work as a rubber plantation laborer during King Norodom Sihanouk’s reign. Touch Lun, from Kandaol Chrum in Ponhea Krek District, served as the commune chief of Kampoan. Khorn’s father, Yim, had previously been head of the Khmer Issarak in Memot District.
In early 1973, Khorn encountered an American referred to as “A-Ye’s father” for the first time at the Coffee Plantation Security Office in Lo Village. Although the American was not formally detained, he was permitted to move freely and carry out his work without restriction. During one of Khorn’s visits to the security office, while engaged in cooking duties, he also took a shower alongside the American, who was dressed in civilian attire. At that time, the Coffee Plantation Security Office held only a small number of prisoners; however, by 1975, the prisoner population had increased substantially. Consequently, the Khmer Rouge divided the security office into two distinct sections: one for minor-level prisoners and another for more serious-level prisoners, who were transferred to Sre Sangke Prison.
In 1973, the Khmer Rouge initiated the registration and forced repatriation of Vietnamese nationals to Vietnam. Cambodians married to Vietnamese spouses faced a difficult choice: to remain in Cambodia or to accompany their partners to Vietnam. A man named Rai, who was married to a Vietnamese woman, attempted to leave with her. Tragically, upon reaching the Cham River, she was forcibly thrown into the water. Rai also fell into the river but was miraculously saved from drowning by a floating ripe coconut. During this period, many other Vietnamese nationals lost their lives in the Cham River.
In 1974, Khorn encountered the American, known as A-Ye’s father, once again in Sangkum Meanchey Chas village, Memot commune. He observed that the American’s wife was Vietnamese, petite, and slender although Khorn had never met their son, A-Ye. At that time, the American was in his thirties, and his wife was of a similar age. Khorn met the American while accompanying his brother-in-law, Ta Dauch, an economist at the Memot District Security Office. Ta Dauch, a native of Dambe District and married to Khorn’s sister Yim Min, traveled with Khorn to Sangkum Meanchey Chas village to collect soap bars produced by the American for the economic department of the Memot District Security Office. Khorn visited the American twice in 1974 for this purpose, and during these visits, he and Ta Dauch shared lunch with the American, whose wife prepared the meal. In 1975, Khorn learned that the Khmer Rouge had transferred the American and his wife back to the Coffee Plantation Security Office, though he never saw them again. Khorn also met Yin Sophy, the head of the Security Office of Region 21, on one occasion through his brother-in-law’s connections with senior cadres, as Ta Dauch served as chief of the Memot district committee.
In late 1976, Vietnamese soldiers launched an attack on Lo village, Kampoan commune. At the time, Khorn was in a nearby forest. After the gunfire subsided, he and other forces emerged, believing the Vietnamese had retreated. Upon reaching the village, they were captured along with four others: Rim, Eng, and two individuals from Mek Puk village. Following the attack, the Khmer Rouge forces and the residents of Lo village fled to Pnov village. Khorn was taken by the Vietnamese soldiers to the border for interrogation. A Vietnamese soldier, struggling with the Khmer language, questioned Khorn about his affiliation, threatening to shoot him if he did not confess. Khorn maintained that he was an ordinary citizen with no ties to the Khmer Rouge. Despite his insistence, the soldiers did not believe him and detained him at the border for approximately two weeks.
In 1977, Khorn was transferred to Long Yao in Vietnam, where he underwent training in military strategies and learned Vietnamese. During this period, he was required to wear striped pants and shirts. After approximately three months, he was relocated to Tay Ninh province, near the Cambodia-Vietnam border. The Vietnamese intended to send him back to Cambodia to fight against the Khmer Rouge, but Khorn declined due to health concerns. During the rainy season of 1979, Khorn was transported by a Vietnamese military truck to Stung commune in Ponhea Krek district, with instructions to return to his hometown. From there, he traveled back to Lo village, Kampoan commune, Memot district.
In 1982, Khorn married Yang Yoeung. Following their marriage, he served as a militia member in Lo village until 1998, when the government initiated a nationwide weapon surrender operation to collect civilian weapons.
During the 1990s, Khorn met Kao Ban, also known as Ta Boeun or Ta Ban, who had been the head of the Coffee Plantation Security Office. Ta Ban recounted the story of the American soap maker from Sangkum Meanchey Chas village, revealing that both the American and his wife were brutally beaten to death by the Khmer Rouge at the Coffee Plantation Security Office. To the west of the plantation were two large burial pits for prisoners: one for general detainees, and a smaller pit within the pepper plantation where the American and his wife were buried.
Between 1995 and 1996, Ta Ban was killed in the forest by individuals seeking retribution for the deaths of their families during the Khmer Rouge era.
4) Yeun Theng
Yeun Theng, also known as Preceptor Mang, is an 86 year old male born in Taram Village, Chong Cheach Commune, Dambe District, Kampong Cham Province. He currently resides in Lo Village, Kampoan Commune, Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province. His wife, Suon Saroeun, is 79 years old and was born in Romchek Commune, Memot District. The couple has one son. Mang’s father, Yen Buoch, passed away 30 years ago, while his mother, Prak Ao, died during the French colonial period. He has five siblings, including two sisters, and is the second eldest child in the family.
In his youth, Mang attended Chong Cheach School before ordaining at a local temple to study literature and the Dhamma. In 1960, he was ordained as a monk and began teaching both monks and students at Chong Cheach Temple. He later continued his education at Suong High School and successfully passed the Khmer literature teacher examination in 1962. In 1964, Mang disrobed and subsequently taught students and monks at Chong Cheach Primary School.
In 1966, Mang made three visits to Lo Village, Kampoan Commune, Memot District, to see his father. During his first visit, he encountered guerrilla fighters affiliated with the Khmer Issarak movement. On his second visit, he met Ta Chin, the local Khmer Issarak leader in Kampoan Commune. He also returned to Chong Cheach Commune, Dambe District, where a respected teacher named Sum had reportedly been poisoned by his own students. On his third visit, Ta Chin issued a cryptic warning to Mang: “If you enter, don’t leave. If you leave, don’t enter. Be careful not to disappear!”
In 1968, Mang chose to settle permanently in Lo Village with his father and married Suon Saroeun. He began working alongside his wife in agriculture, tending to fields and farms.
On March 8, 1970, Ta Chin urged Mang to join a political demonstration, but Mang declined. His father, however, participated along with other villagers under Ta Chin’s leadership. The demonstration was marked by the chant: “Long live Samdech Ov! Those who do not attend will have their houses burned down.” During the protest, gunfire broke out, prompting Mang’s father to flee home. At the time, the local movement, under guerrilla control, sought to rally villagers against the feudal regime. Decision-making power rested entirely with the insurgents. Keo Samrub served as the chief of Romchek Commune, with Mang acting as his assistant, responsible for maintaining population statistics. Following the protest, both Ta Chin and his son were apprehended by government forces and subsequently disappeared.
The Memot District Security Office was initially established in Kampoan Village, with Ta Kungkea serving as the head of the Memot District Committee. The office was later relocated to a coffee plantation, where Kao Ban assumed leadership as the chief of security. Other key personnel included Ta Sandek Dei, Ta Dauch, and Sarun. Individuals accused of serious offenses were transferred to Sre Sangke Prison, where they were subjected to forced labor such as tree felling, stump removal, and rice cultivation.
Mang served as a commune assistant, responsible for overseeing local population affairs in accordance with the party line. He remained obedient to directives from higher authorities and refrained from challenging the established hierarchy. Although he never entered the Coffee Plantation Security Office, Mang was assigned to the Lo Village Cooperative in Kampoan Commune. While he was tasked with ensuring that residents received three meals per day, in practice, they were only provided with two—typically a thin porridge mixed with cassava or bananas. Much of the rice produced by the community was requisitioned by authorities, with only a minimal portion left for planting and subsistence.
Mang was authorized by the Memot District Committee to work across both Romchek and Kampoan Communes. During his service, he observed a foreign national, reportedly an American known by the nickname “A-Ye’s father”, tending cattle near the Coffee Plantation Security Office. The individual, who was not under detention, was described as approximately 1.90 meters tall and dressed in black. At the time, evacuees from Phnom Penh were temporarily residing at Mang’s home and joined communal meal gatherings. Although Mang did not speak with the man directly, he observed him from a distance while traveling through Lo Village. The American was not seen again after a significant military offensive was launched by Vietnamese forces.
Following the fall of Phnom Penh in 1979, Mang returned to his home and resumed agricultural work, focusing on rice farming and crop replanting. He later claimed and cleared land in the area where the Coffee Plantation Security Office had once stood. While digging a well in search of clean water for his fields, Mang unearthed human skeletal remains, including skulls. Upon making the discovery, he immediately ceased excavation and reported the findings to local village and commune authorities. In the 2000s, a joint team of American and Cambodian researchers conducted a recovery operation at the site, during which 47 bodies were exhumed from the well on Mang’s property using helicopters.
5) Soch Kim
Soch Kim, an 83 year old male, born in Stung Village, Popel Commune, Tbong Khmom District, Kampong Cham Province. He currently resides in Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village, Memot Commune, Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province. His father’s name is Soch Dim, and his mother’s name is Mom Se. Kim is the second of five siblings, including three sisters. He is married to Ma Kim Heng, and together they have eight children, three of whom are daughters.
During his childhood, Kim attended Suong Secondary School and successfully graduated. He had intended to continue his education in Phnom Penh, however, due to financial constraints, he was forced to discontinue his studies in 1964. Following this, Kim left his hometown to work as a carpenter in Kirirom, Kampong Speu Province. After spending over a year there, he relocated to Preah Sihanouk Province, where he assembled tractors at Khleang Leu Market. Subsequently, Kim transitioned from tractor assembly to entrepreneurship, establishing a private business through which he purchased rice from local farmers and sold it to a rice factory in Pursat Province.
In 1969, Kim married in Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village, Memot Commune, Memot District. Following his marriage, he stopped working as a rice transporter and returned to manage his wife’s farm. While he was able to cultivate sufficient food to support his family, he found that the income from the farm was insufficient compared to the profits he had previously earned as a rice transporter.
In 1970, Memot District was subjected to bombing raids, during which Kim and his family sought refuge in a shelter, rarely leaving it. Notably, many villagers did not evacuate despite the B-52 bombings. In 1971, Kim encountered an American referred to as A-Ye’s father, who had a son with curly hair. The American was married to a Khmer Krom woman who spoke Khmer and resided in Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village. The American frequently visited Kim’s home in search of food.
According to Kim, Mai Pho, the Khmer Rouge leader in Memot District, detained A-Ye’s father at the local security office located in Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village. The security personnel there were identified as Ban, Heng, and Dauch, although Kim was uncertain as to who served as the head of the office.
In late 1975, the Khmer Rouge relocated the security office from Sangkum Meanchey Village to the Coffee Plantation Security Office in Kampoan Commune, Memot District. A-Ye’s father was transferred to this new location along with Ban, Dauch, and Heng. During this period, the Khmer Rouge assigned Kim to work at an industrial unit in Peam Chaing, Ou Reang Ov District, under the supervision of Lun.
In 1976, while transporting iron to Memot District, Kim encountered Kach and Reth, both residents of Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village. Kach served as the head of a small cell, and Reth was a member. Both were later arrested by the Khmer Rouge on charges of a moral offense. Kim later received no information regarding their fate following their arrest.
In 1978, the American soldier was executed by the Khmer Rouge at the Coffee Plantation Security Office in Lo Village, Kampoan Commune, Memot District. Kim learned of this tragic event from Se, a guard at the Meanchey Social Security Office, who has since passed away.
6) Kung Sary
Kung Sary, an 85 year old male, currently resides in Tboung Wat Village, Memot Commune, Memot District, Tbong Khmom Province. He was born in Angkor Mean Yos Village, Prek Anteh Commune, Por Rieng District, Prey Veng Province. His father, Sok Kung, passed away during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era, while his mother died during his early childhood. Sary is the eldest of four siblings, including two younger sisters. His wife, Put Samoeun, passed away three years ago. Together, they had eleven children, five of whom are daughters.
During his childhood, Sary pursued his studies at Mesa Preahchan Krom Pagoda under the guidance of the first deputy chief monk. He later continued his education at Tral Pagoda in Kampong Ampil Commune, Pea Reang District, Prey Veng Province. Sary completed the 8th grade under the old education system in 1956. Shortly thereafter, both of his parents passed away. Following their deaths, he decided to leave his hometown and traveled on foot to Tboung Wat Village, Memot Commune, Memot District. Upon arrival, he encountered a friend who was employed on a French-owned rubber plantation as a grass cutter, and it was through this friend that Sary began working and settled in Tboung Wat Village.
In 1960, at the age of 17, Sary married. His wife was also employed on a French rubber plantation. Prior to their marriage, Sary had befriended Cheng Chak, a French ambulance driver who was his future wife’s brother-in-law. One year after getting married, Sary began cultivating durian and rambutan trees in Khnangkrapeu Lech Village, Tramung Commune, Memot District.
On March 18, 1970, a coup took place in Memot District. Sary learned through radio broadcasts that residents were fleeing into the forests to join the resistance against Lon Nol’s forces. Amid the unrest and panic in the Memot market, many villagers abandoned their homes. Sary subsequently joined armed forces positioned along the Cambodian–Vietnamese border in Choam Kravien Commune, Memot District, where he became affiliated with the Viet Cong’s C20 division. Initially equipped only with a knife and a scarf, he later received a firearm. At that time, two C20 division units operated in Choam Kravien Commune, each comprising 20 members and led by Sao Phuc, who was responsible for managing logistics and supplies. Sary underwent military training that included exercises in running, crawling, and jumping. After three months, Vietnamese forces assigned him to transport weapons to soldiers stationed in the jungle. When his wife was nearing childbirth, he requested leave from his duties to assist her and care for their newborn child. Later that same year, his brother-in-law Chak, who had been employed as a truck driver for the French, transporting rice for the Thieu Ky forces was killed by a landmine.
In 1971, Thieu Ky soldiers launched an offensive that resulted in the destruction of both the upper and lower Viet Cong strongholds. Following this, Sary withdrew from military activities and turned to civilian life, transporting pineapples for sale at Prek Sandak. During one of his deliveries, he encountered a checkpoint manned by American and Thieu Ky soldiers at Phlak Samrong in Memot District. His vehicle was searched for weapons, however, upon finding only pineapples, the soldiers allowed him to proceed. Sary recalled that the American troops included both white and black soldiers, and that numerous tanks were stationed along National Road 7.
By 1972, Sary was residing in Tboung Wat Village and continued his pineapple deliveries to Prek Sandak. During this period, Memot District was subjected to multiple bombing raids, resulting in the crash of two helicopters due to Viet Cong fire. One helicopter crashed behind Bun Rany Hun Sen Primary School within the French rubber plantation area of Memot town, while the other went down in Bos Village, Roung Commune. The American pilot of the latter helicopter parachuted to safety. The helicopter’s chair and pilot landed in Khnang Krapeu Village. Subsequently, the wreckage of both helicopters, both of the same model, was recovered and transported to Phnom Penh.
Between 1972 and 1973, Sary encountered a Black American soldier who was married to a Khmer Krom (Vietnamese) woman and had a child with her. The villagers referred to him as “A-Ye’s father.” This soldier was notably tall and strong, reputedly able to lift 100 kilograms of rice. During this time, Sam An, a customs officer from the former regime, engaged in conversation with the American soldiers in English, which Sary overheard but could not understand. Their interactions were punctuated by mutual nods of acknowledgment.
A-Ye’s father was captured by the Viet Cong and then handed over to the Khmer Rouge security forces. He was initially detained at the Memot District Security Office located in Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village, Memot Commune. Later, Sary learned that the American soldier had been transferred to the Coffee Plantation Security Office, also known as the Sre Sangke Security Office, in Kampoan Commune, where he was later executed by the Khmer Rouge.
In 1975, Sary participated in a cooperative in Tboung Wat Village, which involved the entire local population. The cooperative was overseen by a man named Chheang from Ponhea Krek District, while Ta Son served as the head of Memot Commune.
In 1976, the Khmer Rouge assigned Sary to labor in Tboung Wat Village, where he was engaged in digging canals and closing rice fields. Despite being part of the cooperative, his diet consisted solely of rice, with little to no access to nutritious food. He worked diligently under harsh conditions with no rest.
In 1978, Southwestern soldiers arrived in Memot District and arrested Khmer Rouge cadres, former Lon Nol soldiers, and teachers, accusing the local population of being Vietnamese born Khmer. These individuals were taken for “re-education” by the Khmer Rouge, although many never returned. During this period, the Khmer Rouge forcibly relocated Sary and his family from Tboung Wat Village to Pea Reang District, Prey Veng Province, where he was assigned to cultivate rice and vegetables in Prek Champa for approximately three months until the arrival of Vietnamese forces.
Throughout the Khmer Rouge regime, Sary suffered the loss of a brother-in-law who had served as a Khmer Rouge soldier.
7) Chhim Neang
Chhim Neang, a 70 year old woman born in Sangkum Meanchey Chas village, Memot commune, Memot district, Kampong Cham province. She currently resides in Sangkum Meanchey Chas village, Memot commune, Memot district, Tbong Khmom province. Neang is married to Che Phon and they have five children, including three daughters.
As a child, Neang attended school in Memot for three years, however, her education was interrupted in 1970 due to civil unrest. At the time, Thieu Ky forces were known to forcibly take young women as brides whenever they encountered someone deemed attractive. Aware of this danger, Neang’s mother forbade her from leaving the house whenever Thieu Ky troops entered the village. Their home was situated in a quiet area with few residents, as most villagers had gone into hiding either in the forest or in underground shelters.
During a communal meal, Neang witnessed Khmer Rouge soldiers arrest a Black American man, who was subsequently detained at the Memot District Security Office in Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village, Memot Commune, Memot District. The man had a child named A-Ye, approximately seven years old, and a Khmer Krom wife, both of whom remained with him at the security office. Neang recalled that the American had once come to her house to request beef skin to eat.
After the Khmer Rouge evacuated the population of Phnom Penh to Memot District in 1975, all detainees held at the Memot District Security Center in Sangkum Meanchey Chas Village were relocated. During this period, Neang was assigned by the Khmer Rouge to work in various locations, including rice fields and agricultural sites. While she was part of a mobile labor unit clearing grass at a coffee plantation in Kampoan Commune, Memot District, she observed the American detainee, who had been ordered by the Khmer Rouge to cut tree stumps in the same area. Although Neang recognized him from a distance, no interaction occurred, as communication between men and women was strictly prohibited under Khmer Rouge rule.
Challenges
During this field trip, the DC-Cam team faced a few challenges:
1. The rainy season made it very difficult for the team to reach the sites due to poor road conditions, mud, dense forest, and privately owned farmlands.
2. Many Khmer Rouge survivors are elderly and suffer from memory loss. Additionally, several key survivors who could provide valuable information have passed away due to advanced age. As a result, the team must seek out additional survivors in various locations and conduct supplementary interviews to verify and corroborate the information.
3. The crimes and crime sites occurred more than 50 years ago, making it challenging to identify accurate killing sites.
DC-Cam Field Trip Report: Memot District, Tbong Khmum Province
Photos by Sok Vannak
May 26 and 30, 2025
Documentation Center of Cambodia Archives