Between June 23 and 27, 2025, the DC-Cam team, including Chhum Ra and Long Dany, conducted a field trip to Snuol District in Kratie Province. The objectives of the trip were as follows:
1. To visit Khmer Rouge survivors in the Snuol Khmsoem and Svay Chreh communes of Snuol district, Kratie province.
2. To collect stories from Khmer Rouge survivors.
3. To gather information related to POW/MIA case numbers 1722 and 1727, as well as two helicopter crash sites, one in Krasaing Village and the other in the Chhlong River, both located in Snuol District, Kratie Province.
During the field trip, the DC-Cam interviewed nine Khmer Rouge survivors who either witnessed or had knowledge of the helicopter crashes and the POW/MIA cases numbered 1722 and 1727. The group consisted of individuals from four ethnic backgrounds: four Khmer, two S’tieng, two Kuoy, and one Phnong.
Please see the summary of the nine interviews below:
Meang Ret, a 70-year-old male from the S’tieng-Kuoy ethnic group, resides in Krasaing village, Snuol commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. He was born in Krasaing village and is married to Yun Chan, a 69-year-old S’tieng woman. Together, they have six children: four daughters and two sons. Ret’s father, Eang Meang, belongs to the Kuy ethnic group, while his mother, Kung Nhim, is from the S’tieng ethnic group. Ret is the fourth of seven siblings, which includes two sisters.
Before the civil war, Krasaing Village was home to approximately ten families from the S’tieng, Kuoy, and Phnong ethnic groups. As a child, Ret attended Krasaing Primary School, where his teacher was Nut Sok. He later moved to live with his brother, a monk at Rumpuk Pagoda in Svay Chreh Commune, and continued his studies in Rumpuk Village from 1967 until the 1970 coup. Ret completed the 10th grade (under the old system) and received instruction in Dharma and discipline. The head monk at the pagoda encouraged him to be ordained; however, political unrest following protests Lon Nol, who overthrew King Norodom Sihanouk, led Ret to return to his home in Krasaing Village.
During this period of intense conflict, American planes bombed and set fire to homes in Krasaing Village, targeting areas such as Sre Kuoy, Sre Poun, Sre Thlak, and Krasaing itself. The bombings left craters scattered throughout the village. In 1971, American aircraft engaged in a weeklong exchange of fire with Viet Cong troops in Krasaing Village. Ret and the villagers fled to Daun Mea village in Svay Chreh commune, crossing the Chlong River in search of safety. The distance from Krasaing village to Daun Mea village is approximately 10 kilometers. At that time, Viet Cong forces were present in both the water and land of Snuol district, with their camp located at Prek Chroap in Krasaing village.
Ret witnessed American and Thieu-Ky helicopters landing in the rice fields of Krasaing village. Subsequently, the Viet Cong attacked, resulting in the crash of two American helicopters. One helicopter went down at Prek Chroap, about two kilometers west of Krasaing village, while the other crashed in a rice field 200 to 300 meters east of the village, near a pine tree, a buffalo pond, and a rice field. Ret observed the helicopter explode, likely due to Viet Cong fire. The Viet Cong surrounded Krasaing village, exchanging gunfire from their fortifications in Snuol district and launching bombs on the village.
During this period, Ret and other villagers would venture out to hunt for meat and fish, using hunting dogs to find turtles, tortoises, and seeds for cooking. Farming activities ceased due to the bombings. Ret’s father, who spoke Vietnamese, was sent by the Viet Cong to retrieve canned fish and supplies after the helicopter crash, in case any food remained. Ret saw clothing and an American soldier’s hat among the debris. Some Viet Cong soldiers spoke Khmer, but Ret’s father knew Vietnamese from his previous work transporting rice, yams, and vegetables to the Viet Cong in the jungle and along creeks, where they built fortifications in Cambodian territory. Ret accompanied his father until they encountered the Viet Cong, who spoke with his father while Ret watched the cow’s graze.
Later, Ret and villagers named Sophan, Met and Hoeun visited the helicopter crash site in the rice field and playfully spun the helicopter’s propeller. When another helicopter approached the crash site, they quickly retreated. Ret overheard the Viet Cong soldiers discussing the fate of an American soldier who had died and another who had been captured alive. In the following days and months, the Viet Cong informed Ret about another helicopter crash at Prek Chroap, which resulted in the deaths of three Americans. Fearing the bodies would decompose, the Viet Cong buried them in a pit next to the helicopter.
In 1971, Ret joined the Khmer Rouge and began campaigning in the villages. His first stop was Svay Chreh village, where he encouraged people to enter the Maki Forest to form a resistance force. By 1972, Ret was stationed in Snuol district under the leadership of Sean and Dek.
In 1973, the Khmer Rouge sent Ret to engage in combat at Phnom Baset. During this time, they recruited 110 soldiers: 30 from Snuol district, 30 from Sambor district, and 50 from the surrounding region. This group became known as the 110th Corp, led by commanders named Kan and Ken.
After the Khmer Rouge liberated Phnom Penh in 1975, the 110th Corp was reassigned to the Kratie region. They were tasked with closing the dam at Stung Svay, cultivating rice fields, raising the dam, and constructing a rice lighting system. The 110th Corp eventually evolved into the Kratie Regional Defense Corps, which included leaders Ta Kuan, Yi, Ta Yem, and Ta Kang. Ret served as a messenger for Ta Kuan, Ta Yi, and Ta Kang, delivering letters to the district committee by bicycle.
Later, Southwestern soldiers arrested members of the Kratie regional committee, including the Defense Corp and cadres in Snuol, Sambor, and Kratie districts. The leaders of the Southwestern forces in the Kratie region included Moeun, Khon, Oeung, Rum, and Leang.
By the end of 1977, Ret escaped back to Krasaing village. He was assigned by the head cooperative to work in a mobile unit, focusing on rice fields, digging canals, and building dams. In 1978, the Khmer Rouge evacuated Ret and the residents of Krasaing Village to Sambor District in Kratie Province and later relocated them to Baray and Santuk districts in Kampong Thom Province. In 1979, Ret returned to Krasaing Village.
My name is Khieu Tith, a 71-year-old male of Kraol-S’tieng ethnicity, born in Ta Saom village, Svay Chreh commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. I currently reside in Ta Pum village, within the same commune and district. I have seven siblings, four of whom are female. My mother, Phi But, passed away in 2005, and my father, Khieu Khut, died in 2010. My mother, a member of the S’tieng ethnic group, was born in Snuol district, while my father was of the Kraol ethnic group. I have eight children with my first wife, three of whom are daughters, and one child with my second wife.
As a child, I attended Svay Chreh School until the 9th grade. I left school before 1970 and worked on the farm with my mother until that year.
In 1971, I served as a militiaman with the Viet Cong for one year. During my service, I traveled to meet the Viet Cong in Krasaing village, Snuol commune, Snuol district. There were three groups of militiamen in Svay Chreh commune fighting against the Lon Nol and South Vietnamese soldiers. One day, while delivering rice from Krapum village to the Viet Cong in Krasaing village, we encountered Thieu Ky and American soldiers, prompting us to flee. Later, a plane crashed in Prek Te and then in Svay Chreh commune. I witnessed Viet Cong carrying their injured soldiers for medical treatment.
Subsequently, another helicopter crashed in the Chhlong River near the Anlong Veng (Peam Phtav) point. About five days later, the Americans attempted to locate their soldiers, but the Viet Cong launched a fierce attack, preventing them from doing so.
Later, Ta Vorn, So Oeun, and I went boating on the Chhlong River, where we discovered clothing and human remains including leg, thigh, and calf bones, with some flesh still attached, entangled in a tree. At the time, the area was densely forested and inhabited by various reptiles. We found the remains, believed to be those of American soldiers, approximately 500 to 700 meters from the helicopter crash site. The helicopter had struck a large tree along the riverbank. I disposed of the bones in the water, about two meters from the shore.
Separately, Ta Phatt and his son, Ny, also encountered the decomposing bodies of American soldiers while fishing in the Chhlong River.
While serving as a militiaman in Svay Chreh, I witnessed the Viet Cong capture two American soldiers, marching them from Krasaing village across Svay Chreh at night, one of whom was wounded and unable to walk.
From 1973 to 1974, I joined the Khmer Rouge in Snuol district and later became a soldier in the Kratie regional military unit, under the command of Ta Kuan, Ta Yi, and Ta Kang. The Kratie regional military unit comprised the 140th, 150th, and 160th battalions. I was part of the 140th battalion, 93rd company, commanded by Sothea and Sour. At one point, while my unit was transplanting rice, the Vietnamese army came and took all our crops. We subsequently fought against Vietnam, resulting in many casualties.
Later, Khmer Rouge Central soldiers arrived in Snuol, arresting Ta Yi and Ta Kuon, accusing them of treason. At that time, the Central soldiers and the Kratie regional soldiers were stationed along the Cambodia-Vietnam border. Almost all the soldiers in a truck perished, except for me and a few others. I sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and the Khmer Rouge sent me to a hospital in Phnom Penh, where I remained for over a month before requesting to be discharged to return home.
I later took a canoe to Kratie town. The following day, I was arrested and detained overnight by the Khmer Rouge. They later claimed it was a mistake and released me. I remained with a military unit in Kratie town until the arrival of the Vietnamese forces and the United Front for the National Salvation of Kampuchea, at which point I fled.
In 1979, I married my wife in Bos Leav Village and subsequently settled in Sre Char Village, Svay Chreh Commune. During that time, I joined the Svay Chreh Commune militia unit, which consisted of 40 members and was well-equipped with firearms, as the Khmer Rouge had surrendered to the government.
In 1985, I relocated to Ta Pum village, Svay Chreh commune. In 2018, I became a village assistant, and in 2021, I was appointed as the village chief of Ta Pum.
My name is San Phien, a 71-year-old male of S’tieng ethnic group, originally from Wat Village, Svay Chreh Commune, Snuol District, Kratie Province. I currently reside in Ta Saom Village, Svay Chreh Commune, Snuol District, Kratie Province, where I have lived since the Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime. My wife, Mom Moeun, is 68 years old, and together we have five children: two daughters and three sons. My father, Kul Sean, passed away in 1997, and my mother, Roeung Kes, died in 1990. I have five siblings: three sisters and two brothers, and I am the third child in my family.
In my youth, I attended Wat School in Svay Chreh Commune, where I completed up to the 9th grade. I stopped my education in 1969, prior to the coup. After the coup, I worked on a French rubber plantation and in the rice fields of Snuol District, Kratie Province.
In 1970, the Viet Cong fired on an American helicopter from a position in Toek Tup, causing it to crash at Anlong Veng point (a location on the Chhlong River). The water level in the Chhlong rose so high that the helicopter sank. When I delivered rice to the Viet Cong, I had to be very careful while loading it, as the water was extremely high. I used a bamboo pole to load the boat because water was leaking from the end of the pole. I was cautious not to load too much rice for fear that the boat would sink. I was aware of the helicopter crash but did not know if there were any casualties. On my way to Krasaing village, I encountered Viet Cong soldiers along the road.
Between 1972 and 1973, I joined the Khmer Rouge as a soldier, having been selected in Snuol. I was part of the Snuol district military unit, led by Neang. I underwent training in Sre Roneam, where I learned shooting, running, politics, and combat tactics. After my training, I did not receive further military instruction. In 1974, at the age of 20, I got married and subsequently left the Khmer Rouge to work in the economic unit in Snuol district. My unit consisted of about 200 members, both men and women, who were involved in activities such as transplanting rice narby Chhlong River, lighting rice fields, and raising crops.
In 1977, I left the economic unit in Snuol District to work in Svay Chreh Commune. At that time, I did not have any children. In 1978, during bombings by Vietnamese soldiers, I fled from Svay Chreh to Kratie. I moved from one place to another until I reached Kampong Thom, taking about a month to return home. The central soldiers came and executed the district head and the members of the economic unit, causing everyone to flee. I witnessed that many of those who had evacuated from Memot died from hunger and disease.
After the 1993 election, I set up a fishing net and got caught in the wreckage of the helicopter. I saw the helicopter submerged in the Chhlong River but did not dare to dive deep. I learned from the late Ta Phapp that the net had become entangled with the bones and clothing of an American. In 1995, I asked Ta Phapp where he had buried the bones, and he told me he had interred them on a point of the Chhlong Riverbank, near a bamboo grove at Anlong Veng point. Ta Phapp had laid the net with Ta Kaing, who was his son-in-law. (Both Ta Phap and Ta Kaing have since passed away.)
My name is Tea Ven, a male Khmer, 82 years old. I was born in Sdao village, Kampong Domrey commune, Chhlong district, Kratie province. Currently, I reside in Wat village, Svay Chreh commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. My father, Puth Tea, passed away in 1957, and my mother, Kuch Thoeung, died at the age of 83. I have eight siblings, six of whom are sisters, and I am the fifth child in the family. My wife, Chin Thoeun, died in 2022, and I have four children, including three sons and one daughter.
In 1951, my family moved to Wat village. I began attending pagoda school there in 1957. I completed grade 11 under the old system before transferring to Wat primary school. After finishing primary school, I was supposed to continue my education in Snuol district, but due to financial difficulties, I had to stop studying and help my parents work in the rice fields.
In 1966, I joined the military during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime. I served for six months but found it too difficult and decided to return home. I worked in the rice fields for a year. In 1968, I married Chin Thoeun in Wat village. After our marriage, I continued to work in the rice fields with my mother until we had our first child, at which point my wife, and I decided to live separately from my mother.
In 1971, I was conscripted as a Lon Nol soldier in Snuol district. After 12 days, I managed to escape and return home. During that time, I witnessed a helicopter crash from the Prek Te bridge into Prek Chhlong at Anlong Veng point, located in Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. At dusk, while setting up a fishing net, I saw the helicopter crash into a fig tree branch on the opposite side of Khsoem commune, bordering Svay Chreh commune. I observed the tail of the helicopter lodging in the fig tree while the front was down. I was about 30 meters away, rowing a boat with Ta Rong (now deceased) to set up the net. After witnessing the crash, I rowed back.
On my second attempt to set up the fishing net, I saw a reptile biting a bone and placing it on a tree. Fearing that Thieu Ky soldiers might spot me, I decided to retreat. Typically, I would catch around five kilograms of fish at a time using the net.
During the Khmer Rouge era, I was assigned to Thpang Village, Snuol Commune, Snuol District, Kratie Province, where I received three months of blacksmith training before returning to Wat Village. I produced iron tools such as knives, axes, shovels, and plows. The working conditions were relatively manageable, with work beginning in the morning and ending around 4:00 PM. I stayed at the ironworking site in Wat Village and did not see my wife during this time, as she was occupied with her own tasks, including removing seedlings and transplanting rice. The ironworking group in the village consisted of six members.
The cooperative members received porridge from the Khmer Rouge in the morning and rice during the day. My brother-in-law, Pov, a former commune chief from the previous regime, was arrested by the Khmer Rouge and subsequently disappeared.
In 1978, I witnessed the Khmer Rouge evacuating people from Tramoung district, Kampong Cham province, to Mlech village, Svay Chreh commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. Soon after, the Cambodian United Front for National Salvation and Vietnamese soldiers arrived in Wat village. The Khmer Rouge evacuated people across the river to Sambor district, Kratie province, but I chose not to cross because the Vietnamese soldiers had already arrived, allowing my family and me to return to Wat village. At that time, the Vietnamese instructed me to use a cart to collect the remaining rice from the fields. I stopped setting up nets after that. The head of the cooperative, Khuong, was arrested by the Vietnamese.
After the liberation in 1979, I worked in the rice fields to support my family. In 1985, the local government assigned me to work as a laborer in the K-5 project for three months in the Mum Bei area of Preah Vihear province. Upon my return, I began working in the social service department at Svay Chreh commune. Later, I transitioned to serving as a militiaman in Svay Chreh commune. I ceased my duties as a militiaman in 1996. In 2012, I was appointed as the deputy head of Wat village, a position I still hold today.
My name is Tuon Moun. I am a 72-year-old Khmer male, born and currently residing in Sam Rang Village, Khmsoem Commune, Snuol District, Kratie Province. My father, Moun, passed away at the age of 95, and my mother, Van, is also deceased. I have three siblings, including one sister, and I am the eldest child in my family. My wife, Phat Phieng, is 72 years old and was born in Kantuot Village, Kantuot Commune, Chet Borei District, Kratie Province. Together, we have five children, two daughters and have experienced the loss of two children, including one son.
As a child, I attended Sre Roneam Primary School in Sre Roneam Village, Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie province, but I only completed the 10th grade. In 1970, during the war, I had to stop my studies and returned home to live with my grandmother, working in the fields.
In 1971, at 9:00 AM, I witnessed a helicopter flying low from Kratie province before it crashed into the forest near a place called Anlong Veng, or Peam Phtao, which borders Sam Rang Village and Svay Chreh Commune. I did not go to see the crash site because I was busy hiding in a trench. The day after the crash, an announcement was made by a plane advising people not to live near the bridge. At that time, the villagers were unaware of the situation and were reluctant to leave. Being young, I did not fully understand the gravity of the situation. The Viet Cong surrounded Sam Rang Village, and American planes bombed the area throughout the day. I often ran into the trench whenever I saw the planes.
In 1972, Sam Rang Village was designated as a liberation zone at the call of Prince Norodom Sihanouk. I volunteered to join the military and underwent training in Sampouch Village, Khsoem Commune, Snuol District, Kratie Province. The training base included soldiers from Sampouch Village, Sre Roneam Village, and Sam Rang Village. The first chief of Sre Roneam commune, Chheang, was responsible for the village’s military operations. During this time, the country was at war, and my primary motivation for joining was the promise of food.
After training, I was assigned to the Chriev area in the Snuol district unit of Kratie province, which borders Memot district of Kampong Cham province (now Tboung Khmum province). The Snuol district commander was Dek, and the battalion commander was Ken. I was called by the 505th Army Unit to prepare for an attack on Phnom Penh.
Battalion 13 was stationed on National Road 13, the route from the Snuol district roundabout in Kratie province to Vietnam. The Kratie regional regiment included Battalion 13, Battalion 14, and Battalion 7, supervised by Ta Yi, Ta Kang, and Ta Kuan.
In September 1976, I married Phat Phieng at a Chinese school in Kratie province through the Khmer Rouge Angkar. I had never met Phat Phieng before our marriage. I had made a commitment before cycling to the Chinese school that if I didn’t like her, I wouldn’t proceed with the marriage. I rode my bike from the Cambodian border for a day to reach the school. Upon arrival, the Angkar imposed conditions that I could not refuse, so I agreed out of fear. The wedding ceremony included about 30 couples, and the Angkar required me to write my resume before exchanging vows. My wife worked as a medical staff in the Kratie Region. After the ceremony, we shared a meal consisting of two pork dishes. My parents did not attend, only my mother-in-law and my wife’s brother. The Angkar then instructed us to stay in a separate house for three to four nights without assigning me any work. During meals, my wife and I would walk to the kitchen to eat.
After the wedding, my wife and I cycled back to our unit. I visited my mother-in-law’s house in Kantuot Village, Kantut Commune, Chet Borei District, Kratie Province, before continuing to my wife’s location in Cheung Khlu village, Pir Thnu commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. I left my wife at the unit and went to Chriev village, where I stayed for ten days. Mon called me back to Cheung Khlu village, knowing that my wife and I were not getting along well. At that time, my wife had stopped working as medical staff.
In 1977, while serving in the Special Infantry Division during the conflict with Vietnam, I was wounded in the cheek by shrapnel, causing me to faint. I was hospitalized in Kratie province for three months, during which my wife brought our baby to visit me. Upon my return from the hospital, I informed my unit that I could no longer fight, and I was assigned to a disabled ward. My wife and child lived with me in the ward, and I did whatever work I could, while my wife planted rice.
In 1978, my family and I were evacuated by the Khmer Rouge to Sre Veal village, Me Sar Chrey commune, Stung Trang district, Kampong Cham province. I received an announcement instructing us to return to our homeland. Tragically, my son died of measles. My wife and I then moved back to Kantuot village, Kantuot commune, Chet Borei district, Kratie province. We lived there for a year, but due to difficulties in finding land to farm, I decided to return to Sam Rang village.
In May 1979, my wife gave birth to another child. I worked as a farmer to support my family. In 1984, I became the village chief of Sam Rang village, but due to community support and the challenges in finding soldiers, I eventually stepped down. I rejoined the military in 1987, and in 1989, I was ordered to the Thai border. However, on my way to Kratie province, I deserted the army and have not returned to military service since.
My name is Mel Vann, a 74-year-old male Khmer, born in Sam Rang village, Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie province, where I currently reside. My father, Nhel, and my mother, Mon, are both deceased. I am the only child in my family. My wife, Chheng Sokha, is 72 years old and was also born in Sam Rang village, Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. Together, we have five children, including two daughters, though currently, four of them are living. Today, I worked in the rice fields.
As a child, I attended primary school in Sre Roneam village, Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. Sre Roneam primary school offered three grades: 10, 11, and 12. The school served students from three villages: Sre Roneam, Sam Rang, and Sampouch. I began my education at the age of eight and completed three years of schooling.
In 1965, I became a monk at Svay Chreh pagoda in Svay Chreh commune, Snuol district, Kratie province, to further my studies. I continued my education at Koh Chreng pagoda until 1970. After the coup, I married Chheng Sokha. Just two days after our marriage, an American plane bombed Sam Rang village. At that time, the Thieu Ky soldiers were present in Snuol district, while the Viet Cong were on the outskirts of Sam Rang village. I witnessed a plane with a burning tail crash in Sre Chamnaom of Sam Rang village. After the bombing ceased, I took my dog to hunt in the Sre Chamnaom forest and found the wreckage of the plane, from which I removed the wheels and antenna for personal keepsakes.
The day after the crash, I saw another American plane bomb the village, destroying many houses and affecting the people. The residents of Sam Rang village fled to Sompouch and Sre Roneam villages in Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie province.
In 1971, I volunteered to join the Khmer Rouge as a soldier in Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. Nuon Sam At was the district army chief. Company 133 was combined with the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th platoons, each consisting of 36 soldiers.
In 1973, my platoon was ordered to chase away about ten Viet Cong who were guarding a warehouse in Khatok village, Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie province. I was then assigned to guard 16 carts of ammunition, as we faced enemies such as the Khmer Si Chum Pou and the Khmer Sar, the latter being traitorous Khmers.
After the liberation of Phnom Penh in 1975, I returned home to be with my wife. At that time, I had served as a militiaman in Sam Rang village for half a month, guarding prisoners and facilitating their escape before stepping down from that role. Most of the prisoners were from Kratie. In Sam Rang village, five Muslim families were forced by the Khmer Rouge to eat pork, which was against their beliefs. A villager named Thon escaped, but the Khmer Rouge later accused him of being a CIA agent, leading to his arrest and disappearance.
After being demoted from my position as a militiaman, the cooperative chairman assigned me to the plowing unit, while my wife was assigned to the manual cultivation unit.
At the end of 1977, the Khmer Rouge forcibly evacuated me, and the residents of Sam Rang Village to Svay Chreh Commune, where we endured severe malnutrition. In 1978, we were relocated once again by the Khmer Rouge to Sambor District, crossing the Mekong River into Kampong Thom Province.
Following the liberation in 1979, I returned to Sam Rang Village and found that only about ten families remained. I worked in the rice fields to support myself and my family. Prior to the UNTAC era, I served as the village chief of Sam Rang.
Seng Kung, a 55-year-old Khmer male residing in Wat Village, Svay Chreh Commune, Snuol District, Kratie Province. He is married to Vann Pheavo, who is 53 years old, and they have four sons. The family is engaged in farming in Wat Village.
Seng Kung’s father, Seng, passed away six years ago, and his mother, Chap Set, died four years ago. He has a total of 12 siblings, consisting of 2 sisters and 10 brothers. Tragically, six of his siblings have died, four from illness and two who disappeared during the Pol Pot era. Currently, six siblings remain (five brothers and one sister), and Seng Kung is the fifth child in the family.
When the Khmer Rouge came to power on April 17, 1975, Seng Kung was about 5 or 6 years old. He was assigned by the cooperative committee to live in the children’s unit of Wat Village. During this time, the Khmer Rouge prohibited the children from attending school. Seng Kung and a group of children were tasked with herding buffaloes in the forests and fields of Svay Chreh Commune. This herding occurred after the plowing unit had finished working in the rice fields, typically around 9 to 10 in the morning. The children would take rice with them, as they were required to herd the buffaloes until late in the evening before returning them to the village. Those who did not herd buffaloes were assigned other labor, such as cutting down trees for fertilizer for the rice fields.
In late 1978, when the Vietnamese army and the Cambodian United Front for the Salvation of the Nation invaded Cambodia, Seng Kung and the villagers of Wat were evacuated by the Khmer Rouge to the Sre Treng area of Sambor District, Kratie Province. After January 7, 1979, they returned to their village.
In 1980, Seng Kung enrolled at Wat Primary School but dropped out in the fourth grade in 1984. Later that year, he and his father began farming near the Chhlong River, approximately 7 to 8 kilometers from Wat Village. While working on the farm, Seng Kung witnessed a helicopter crash into the Chhlong River. On one occasion, Ta Phapp, a resident of Ta Saom Village, and Muon, from Kandal Village, both of whom frequently fished in the river, visited the riverbank of Seng Kung’s farm. They reported discovering human remains caught in a pair of pants believed to belong to an American soldier. The remains included leg and thigh bones. Ta Phapp took the pants and bones and buried them in a Viet Cong trench along the riverbank, the lower part of the helicopter crashed site. He remarked that the bones were unusually long, unlike those of local villagers or Viet Cong soldiers. At the time, Seng Kung did not visit the burial site. Both Ta Phapp and Muon have been deceased for over 20 years.
Observation:
During the field trip to Snuol District, the DC-Cam team gained valuable insights into the Khmer Rouge era in the region. The team collected significant information related to helicopter crash sites and the reported presence of American soldiers. Notably, many survivors expressed a willingness to share their knowledge and experiences regarding events that took place during the 1970s conflict. However, the team also observed that most of these survivors are now elderly. Some have experienced memory loss, while others have already passed away, posing challenges to the preservation of oral history. Additionally, the team noted the presence of several ethnic groups in Snuol District, including the S’tieng, Phnong, Kuy, Kraol and others particularly in the communes of Svay Chreh, Khmsoem, and Snuol.
Challenges:
During the field trip, we faced a few challenges, including:
1. The incidents took place over 50 years ago, making it challenging for some witnesses to recall details accurately. Many are now elderly, and some have passed away, further limiting the availability of firsthand accounts.
2. The geographical landscape has changed significantly; forests have been cleared and transformed into farmland.
END.