Ou Yoeun, aged 77 and a former member of the commune party, had previously been a monk until he disrobed in 1972 due to family reasons. During the Khmer Rouge regime, he was assigned the role of a teacher, but was consistently redirected by soldiers to perform labor-intensive tasks such as producing fertilizers. The strict work requirements meant individuals were unable to spend time with their families or remain at home. Yoeun endured extremely strenuous work conditions and was provided with a meager portion of food, consisting of just one spoonful of porridge. After one year, Yoeun was reassigned from his teaching position to join the mobile unit brigade, which entailed even more arduous physical labor.
Heng Ma
July 27, 2023
