Preab Yeng

A man in his late-fifties is staring on a road, wearing a grey shirt and beige pants. The ground beneath him is cemented and there are no other people around. The sky above is clear blue with white clouds scattered throughout it. He was brought to my attention as I walked towards him. I introduced myself and the team and asked to interview him. He agreed and started speaking. His name is Preab Yeng, a farmer in Bak Nim village, Kampot province. His current physical illness is caused by old age but also the hard work he was forced to do during the Khmer Rouge. In 1975, he was sent into the children unit, cut trees and bushes and in his free time, he got educated at school until it was time for him and other students to herd cows and pick up cow dung to make fertiliser. He had to evacuate to places and continue the same work for years until in 1979 when the Vietnamese soldiers liberated him and his community from the oppressive regime. Listening to his words, I was struck by the gravity of his experiences, and knew that his story must be shared.