TOUCH TRY

Mr. Toch Try, a 63-year-old farmer, recounts his experience during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. He was transferred to a mobile unit brigade where he was tasked with physically demanding work such as moving dirt and constructing dams in various parts of the country for a duration of three years. The conditions were dire. He had limited access to food and the meals were insufficient for the physical demands of the forced labor. The regime’s brutal policies resulted in the loss of Toch Try’s uncle, Toch Kim, who was killed by the soldiers. In addition to the physical hardships, Toch Try’s education was also severely impacted by the regime. He had to abandon his studies after only completing the second grade to work in the unit brigade. He vividly remembers how the soldiers would round up villagers and bring them to be killed. He recalls seeing them walking with their hands tied together. They never returned from this walk, and in fact they were never seen again. It wasn’t until after escaping from the regime that Toch Try was able to marry his wife in 1980. The Khmer Rouge’s oppressive regime had a lasting impact on his life. The loss of loved ones, the deprivation of basic needs, and the disruption of his education leaves him with only horrific memories of a dark chapter in Cambodia’s history.