Clip from Interview with SivHeng Ung
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Description
An excerpt from a video interview with SivHeng Ung, part of the Cambodian American Community of Oregon's oral history project documenting the experiences of survivors of the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979.
Interview by Sophorn Cheang, 4 April 2009.
Rights
This digital access copy is made available as streaming media for personal, educational, and non-commercial use within the parameters of "fair use" as defined under U.S. Copyright law. It cannot be reproduced, distributed, or screened for commercial purposes. For more information, please contact Special Collections at Portland State University Library at: specialcollections@pdx.edu or (503) 725-9883.
Subjects
Oral histories, Cambodia -- Politics and government -- 1975-1979, Political atrocities -- Cambodia
Publication Date
4-4-2009
Disciplines
Asian History | Social History
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/26775
Recommended Citation
Cheang, Sophorn, "Clip from Interview with SivHeng Ung" (2009). Oral History Interviews. 4.
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/26775
Comments
SivHeng Ung
Interviewed by Sophorn Cheang, 4 April 2009
Transcribed by Patricia Schechter, 9 September 2014
Clip: 27:22-30:45
What made you decide to leave Battambang heading for the refugee camp?
I could not stay there. There was too much. You never know if they will “come by,” you know? It’s too much.
How did you find out about the refugee camp?
I listened to the radio, American radio. So we listened and we found out that people escaped toThailand. There were French or Americans who took them. So we decided to go. It was very hard. Along the way we went and saw the Vietnamese shot at us. And then the Khmer Rouge shot at us. And the Thai bandits took everything that we had before we got to the border.
So just you and your little brother…
And my present husband but at that time… we weren’t in love yet.
How did you meet grandpa?
In my home town, I went to visit my sister. He knew my sister. He went to say goodbye. He said, “Tomorrow I am going to go toThailand.” Then I asked him, I did not know him much, I knew his name, but I didn’t know him more than that so I asked him if I could go with him. He said fine.
My brother did not even know that he was supposed to come. He was just only very short. Then one day I yanked his arm and I said, “Let’s go.” Later on I found out that he got very upset, because he didn’t want to come. He just went for a short time because all his other sisters [were gone]. He just meant it for a short time. He didn’t want to come. Somehow we came to the U.S.
So what was the journey to go from Battambang to Thailand?
It was hard but it was a lot better than the communists. We walked all day. Like I said, we met the Vietnamese soldiers, who shot at us. We ran through the jungle and then the Khmer Rouge shot at us. The Thai bandits took us away and robbed us of everything.