Clip from Interview with Chanty Chut
Files
Description
An excerpt from a video interview with Chanty Chut, 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 Darith Chut, 31 May 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
5-31-2009
Disciplines
Asian History | Social History
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/12688
Recommended Citation
Chut, Darith, "Clip from Interview with Chanty Chut" (2009). Oral History Interviews. 6.
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/12688
Comments
Chanty Chut
Interviewed by Darith Chut, 31 May 2009
Transcribed by Patricia Schechter, 4 September 2014
Clip: 7:16-10:00
When did you first have the idea of leaving?
In 1979, the Khmer Rouge lost and relief came over. All the people came back into town from where they were in the work groups of the KR. I had no idea where I would be. I did not expect or plan to come here or anything. So I just came to town, to Battambang, and just worked like everyone else. I tried to live with freedoms. The idea that we decided to leaveCambodiawas that suddenly, one of your mom’s great uncles, suddenly he was in a prison during KR, because he was one of the heads and a rich person and the KR kept him through out those many years, 75-79. They released him and he came to Battambang to collect all his family. He notified his family that he is going to be moving out to Thailand, to go somewhere else.
He came over and asked our family, your mom’s dad and mom, you know, your grandma; your parents on your mom’s side said: “You have to make this decision as to go or not.” We told them that we could not afford to go because we had nothing. We did not have any money. He offered to…he told us, “Well, don’t worry about the expense. Go.” At that time, no one had money. He was willing to lend us anything we needed. Only leave one night; just only that night. And he said, you have to make a decision, and tomorrow we will leave. That was his message to us.
We discussed it over night. And we decided yes, that we will decide to go. That night at 3 o’clock in morning, your mom and I, we went to say goodbye to my parents. That’s all we did with only, like, one hour notice to them. I said, “We are leaving.” I did tell them. They asked me, “where will I go.” I said, “I have no idea.” I just headed toThailand. If I’m lucky, I will survive. That’s what I said to them.