His Story Never Died: An Interview With Arn Chorn-Pond
As Cambodia observes its National Day of Remembrance, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge era shares his story.
By Arpita Mitra
May 20, 2020

Credit: VOA/Irwin Loy

Sitting inside the dimly-lit reception area of the Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) in Phnom Penh, I nervously took note of the time: nearly 45 years since the Khmer Rouge came to power; almost 40 years since his escape and journey toward survival; 20 years since the inception of the Cambodian Living Arts, and merely an hour-and-a-half to capture it all through the inadequacy of words. Amidst the discomforting silence that was occasionally interrupted by the pacing steps of the CLA artists and staff across the hall, my knees rocked to the sound of every passing second on the wall clock as I became overwhelmed by the time that was weighing on me.

Arn Chorn-Pond is the founder of the Cambodian Living Arts and a celebrated musician, he’s also known as one of the few children who survived the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge era (1975-79). Truth be told, upon meeting him, I reckoned much less about his celebrated status that had until then, made its way into my scribbled notes. Instead, I was drawn more toward the air of humility that adorned Arn; in addition to wearing his larger-than-life laugh and the checkered-printed krama around his neck, with woven colors that appeared to alternate much like his experiences of resilience and despair. I soon came to realize that his story – tantamount to the collective history of the people in Cambodia and their efforts (or lack of) to deal with past atrocities – was akin to photographic memories; so vivid that they did not need my words to be revived.

Below are excerpts from that interview, edited lightly for length and clarity.
https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/his-sto ... horn-pond/

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 10:25 am he’s also known as one of the few children who survived the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge era (1975-79).

Below are excerpts from that interview, edited lightly for length and clarity.
https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/his-sto ... horn-pond/

Just a small quibble - I think the quoted sentence is supposed to read "one of the few artists who survived.."
Not "children", which is obviously incorrect.

"Looking back, growing up during this period was confusing for children – children who were forced to watch the killing of prisoners, day in and day out; at a time, when every little action was a judgment call around life and death. As a result, what remained of your childhood were the sounds of the killings – people being hit on the back of the head until you could hear the skull crack; the lingering smell of the dead bodies that were dumped in the adjacent mango grove and the stillness of the moments, as you eventually learned to make yourself numb to such every day events.

I did not know how to express the horror of what I was witnessing.

I remember feeling a lot of anger but did not know how to communicate it

You see, children growing up under the Khmer Rouge did not know how to cry. You showed the slightest hint of emotions and the next thing you knew, you could be killed.

Of course, every survivor has a different way to cope – some people choose not to speak about it. . For me, the story needed to be told. My story – where I saw my little brothers and sisters starve to death. Being able to tell this story also ensures that their lives continue to have meaning; as if they could continue to live through me."

My wife is almost exactly the same age as Arn Chorn-Pond. She was one of the rural poor, not from a high-art family but nevertheless her experiences and the impact on her, mirror those of this man.
I regard my encouragement to my wife to tell her story, and that of her murdered family members, and to learn to express her emotions - as my greatest gift to her, by far.

For so long a stone in these matters, it now all comes out, slowly, at the times when she feels her safest with me
- with some the deepest expressions of every kind of emotion i have ever experienced in a human being.
And that is her greatest gift to me - even the built in rage that she still carries since her broken childhood.