Year Zero

After the high of visiting the magnificent temples at Angkor we came abruptly crashing back to earth after arriving in Battambang. The enormous rice fields surrounding Battambang were a central point for the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979. 1975 is now labeled as 'Year Zero', the year everything normal ceased in Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge took over. The Khmer Rouge regime was a result of the fallout from the American withdrawal from Vietnam. Once Siagon fell, the American backed government in Phnom Penh was overrun by Khmer Rouge soldiers. They immediately set about creating a total socialist society, driving all the city dwelling people into the countryside. Many of the people who previously lived in Phnom Penh, ended up being relocated around Battambang. What happened next is genocidal history, the systematic wiping out of all educated and non Khmer people, thus converting the entire country in peasants. In only four years, approximately 2 million people were either executed, tortured then killed, or died from disease and malnutrition.
On recommendation from Matt Springate we procured the services of Mr Tin to give us a grand motorbike tour of the countryside surrounding Battambang. We visited many small villages, which each specialised in some kind of food making. One village produced huge quantities of Cambodia rice noodle, much different from Chinese noodle we were told. Another made pungent fish paste and still another churned out thousands of flat noodles for making spring rolls.
After lunch the mood of the day got considerable more melancholy. As with almost everyone above the age of 30 living in Cambodia, Mr Tin has a horrible past. When the Khmer Rouge came to power his family was living in Phnom Penh, along with everyone else they were driven out of the city in the countryside. Mr Tin's family ended up in Battambang. He told us the complex history of his country and the circumstances of how such a horrific regime could come to power and manage to trick the world into believing they were legitimate. He also told us the tragic history of his family. His father and brothers and sisters all died from malnutrition soon after moving to Battambang. This left just him and his mother. They managed to survive together for a year more before they both fell seriously ill. They went to the local 'hospital' to try and receive treatment. However, due to the mass killing of all educated people, including doctors and nurses, the Khmer Rouge hospitals were staffed with village people who knew next to nothing about medicine. Often the hospitals were more likely to kill you then stepping on a landmine. He stayed in the hospital with his mother trying to get better until a nurse came and told him to give his mother an injection of some medicine. Whatever the medicine was, it killed his mother. Now and orphan, Mr Tin fled the hospital and somehow managed to survive the remaining years of the regime.
He showed us caves that were used as mass graves for tortured victims, still showing blood stains on the walls were the people fell. We visited a Buddhist Monastery that was used as a detention and torture center. The whole time Mr Tin openly talked about his experiences, Leighanne and I could only stand there in silence. How do you respond to someone who is telling you their horrific past.
We have loved Cambodia and especially the people. They have every reason to be angry and bitter about the cards they have been dealt, but with unrestrained happiness they are quick with a smile or a joke. It has endeared them to us forever.