27 July 1973 - The armed forces of the Khmer Republic have now issued the call for a general mobilisation; compulsory military service has been declared .. In the evening two days ago there were rocket bombardments on Phnom Penh with reportedly 18 civilian deaths and countless wounded.. The Khmer Rouge are coming despite all those US fighter bombers and B52 bombings around Phnom Penh. [Today] i hear nothing but detonations across the city. Even as i write these lines, the sound of explosions can be heard almost continuously. An OV10 with its characteristic purr can be heard above our heard while an F111 is dropping its payload outside the city. [The OV10 pictured below is known among Cambodians as អា ចានស្រាក់ because of the shape of its tail]. I watch these planes from the flat roof of our house. More deaths today.. when will this senseless war end?
Let me come back to the compulsory military service. The authorities have asked my dad who is the appointed chief over 10 households in our area [មេដប់ខ្នង], to submit the names of people between 18 and 61 years old including those in school and who are less than 18. i think my name has been put on that list even if i'm not 18 yet. They want every able bodied man. There's talk about many, many people who are evading compulsory military service.. it's a scandal that's got to stop.
This is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching to read. Thank you for sharing these intimate, personal and historic words from your diary. I wish you had posted more. I am so angry for what you had to go through. Thank you for all you've done, here on your blog, and elsewhere on the net, in preserving what's been lost.......and for reminding the world what happened.
Dear reader, i'm grateful for your priceless and kind words of encouragement. in many ways i'm a prisonner of my own memories and find solace in sharing them!
This is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching to read. Thank you for sharing these intimate, personal and historic words from your diary. I wish you had posted more. I am so angry for what you had to go through. Thank you for all you've done, here on your blog, and elsewhere on the net, in preserving what's been lost.......and for reminding the world what happened.
ReplyDeleteDear reader, i'm grateful for your priceless and kind words of encouragement. in many ways i'm a prisonner of my own memories and find solace in sharing them!
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