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Cambodia: People: Morn and Kea
Morn and his wife Kea are Siep's parents-in-law. Now 73 and 68, they have lived through many changes in their country. Here they talk about their lives.French Colonial Period Morn: During the French Colonial period I was ten years old. I lived with my poor family. I had eight brothers and sisters. My father died when I was young so my mother was a widow. If talking about French soldiers, we didn't see any at all come into the village. Our living condition was very poor at that time, so I didn't go to school. I helped my family, my mother. I just followed my older brother, going to the field and climbing up the palm tree. Our family produced palm juice, making sugar for selling. Find out more about this time Independence Era Morn: In the Sihanouk regime, I was thirty years old and still with my mother, brothers and sisters. After one year I was conscripted as a soldier but I didn't know what group I was in. I didn't know who I was supposed to be fighting so I was a soldier for one year but I didn't shoot anyone at all. Find out more about this time Civil War Time Morn: Between the period of Lon Nol and the Khmer Rouge regime I saw a bomber dropping bombs. Near my house, I saw cows killed by the explosion. And one bomb dug deep into the ground but didn't explode. The Khmer Rouge soldiers asked me to dig it out and put it on an ox cart and transport it away from my house. I also saw the aeroplane that drops the gas tank that burns everywhere around the village and on the water as well. Find out more about this time Khmer Rouge Time Morn: During the Pol Pot time I had six children. All the family were separated. My wife and children all lived in different places. I remember I was asked to work in a construction place. A Pol Pot soldier forced me to carry corpses - dead bodies, people who died in the fighting. So another person and I carried those bodies to the pagoda. Altogether there were four people and we took turns to carry the corpses to the pagoda. There were a lot of dead bodies after the fighting. We just buried them in a grave at the pagoda. I worked for many days but nobody paid me. I wanted to escape away from that job, but I was scared that the Khmer Rouge would kill me. Kea: I missed my husband and my children and I wanted us all to be together but we couldn't. Angkar ("the organisation") wouldn't allow this. I remember I packed a small amount of rice and sent it to my husband. He said he was very happy to receive that from me. I remember another thing, I missed my husband more than my children. This was because my children were looked after and provided with enough food to eat, but my husband didn't have enough to eat. So that's why I worried about him and missed him more. Find out more about this time Democracy 
Morn: I didn't go to vote because my eyes cannot see clearly. I have a problem with my eyes, but my wife went to vote.Kea: I just went to vote but I couldn't understand who should I vote for, and I just ticked whatever party. I just did it because I was invited to join the election. I am uneducated so how would I know who to vote for. Find out more about this time Looking Back Morn: In comparison between the French Colonial regime, Sihanouk and this regime, I can say that this regime is much better than the last two regimes. And to compare the French Colonial regime and Sihanouk regime, during the Sihanouk regime I had better living conditions and I also got some salary to support my mother, brothers and sisters. However, with this regime we have sufficient food to eat - more than with the last two regimes. Kea: I feel I am disappointed in life in my old age. If I look at other old people, it seems that when they become old they have a lot of money, a bigger house and more land. But for my family, I have nothing. All my children except one are gone, and all our property like rice fields, our house and even our clothes are sold, so we have nothing. My five children died, from one generation to another generation. One died in the Pol Pot time and another one just recently. I feel disappointed in my life and I feel very sad about my children and that's why I have a little bit of mental illness and I feel sick. When they were sick, we sold off some property, like cows and rice field, to buy medical treatment for my children. However, they left me. It seems like I am like a beggar. I just ask money from people who do some good charity toward me. I don't have much hope even that my grandchildren will live independently in the future. 
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