Experience of the "new people" during the khmer rouge regime and its effect on their lives in the present time

Abstract

"New people", or those Cambodians evacuated from the cities into the countryside when the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975, are very important persons in Cambodian society today. They are the main human resource for Cambodia, they are the leaders in the offices and they are the parents for the young generation. Unfortunately, they experienced many suffering events under the Khmer Rouge regime and that affects their lives very much today. This thesis examine the suffering of new people under the Khmer Rouge regime and how their suffering affects their lives today. New people experienced execution, starvation, overwork, torture, discrimination, the threat of being kill, loss of their relatives and friends, loss of their property, and loss of their opportunities. The study finds that the new people who are survivors still remember, recall, and have nightmares of the suffering events they experienced, and the feel scare and angry when they see something related to their experiences. All these pictures in their memories affect their personal lives and their family lives very much