We start our investigation with these burning questions related to the Cambodian genocide:
Which government was dropping the bombs during the civil war which led to the mass movement to Phnom Penh? What prompted this?
How did the mob mentality contribute to the efforts on both sides of the conflict in Cambodia's civil war? Did this affect the outcome?
How influential were the political hallmarks of Prince Sihanouk’s government in laying the groundwork for the civil war?
What political issues led to the military coup that began the civil war?
What percentage of the population in Cambodia supported the Khmer Rouge?
What occurred in the 5 years of civil war before Phnom Penh was forcefully evacuated?
Where did the Khmer Rouge receive their seemingly extensive funding and manpower?
Were there racial or merely ideological forces driving the civil war?
-Emily Longman
From a content standpoint, why didn't the family leave Phnom Penh immediately upon the arrival of the soldiers? Were they not aware of what was to come, which is why they didn't evacuate until everyone else?
In a psychological sense, how did the adults and parents being evacuated from their hometowns manage to maintain a 'front' for their children? In a time of great trial, often, adults feel the need to shield their real thoughts from their children. Yet, everyone has a threshold where they can no longer tolerate the circumstances; how did the adults of this time in these tragic situations accomplish that?
-Evelyn Yee
Loung Ung describes the arrival of the soldiers and the chaos happening very quick and sudden. Did the communist take over really happen that suddenly or were there precursors that Ung was unaware of at the time?
How were the different social classes affected by the take over? Which class adapted the best?
During the Khmer Rouge take over, schools were shut down. How did this effect the future education of children in Cambodia? How did this effect the education of the children who lived through it?
~Jen Pintoy
- Concerning the children in times of war, why don't adults tell the children more information about the war and why the children must stay safe? If Loung Ung understood more about the situation they were in, I am sure she would have a different perspective on their situation.
- On page 40, Loung Ung explains, "Pa says more things to my brothers, but I don't care much about politics. All I know is that I am supposed to act dumb and never speak of our lives in the city." Why is it that politics is something considered boring by not only children, but by other adults, but becomes important when it effects people's lives directly? What is something society can do to ease children into becoming more involved and aware of their rights and nation history?
- Who was Prince Sihanouk and are there more specific accounts of his time as leader?
- Who was Lon Nol and what made his government weak and corrupt?
- How much is America to blame for the trouble in Cambodia? The author mentioned, "The war in Vietnam spread to Cambodia when the United States bombed Cambodia's boarders to try to destroy the North Vietnamese bases. The bombings destroyed many villages and killed many people, allowing the Khmer Rouge to gain support from the peasants and farmers. In 1970, Prince Sihanouk was overthrown by his top general, Lon Nol. The United States-backed Lon Nol government was corrupt and weak and was easily defeated by the Khmer Rouge" (p. 40). Is America more to blame than the Khmer Rouge for the start of the genocide?
- What are the biological and psychological reasons that people turn against each other in times of trouble and hardship? What biologically made people turn against each other in Anlungthmor?
1.) How much involvement did the US have in indirectly causing vulnerable spots in Cambodia? Why does it seem that US is constantly involved?
2.) How come we don't learn about Cambodia in school? I remember learning how Vietnam War was meant to stop communism, yet we don't explain that we allowed communism in cambodia.
3.) How much did Pa know about what was happening? Could he prevent them.
4.) I am curious about learning more about the Kherm Rouge, Pol Pot, the Prince, and Lon Nol.
5.) The memoir reminds of Persepolis and how the Western culture is shunned. Why did Cambodia hate the Westerners?
In this segment we bear witness to the takeover of the Khmer Rouge as detailed through the eyes of a young child; up until this point, it would appear as if the region seemed fairly cohesive and lacking volatility. However, the abruptness and swiftness with which the invasion occurs in this memoir prompts the reader to ponder the stability of the region: how close to the boiling point was the conflict between the Lon Nol and the Khmer Rouge? Furthermore, how does the authors perspective as a child affect our own perception of the hostile invasion?
During the trek from Phnom Penh that Loung Ung’s family endured, they along with many others were subjected to sights and scenes that would more often than not be considered quite horrific (e.g. when Khouy discovered a rotting corpse in the brush). How might these events affect the psyche of the subjected individuals?
-Tony Cusumano
1. Did former/current government workers and officials know something more about Cambodia's upcoming genocide than other citizens? Loung's father seems to know more information about their evacuation and necessary actions than other individuals described in her memoir.
2. What happened to citizens of higher classes during check points? Loung's father tells them to act as peasants versus admitting their middle-class status. Did the middle and upper classes suffer more consequences during check points? If so, why did the Khmer Rouge punish these classes more severely?
3. Did many families bribe officials to move from village to village as necessary? Loung's father bribes his way out of their village to improve their living conditions. Did the Khmer Rouge accept many bribes, or did his request and bribe work out of sheer luck? Did the Khmer Rouge accept many requests for village transfers as well? With the shootings and famine, why did they not leave the families to suffer in their villages?
-Danielle Howard
-Early on in the book, it mentions that many people came to Phnom Penh to seek shelter and help (page 11). How many people came to the city and how did this affect Phnom Penh?
-When the Khmer Rouge first enter the city, Loung says that many people seemed to be cheering and celebrating. Did these people know that this was the Khmer Rouge? If so, why did they appear to be supporting the people who would soon drive them out of their homes?
-How many people refused to leave Phnom Penh when the Khmer Rouge came? What was their reasoning?
-Who joined the Khmer Rouge? Were they simply supporters of the communist regime or were some of the young men forced to join?
-In what ways would this account differ if it were told from a different perspective such as someone older or male. What important information may be missing because it is written from the point of view of a five year old girl?
--Emily Butler
What intrigued me the most about the reading was the sudden shift from hope to fear shown by both the citizens of Phnom Penh upon the arrival of the Khmer Rouge, as they cheered for the end of the war and then the atmosphere changed to one of panic as they were asked to evacuate the city, as well as the intrigue and trust Loung had in the soldiers, remarking constantly that they should be returning home after three days and quickly realizing not everything told to her can be trusted. Although it is understandable for a five year old to trust what anyone tells them, why were the citizens of Phnom Pehn so excited and happy at the arrival of the Khmer Rouge when moments later they were being forced from their home with death as the punishment for not following orders? Did they assume this new government would hold more promise for them, only for that vision to be abandoned almost immediately by the harshness of their guests?
Why did so many willingly go, instead of putting up a fight and demanding to stay in their homes? Surely there must have been enough people to strong arm the amount of soldiers forcing them out of their homes. Were the citizens under the same impression of hope that Loung was, that their home would be available to them in a few days despite the fact that the Khmer Rouge claimed the United States was going to bomb their home?
Speaking of the United States, how did their bombings push the Khmer Rouge toward victory?
If the Khmer Rouge really wanted to seem as though they were protecting the citizens of Phnom Penh, why did they not provide everyone with transportation out of the city, thus gaining their trust and making them more willing to cooperate at check points?
At the check-in it seemed as though Loung's father had previous knowledge of what the Khmer Rouge were planning, as he lied to cover up the fact that he worked for the government and thus escaped death. What was the extent of his knowledge, and if he had previous knowledge why didn't he take his family into hiding long before the Khmer Rouge posed a threat to not only his life, but his whole family's?
- Otyllia Abraham
Was it really a homeless citizen that placed the bomb in the family’s trashcan?
When the father saw the men coming in, how could he tell their intentions based solely on the men’s appearances?
What are the intentions of the Khmer Rouge?
Why was the Khmer Rouge placing the blame on the U.S. for the evacuation?
Why would they lie and say the families could return in three days?
What was the purpose of the Khmer Rouge to kill the people who registered for work at the campsite?
What was the importance of the family hiding their past life as a rich family?
Was the constant movement of the family by choice of the father or were they forced to continue moving by the Khmer Rouge?
- Angelica Hernandez
In class we were discussing how based on gender the individual was treated differently during these genocide attacks, because of the specific gender roles in Asia how does this affect how men and women were treated? Does it make a difference at all?
Most of the first chapter is concerned with daily life in Phnom Penh, did their lifestyle make them an easier target?
How did the father know that something of this nature would happen? If he knew ahead of time why did he not evacuate the family earlier they obviously had the means to do so?
Where are all the people headed? It seems that everyone has a general goal in mind but it has not been specified.
Did the United States involvement influence the rise of the Khmer Rouge (specifically on page 40)?
Are the farmers allowed to continue living their "normal" lives to provide food for the Khmer Rouge? Or are they not a threat like the middle class citizens are?
By taking away a massive number of the population, with what appears to have no rhyme or reason, the economic profile of the country steadily declines. There are less people to produce goods therefore most or all goods are consumed. Was this a goal of the Khmer Rouge? Did this happen because of negligence?
- Allie Back
Where did the Khmer Rouge originate from?
What was the basis of the civil war? Why was it fought?
I had never heard of the Cambodian civil war or the takeover. Is this common knowledge or are many people unaware of these events? Where there similar events in other countries that are also not widely known?
How did the entire country fall apart so quickly? Could this happen anywhere or are there specific types of governments that are more prone to collapsing?
How does a child's understanding of politics and war differ when they are living in the middle of it versus a child who may just hear about it?
How does living in a war zone affect a child's physical, mental, and emotional state? Does this require them to mature faster than a child living in a peaceful area?
What was the purpose of the Khmer Rouge evacuating the entire city of Phnom Penh? Did people ever return to the city or did the Khmer Rouge use it for something else?
Who exactly were the targets of the Khmer Rouge? Were they specifically those associated with the former government or were they targeting anyone who did not conform to their rules?
-Amy Duke
Why did the Khmer Rouge have people march so much? Was it another way for them to systematically kill people, a way to weed out weaker ones for their "new society"? A way to show their power and control? A way to make space for their top people to move into the cities? A combination?
Did the Khmer Rouge really think the US would bomb Cambodian cities, or was this just used to get people moving (using the past bombings to manipulate people)?
Why do you think that the author's father took so long to explain to Loung what was actually going on? Do you think she would have cooperated better if the situation was explained (in terms she would understand) right away, or would that have made her more upset?
If there was such a cultural stigma attached to the way the soldiers appeared (the author explains this pp. 17-18), how did they get the support of the people?
Was it the goal of the Khmer Rouge to wipe out other Cambodians from the beginning of their existence or was it something that developed as they gained more and more power? Whether it developed over time or existed from the start, are there any historical records that revealed their motivations (if it existed from the start) or that can show us how it evolved?
-Elise Troemel
The United States is indirectly involved with this conflict in Cambodia but seems to have influenced both the Khmer Rouge and their enemies. How much support did the U.S. give the Lon Nol while they were fighting the Khmer Rouge?
How is the Khmer Rouge dealing with the “barang” that are still present within the country and what influence do these people have if any?
Although it mentions that the Angkar government seeks to spread communism, what other goals does the Angkar plan to achieve?
How would it have felt like to leave everything behind and begin running for your life both as an adult and as a 5-year-old child?
Is there a point where the Khmer Rouge become much less tolerant of the people and begin slaughtering people even more radically than before?
-Justin Rink
Did the Khmer Rouge receive any assistance from outside forces? If not, how were they able to muster up such a powerful force to be able to conquer all of Cambodia?
What prompted Lon Nol to betray the prince and seize power?
Were the Khmer Rouge in complete agreement on every issue, or was there inner conflict amongst their ranks?
What is the current state of Cambodia? Has it completely healed, or are there still scars left from this genocide?
-Jeremy Hartman
How is the Khmer Rouge dealing with the “barang” that are still present within the country and what influence do these people have if any?
Although it mentions that the Angkar government seeks to spread communism, what other goals does the Angkar plan to achieve?
How would it have felt like to leave everything behind and begin running for your life both as an adult and as a 5-year-old child?
Is there a point where the Khmer Rouge become much less tolerant of the people and begin slaughtering people even more radically than before?
-Justin Rink
Did the Khmer Rouge receive any assistance from outside forces? If not, how were they able to muster up such a powerful force to be able to conquer all of Cambodia?
What prompted Lon Nol to betray the prince and seize power?
Were the Khmer Rouge in complete agreement on every issue, or was there inner conflict amongst their ranks?
What is the current state of Cambodia? Has it completely healed, or are there still scars left from this genocide?
-Jeremy Hartman
What was were Pa's official responsibilities as a major in the fallen government? The family had been previously targeted by bombing from an angry peasant, yet there was not mention of any threats after this. As Loung sees it, the people realized that Pa was a "good" man, however, is this telling how the fallen government had appeared to many of the other citizens?
If the story of this war was told from a different perspective (i.e., from a peasant's view or simply a boy's) would we feel differently about the events taking place?
What are the major differences between the government that was overthrown and the Khmer Rouge? What are the Khmer Rouge's goals for their rule and what changes do they want to ultimately put into practice?
-Sierra Pool
If the story of this war was told from a different perspective (i.e., from a peasant's view or simply a boy's) would we feel differently about the events taking place?
What are the major differences between the government that was overthrown and the Khmer Rouge? What are the Khmer Rouge's goals for their rule and what changes do they want to ultimately put into practice?
-Sierra Pool