People > Adults > Personal Interviews > Children

Interviewee: Ken T
Interviewer: Stephanie

Why/how did the war begin?
When the vietnamese civil war began, the united states tried to help the capitalisms, the war crossed over to cambodia territory and thus began the cambodian civil war since the vietnamese communist attempted to help the khmer rouge, who were communist too. the us helped the capitalisms.

Who was it between?
It was between the khmer rouge and the capitals

Where were you at the time?
I was in the city, Phnom Penh, about 13 years old in 1975.

What did your family and you do for a living?
We had a hardware business and we were healthy.

What did you witness?
I saw bombs and dead people everyday, non-stop. Anything can happen at any time; bombs anytime, any day.

What was your reaction?
It came to a point that I didn't care because we don't know what can happen. It's unavoidable.

How was your family affected?
During the war, we had to accept the situation because there was nothing we could do. Business was as usual, to make a living. After the Khmer Rouge won the war, they kicked everyone out to the countryside to do hard labor. Because my mom was able to speak Vietnamese, we pretended we were Vietnamese and walked six months- on a muddy road, eating one meal day -towards vietnam. 

How were YOU affected at the time?
I felt scared but it came to the point that I didn't care because I had no control. If you get lucky you live and if you don't, you die; like the situation in Lebonon.

How did you escape?
From Vietnam I escaped by boat to Thailand and lived in refugee camps for another six months and reached America, Seattle WA in 1978.

What impact does it have on your life today?
Right now life is beautiful because there is freedom and I am a citizen; because of the war I came to America.

Source:Thai, Ken. Personal interview. 27 Jul 2006.