Fall of Phnom Penh in 1975 & Brief Life of Pen Rorn in Pol Pot Regime

Ghost City

On April 17, 1975 Khmer Rouge army overcame Lon Nol army with strong struggle and trick over Lon Nol’s army. Khmer Rouge army had broken the Cambodian-Japanese Friendship Bridge in 1973 and controlled all the way in which the support for Phnom Penh such as food and weapon was conducted. Khmer Rouge army fought with Lon Nol army who was in Phnom Penh by attacking through all directions around Phnom Penh and threw bombs over Phnom Penh city for a few years before occupying Phnom Penh successfully. Also, Khmer Rouge army used psychology to defeat the army force of Lon Nol such as there would be peace and integration of Khmer Rouge army and Lon Nol army into new regime and told a lie on microphone that some areas of Lon Nol was defeated while they had not been conquered yet. Besides that reasons for success of Khmer Rouge, most civilians in Phnom Penh already supported the attack on Lon Nol side since they loved King Norodom Shihanouk. After the conquer was conducted, Khmer Rouge army immediately forced Phnom Penh people or 17 Mesa people with the population of over 2 million people to leave Phnom Penh by telling that Khmer Rouge army needed to clean the city and telling a lie that United State of America’s air force would drop bombs over Phnom Penh; all people would need to leave only three days and return to Phnom Penh after that. During that day, the situation of Phnom Penh was so bad to see. There were a lot of injured people and broken building with fire and smoke throughout this city. All foreigners in Phnom Penh rushed to get into their embassy for the opportunity to leave Cambodia safely. Phnom Penh people felt not clear about the situation. First time for arrival of Khmer Rouge army, they appreciated for the conquer over Lon Nol army with expectation for peace after ending this 5-year war since King Norodom Shihanouk was considered to be the top leader for new regime, but later they felt very scared for Khmer Rouge army’s activity. Pol Pot (Birth name: Salot Sar) led the country in the wrong way for the prosperity of Cambodia and kept King Shihanouk only the symbol for power and the head of state until April 2, 1976 he resigned while he was kept in the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. Wrong expectation made all citizens disappointed after April 17, 1975. The memory of that day would never be forgotten. Khmer Rouge army used guns to threaten Phnom Penh people to leave their house and someone who slowly moved out of their house or seemed no intention to leave as the command of Khmer Rouge army; they were killed suddenly at the place. A lot of civilians were believed to be killed just only that day. People who agreed to leave took only some food, cloth, and valuable things with them and walked through the crowd along the road with their family. Some family members were not with their family during that time since they were in other places, so a lot of people were believed to get lost their family on that day and never be able to meet their family anymore because most of them died in different places in Pol Pot Regime. Along the road, there were a lot of vehicles stopping untidily such as car, motorbike, bicycle, cyclo, etc because of the owners were forced to leave their vehicles immediately when Khmer Rouge army completely occupied the whole city. Money case of Lon Nol Regime was put away on the ground. People walked and walked in the big crowd through city road towards each national road. Along all national roads, there was a group of Khmer Rouge army checked the identity of people to find Lon Nol army and high ranking people; if they found, they would be captured and killed at other places by keeping out of people’s sight or taken to Tuol Sleng (Monty SAR 21) in which had been Tuol Svay Prey High School in Lon Nol Regime. Under the heat of the sun in April, it was believed to be hard for people to walk out of Phnom Penh towards the destination in the countryside. After many hours had gone, Phnom Penh became very quiet and was cleaned by Khmer Rouge in which all roads were emptied; then only some of Khmer Rouge army stayed in this city. Phnom Penh looked like “Ghost City”. Additionally, not all Khmer Rouge army agreed to do so, some leaders in the army tried to debate for this action and opposed to the regime, but all of them were killed continuously in 3-year 8-month 20days regime as most of the Lon Nol army and officials who escaped to countryside with their family, too.

PEN Rorn - ប៉ែន​ រ៉ន

Famous Singer (Before POL Pot Regime)

Not difference from other people living in Phnom Penh, many Khmer artists including singers, musicians, dancers, authors, radio hosts, movie stars, and so on were forced to leave Phnom Penh for different destinations. Among of those, Pen Rorn, a well-known female singer in Cambodia, with her two sons were forced to walk out of Phnom Penh through national road number two in which she was broken away with unknown reason from her husband and her sister, Pen Rorm. As the witness in Takeo province, aunt Bun Yoeurn who was a person to share the cooked rice to 17 Mesa people along national road number 2 said that she met the famous singer “Pen Rorn” when she came to get the cooked rice from her and told aunt Bun Yoeurn that she was a famous singer and told her name. At first time, she did not recognize her because she had never met Pen Rorn like this before just only used to see her on the stage when she came to sing the song for King Norodom Shihanouk opening celebration of the infrastructure achievement in the province one or two times in Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime. She told the researcher who broadcasted this information on radio throughout Cambodia, especially broadcasting on radio in Battambang several years ago. According to aunt Bun Yoeurn, Pen Rorn was forced to go to Komar Chheanmok village in this province. After having a meal with her two sons, Pen Rorn continued her travelling to that destination. There is a believe that Pen Rorn was forced to work in agriculture as other people from Phnom Penh and had the same condition. 

In the early 1976, Khmer Rouge organization cheated Phnom Penh people in Takeo to tell their background while living in Phnom Penh and told that they would return all Phnom Penh people to hold the same position in Phnom Penh as before. Without knowing this trick, Pen Rorn registered her name on the list with hope to be a famous singer again while other 17 Mesa people did the same as her. However, Khmer Rouge organization planned to kill them all by taking them to put in Trop Kor pagoda for a night. Lok Ta Achar Nang, the witness, saw them lead those people including Pen Rorn and her two sons walking towards Trop Kor pagoda from the top of palm tree. In the pagoda, there were Pen Rorn and her two sons, Trong Orng, Kloy Dey, and other Phnom Penh people as family. Next morning, Khmer Rouge committees cheated all 17 Mesa people in the pagoda that they would take them back to Phnom Penh now. Then Khmer Rouge soldiers closed the eye of them with something (maybe kroma or black piece of cloth) and tied their hand with rope together to walk in line towards the north of pagoda. Along the way, Khmer Rouge soldiers asked all of them include Pen Rorn to take off all their cloth except underwear by telling them that they needed to get across the river and would get new cloth at the other river bank. Suddenly, Pen Rorn said “Pu (uncle) could take it as pu wanted since I had some cloth left in the cloth pack”. Then she and other people took off the cloth and gave it to the soldiers. After that, those soldiers reached B-52 big hole that prepared in advance with stick and other sharp equipments near it. This place was in the north 200 meter away from Trop Kor pagoda in Takeo province. Then those soldiers started to hit those people including Pen Rorn and her beloved two sons dead and pushed their body into the B-52 big hole. There was a wonder whether Pen Rorn knew in advance about the trick or not before she was killed since there was no river.

As this really happened in Cambodia around 35 to 36 years ago, there is still the sad memory for this events and a wish for it not to happen again in our country. Millions of Khmer people and other ethnic group died within the local war as the example of Pen Rorn’s death in Pol Pot Regime. The experience of instable political system gave the understanding that to stand in the world even though our country is small, there is a need to be self-independent with our own believe for our nation and the stability of country should be the first thing to be considered before making decisions to do something because peace is really important for Cambodian people nowadays. However, the opportunity for development has just been going on slowly and now we are getting trouble with Thailand near the border of Oddarmeanchey and Preah Vihear Province against Sorin and Sisaket Province of Thailand in which Thailand claimed (Thailand uses map made by himself alone) over the territory of Cambodia according to international court’s decision and Franco-Siam Treaty. It is only that there is a hope for border resolution soon and all Khmer people (Cambodian, Khmer Sorin, Khmer Krom, Khmer people in Laos, and Khmer people in far foreign country) should be united altogether even though we are living in different places around the world. Khmer helps Khmer is the best way towards the prosperity of Cambodia and Khmer nation. “Challenge in development is better than challenge in only voice or fighting!” “No one is perfect!” “Past experience is the great lesson for life!”

By: POK Panhavuth

(Songs of PEN Rorn)

Clip as Example for the day of April 17, 1975