Khmer Rouge survivors love the Queen Mother’s journal
Taing Rinith Khmer Times August 1, 2023
Khmer Rouge survivors reading the Khmer version of the Queen Mother’s wartime journal. DC-Cam
Finally available in Khmer language translation, the Queen Mother’s journal was recently gifted to a group of Khmer Rouge survivors. They received the book with joy, expressing excitement about learning the Queen Mother’s historical journey.
The year 2023 marks the 50-year anniversary since the Queen Mother began composing her historic travel journal, and to mark this occasion, the Queen Mother Library announced the publication of the Khmer translation of the 1973 travel journal of Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk.
Titled the Witness to History – The Journal of Cambodia’s Queen Mother, this unique historical document is a personal account of her observations on a mission and journey to the liberated National United Front of Kampuchea (FUNK) zone of Cambodia.
This journey began with King Father Norodom Sihanouk, on a flight from Beijing to Hanoi. It continued by vehicle down a part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail then travelled to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat along sections of the Sihanouk Trail over a period of approximately 39 days. The journal was translated from French into English by Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres, who served for 12 years as Senior Private Secretary to His Late Majesty the King Father. The Khmer translation of the journal was recently published by DC-Cam.
The DC-Cam team also delivered the book to people in remote provinces to make sure that they did not miss the chance to go through the wartime journey with the Queen Mother. Many of them are Khmer Rouge survivors who lived through the war and the genocidal regime.
Residing in Takeo’s Tram Kak district, Tim Hun, 71, said the book is a form of affection shown by the Queen Mother to her people.
“I really appreciate Her Majesty Queen Mother for publishing this journal,” he said. “This is an important document for the next generation to learn and understand Cambodian history, even if they were not there at that time.”
Man Ream, another Khmer Rouge survivor from a Cham community, said the Queen Mother’s journey will contribute to keeping peace and preventing another notorious atrocity in Cambodia.
“I do not want it to happen again,” she said. “My husband was killed by Khmer Rouge cadres.”
Salos Sles, 41, said the book is one of the nicest things he has ever received in his life.
“I read and I leave it to my children to read because they can really think about what society was like before and what society is like now,” he said. “As I read some of this book, I was able to explain to my children the hardships of the past.”
“The journal is a valuable account of events during an extraordinarily important era in Cambodian history. Everyone wants a copy,” he said.
According to DC-Cam, more than 5,400 copies of the Khmer version of Witness to History – The Journal of Cambodia’s Queen Mother have been distributed as of yesterday.
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SOURCE: Khmer Times, Cambodia August 1, 2023
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