In the beginning of her book “They Killed My Father First”, Loung Ung is a care free five year old Cambodian girl. Her story starts in the city of Phnom Penh in April of 1975. A description of the busy city quickly leads to a restaurant setting where Loung and her family were enjoying a delicious noodle breakfast. Loung mentions her restless behavior in the restaurant and describes her young self as “a daughter who does not act like a girl” (p.2), possibly a sort of ‘tom-boy’ by American standards. She goes on to describe her family and how comfortable their lives were compared to what was to come.

On April 17, 1975 the Khmer Rouge army invaded the city of Phnom Penh. Loung describes the situation from a child’s perspective as it unfolded. One moment she’s playing hopscotch with her friends and a short time later her family is being forced to evacuate the city with only minimal belongings. None of this makes any sense to her as a child and she couldn’t understand the urgency for leaving. The family loads themselves and some essentials into a pick-up truck and cautiously leave. She probes her older sister Keav for answers to her confusion as they slowly leave the city, along with the rest of the citizens forced from their homes.

“In 1970, Primer Lon Nol and the National Assembly deposed Norodom Sihanouk as head of state. The government then reversed Sihanouk's policies of allowing Cambodian ports to be used for Vietnamese weapons traffic and permitting the Vietnamese bases on Cambodian soil. Some considered these actions as part of a pro-United States policy by the government. Sihanouk, opposing the new government, entered into a Chinese-supported alliance with the Khmer Rouge against the Cambodian government. Taking advantage of Vietnamese occupation of eastern Cambodia, U.S. bombings across the whole of eastern Cambodia and Sihanouk's reputation, the Khmer Rouge were able to present themselves as a peace-oriented party in a coalition that represented the majority of the people. With large popular support in the countryside and material support from China and Vietnam, they were able to take the capital Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975. They continued to use King Norodom Sihanouk as a figurehead for the government.” (Wikipedia)

The family continued driving on endlessly, following the soldiers’ directions. Eventually the truck runs out of gas and the family is forced to walk like many others. People became weak from the journey, but pushed on any way from fear of being shot. The soldiers force the population of the city to march for several days, only allowing rest at night. At one point Loung’s family meets up with an uncle who shelters them and finds work for Pa. The uncle lives well outside the city and was considered by the Khmer Rouge to be an “uncorrupted model citizen” (p.37), so he is left alone. The goals of the government were to up-root the corruption in the cities and eliminate any remaining allegiances s by turning the city’s inhabitance to peasants. But the understanding of complex political motives is beyond the scope of a five year old child. Loung wonders why they are unable to return home and wants very badly to just have life back the way it was. She thinks back to the heroic stories her father had told her many times before about the gods and dragons rescuing people. The only thing she can wonder is “will the gods and dragons come help us now?” (p.43)

Thus far in the book Loung Ung has painted a very grim picture. Hundreds of thousands of Cambodians are displaced at the whim of a government. Why would a government violently force innocent people from their city? It would be like if one day the military showed up in Chico and insisted everyone had to leave immediately, but only a fraction of the people would have cars and no cell phones. Seems difficult to imagine, but what if? What if our way of life that we all know and currently enjoy was ripped from our grasp? In this country we are fortunate to enjoy a sense of protection from our government. Even though I may not agree with most of the policies of our current administration, I don’t think we have to worry about civil war in the near future.