Ms. HENG Lai Heang
HENG Lai Heang was born in 1950 in Kratie province, where she and her family lived in a communal farming community.
In 1971, she joined the revolutionary movement when men from the jungle urged them to join to liberate the country. She was on a local committee, so she was responsible for disseminating information about the revolution to the Base People in all the villages. During this period she witnessed many ceremonies and selection for marriage. In 1976, her supervisors in the committee of Sector 505 in the Northeast Zone arranged her marriage. She refused many times but when they used the word “stubborn” to describe her, she agreed to the arrangement for her safety. For her it was a resistance against this new power if she didn’t accept. She became pregnant a year after her wedding, but her husband was arrested in 1978 and she was accused of being linked to a traitor. He was sent to a study session and never returned. She was removed to a work site for wives of traitors in Kratie province.
Regarding the policy against Vietnamese, she stated that this policy was initiated at the local level at the beginning and was disseminated to the district after. This was established because of the conflict between Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese. All of them, even half-blood,
were smashed. This was the case of her uncle’s family.
- Witness acronym :
2-TCCP-251
- Age at the time of testimony :
- Appeared as :
- Cases : Case 002, Case 002/02,
- Date(s) of testimony :