Cambodian genocide survivor saw hundreds of babies murdered

In this week's episode, we spoke to the incredible and resilient Var Ashe Houston about her experience of living under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia during the 1970's. Var, along with her blind mother and two young daughters, were pushed from their home as the dictator Pol Pot ascended to power and forced to work twelve hours a day on the land. Var's husband was tricked and murdered by the regime and Var witnessed scenes of unimaginable cruelty and torture, including the beating of her own five-year-old daughter. Var's story of survival shines a light on the atrocities of Cambodia's 'Killing Fields' and the horrific murder of a quarter of her countrymen in just four years of the Khmer Rouge's rule.

00:00 - 00:30 - Intro
00:30 - 02:11 - Life Before The Regime
02:11 - 07:34 - Forced From Our Homes At Gunpoint
07:34 - 10:01 - We Were Not Allowed To Wear Shoes
10:01 - 12:30 - My Daughter Was Beaten
12:30 - 14:20 - A Prison Without Walls
14:20 - 15:40 - Intimidation Tactics
15:40 - 17:15 - They Killed Babies
17:15 - 20:00 - The Killing Fields
20:00 - 22:08 - They Threw The Body Out The Window
22:08 - 24:05 - Horrific Torture
24:05 - 26:09 - Survival
26:09 - 31:26 - Escape
31:26 - 35:52 - I Still Have Nightmares

#LADbible

[MrsMutterCourage]

What happened in Cambodia and how little the rest of the world cared is truly sad 💔

[OnlyMichaelJackson]

There truly are demons walking among us. God bless the Cambodians no people should have to suffer like that and yet they do, every single day.

[hf..]

If anyone has seen the movies “ Killing Field” from Cambodia the worst nightmare alive within that movie it’s only the 1/3 part only..behind realities they cut your tongues, removed nails if you don’t answer their question, head submerge under water hand tight behind, feet’s elevated with electric shot etc.. I’m among a child of Genocide survivors my parent were also target by Pol Pot. My father was a wellknown entrepreneur in Gemologies business in Pailin Province. 1950-1960-1970! Thank God we’re survived the massecure of all modern histories during (1975-1979)

[GramdalfFGC]

I am broadly left wing but only just left of centre. I absolutely abhor communism. Fascism and Nazism in particular is rightly shunned now, but the PR job communism has done is amazing. The fact you can openly proclaim yourself a communist online and not face any backlash or be a member of the British Communist party and not be seen in the same vein as someone in the national front is amazing to me.

Marxism, taken to it's logical conclusion murders human beings. From the Holodomor in the Ukraine to the killing fields of cambodia.

It needs relegating to the dust bin of history

[hf..]

Cambodia country alone from the Mass Genocide level disasters would had been avoided or limited death toll, but behind the stories there’s many few neighboring countries has been politically involved indeed Henry Kissinger Secretaries of States, bombarded Cambodia, killed 100, 000 thousands innocents Khmers, China Communism, Vietnam Communism were retreat within Cambodia country during that time. Pol Pot study abroad in Paris upon he’s return to Cambodia he has this ideologies and also praise Hitler and Nazis camp ! Our beloved Cambodia would never be the same anymore . Cambodia was a well, lovely, happy people and prosperious country before this movement happen . 90% of Khmers elites, educators, doctors, great politicians, high scholars and wealthy class were among the vulnerable target against Pol Pol. Imagine these intellectuals great Khmers people were still alive nowadays they generated and produce the most important socio-economic for the country.

[JPSM]

THIS Has Broken Her ❤ EVERYTIME She Tells STORY. So Terrible Tragic & UNIMAGINATIVE. WHY HAVEN’T THEY BEEN ARRESTED .

[shan]

A baby? Smash against the tree ! what da fuc! That’s demonic . 💔

[donhoangnguyen]

Still nowadays Cambodian blame vietnam for pushing back pol pot and liberate phnom penh. Even labeled us as invaders. Ungrateful F.

[paulasonny]

I’ve seen the tree where they killed the babies, it was in a short, it’s a memorial now, disgusting behaviour 😢

[the_glitter_is]

That was the most visceral reaction I have ever had listening to a story. My god.

[salek]

What kind of a monster and an idiot kills a baby?

[Ahgsb]

This does not get the same attention as holocaust despite similar or possibly worse casualties and sufferings…..simply because they are coloured people

[cliffordchase]

I believe most of the killers were around 15 years old..

[FaizalHamzah-pv]

The consequences of stop fighting the group that are well known to be violence and have an evil scheme. A lesson for the world community.

[elisiaweimar]

Oh Jesus, these babies would be my age and I’m a grandma😮😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I didn’t know about till this morning and now oh my heart …. I can’t stop crying because I didn’t know 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 knew it was bad but I don’t know 😢

[gaia]

U could be a great philosopher
U should study it and teach peaople at universities...

[snow]

We already live in hell. We just have moments of joy and that’s heaven.

[ShaownSafayat]

This is already past you people cry about past genocide..?
You you people doesn't seen Palestine genocide by Israel why

[sovanthakwok]

Hard to believe: I never heard of babes being killed just to free their mothers to work.

Of course, babies were killed along with their parent. That is what I often heard. At the fall of Khmer Rough, I was under 5. Since my parent survived, so did I. However, I was separated from my mum during that period. Being new comer to the village about 10km from our hometown, we were second class citizens and subject to being extinguished.

In case of my neighbor in my hometown, the mother was killed and so did the month old baby. She was smashed to the three and died.

[AmyAmy-erbp]

We all remember what happened to Cambodia.