Photo of the Week: Surviving the Khmer Rouge reign of terror

Sum Sok Ry is one of four RFA staffers who have told their stories of surviving the Khmer Rouge.

Mar 21, 2025 - 20:00
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Photo of the Week: Surviving the Khmer Rouge reign of terror

As a young boy, Sum Sok Ry and his family were forced by the Khmer Rouge to leave their home in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh and make a long trek into the countryside.

“It was so hot, burning,” he recalled. “And the walk – I was crying so much because we were so confused.”

Between 1975 and 1979, between 1.5 million and 2 million Cambodians died by execution, forced labor and famine, including his parents.

“I struggled so hard,” Sok Ry said. “I almost died so many times, but I refused to die.”

Read Sok Ry’s and the other RFA staffers' stories of survival here. His portrait and those of his colleagues were made as a tribute to reflect a piece of their life’s journey, an important part of Cambodia’s history.

The Photo of the Week showcases a compelling image from the past seven days.

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