Escape from Cambodia

My name is Pin Yathay. I am 34 years old and have a degree in engineering from the Polytechnic Institute in Montreal. I was formerly a director of new construction in the Public Works Department in Phnom Penh. I am lucky to be alive. I survived two years and two months of a living hell under the Khmer Rouge. I escaped in June 1977. Here is my story . . .

On April 17, 1975, Phnom Penh was evacuated by order of the victorious, incoming Khmer Rouge forces. Together with my family, I joined three million people on the densely packed routes out of the city. Phnom Penh, our lovely mother city, was left behind us, a ghost town. I lost my entire family—four children, wife, mother, father, grandparents, sisters, brothers, brothers-and sisters-in-law, 18 people in all—in the tragic and terrible events that followed. Now I am completely alone.

PY

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Pin Yathay

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My name is Pin Yathay. I am 34 years old and have a degree in engineering from the Polytechnic Institute in Montreal. I was formerly a director of new construction in the Public Works Department in Phnom Penh. I am lucky to be alive. I survived two years and two months of a living hell under the Khmer Rouge. I escaped in June 1977. Here is my story . . .

On April 17, 1975, Phnom Penh was evacuated by order of the victorious, incoming Khmer Rouge forces. Together with my family, I joined three million people on the densely packed routes out of the city. Phnom Penh, our lovely mother city, was left behind us, a ghost town. I lost my entire family—four children, wife, mother, father, grandparents, sisters, brothers, brothers-and sisters-in-law, 18 people in all—in the tragic and terrible events that followed. Now I am completely alone.