ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sophal Ear - Development economist
Sophal Ear leads research on post-conflict countries -- looking at the effectiveness of foreign aid and the challenge of development in places like his native land, Cambodia.

Why you should listen

Elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council in November 2015 for a 3-year term, encompassing more than 20,000 residents in unincorporated La Crescenta and Montrose, California, Sophal Ear, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor of Diplomacy & World Affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles where he lectures on political economy, security, development and Asia.

Previously, he taught how to rebuild countries after wars at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and international development at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He consulted for the World Bank, was Assistant Resident Representative for the United Nations in East Timor and Advisor to Cambodia's 1st private equity fund Leopard Capital. A TED Fellow, Fulbright Specialist, Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, he sits on the board of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Refugees International, Partners for Development, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the Southeast Asia Development Program, Diagnostic Microbiology Development Program, the Journal of International Relations and Development (Palgrave), the International Public Management Journal (Taylor & Francis), Journal of South-East Asian American Education & Advancement (Purdue), and Politics and the Life Sciences (Cambridge University Press).

He is the author of Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy (Columbia University Press, 2013) and co-author of The Hungry Dragon: How China’s Resources Quest is Reshaping the World (Routledge, 2013). He wrote and narrated the award-winning documentary film "The End/Beginning: Cambodia" (47 minutes, 2011) based on his 2009 TED Talk and has appeared in four other documentaries.

A graduate of Princeton and Berkeley, he moved to the United States from France as a Cambodian refugee at the age of 10.

More profile about the speaker
Sophal Ear | Speaker | TED.com
TED2009

Sophal Ear: Escaping the Khmer Rouge

អៀ សុផល:​ ការរត់ភៀសខ្លួនចេញពីរបបខ្មែរក្រហម

Filmed:
685,840 views

លោក អៀ សុផល ដែលជាសមាជិករបស់ថេដ(TED)និយាយប្រាប់រឿងដ៏គួរអោយចាប់អារម្មណ៍ស្តី​ពីការរត់​ភៀសខ្លួនចេញពីប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ក្រោមការគ្រប់គ្រងនៃរបបខ្មែរក្រហម។​​ លោកពិពណ៌នាភាព​ឈ្លៀសវៃ​និងអំណត់អត់ធ្មត់របស់ម្តាយរបស់លោកដើម្បីជួយសង្គ្រោះកូនៗរបស់គាត់ ។
- Development economist
Sophal Ear leads research on post-conflict countries -- looking at the effectiveness of foreign aid and the challenge of development in places like his native land, Cambodia. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I normally teach courses on
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ខ្ញុំជាធម្មតាបង្រៀនមុខវិជ្ជាពី
00:15
how to rebuild states after war.
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របៀបស្ថាបនាប្រទេស​​ឡើងវិញបន្ទាប់ពីបពា្ចប់សង្រ្គាម​។​
00:19
But today I've got a personal story to share with you.
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តែថ្ងៃនេះខ្ញុំមានរឿងផ្ទាល់ខ្លួនមកនិយាយប្រាប់អ្នក
00:21
This is a picture of my family,
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នេះគឺជារូបភាពគ្រួសាររបស់ខ្ញុំ
00:24
my four siblings -- my mom and I -- taken in 1977.
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មានបងប្អូនបងើ្កតខ្ញុំបួននាក់​​ ម្តាយខ្ញុំ​និងខ្ញុំ​ថត​នៅឆ្នាំ​១៩៧៧
00:28
And we're actually Cambodians.
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ការពិតពួកយើងគឺជាជនជាតិខ្មែរ​
00:30
And this picture is taken in Vietnam.
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និង​នេះគឺជារូបថតបានថតនៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម​
00:32
So how did a Cambodian family end up in Vietnam in 1977?
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ដូច្នេះ​សួរថាតើ​គ្រួសារខ្មែរមកទើរនៅប្រទេសវៀតណាមនៅឆ្នាំ១៩៧៧ដោយវិធីណា​?
00:36
Well to explain that, I've got a short video clip
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ដើម្បីពន្យល់រឿងនេះ​ខ្ញុំមានវីឌីអូក្លីបខ្លីមួយមកបង្ហាញ​
00:39
to explain the Khmer Rouge regime
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ពីរបបខ្មែរក្រហម​
00:41
during 1975 and 1979.
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អំឡុងឆ្នាំ​១៩៧៥​ដល់​១៩៧៩
00:44
Video: April 17th, 1975.
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វីឌីអូៈ​១៧​មេសា​១៩៧៥
00:48
The communist Khmer Rouge
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របបកុម្មុយនិស្តខ្មែរក្រហម​ ​​
00:50
enters Phnom Penh to liberate their people
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បានមកដល់ទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញដើម្បីរំដោះប្រជាជនរបស់ពួកគេ
00:53
from the encroaching conflict in Vietnam,
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ពីការ​រីករាលដាលវិបិត្តនៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម​
00:55
and American bombing campaigns.
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និងយុទ្ធនាការទំលាក់គ្រាប់បែករបស់សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិច​
00:59
Led by peasant-born Pol Pot,
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ដឹកនាំដោយលោកប៉ុលពតដែលកើតក្នុងត្រកូលកសិករ
01:02
the Khmer Rouge evacuates people to the countryside
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ខ្មែរក្រហមបានជម្លៀសប្រជាជនទៅជនបទ
01:06
in order to create a rural communist utopia,
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ដើម្បីបង្កើតបក្សកុម្មុយនិស្តមហាលោតផ្លោះ
01:09
much like Mao Tse-tung's Cultural Revolution in China.
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ដូចរបបបដិវត្តន៍វបុ្បធម៌របស់ម៉ៅសេទុង​​នៅប្រទេសចិន
01:15
The Khmer Rouge closes the doors to the outside world.
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របបខ្មែរក្រហមបានផ្តាច់ខ្លួនពីពិភពលោកខាងក្រៅ
01:19
But after four years the grim truth seeps out.
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ប៉ុន្តែបន្ទាប់ពី៤ឆ្នាំកន្លងផុតទៅ​​ការពិតគួរអោយសោកសង្រេងបានលេចលឺចេញមក
01:23
In a country of only seven million people,
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ក្នុងប្រទេសដែលមានប្រជាជានតែ​៧លាននាក់
01:25
one and a half million were murdered by their own leaders,
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ប្រជាជន១លាន​កន្លះ​​ត្រូវបានសំលាប់ដោយមេដឹកនាំរបស់ខ្លួន​
01:29
their bodies piled in the mass graves of the killing fields.
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សាកសពរបស់ពួកគេត្រូវបានកប់នៅក្នុងរណ្តៅធំៗ​នៃវាលពិឃាត​។​
01:33
Sophal Ear: So, notwithstanding the 1970s narration,
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អៀ​​​ សុផលៈ​ដូច្នេះ​ការពណ៌នាត្រួសៗនៅទសវត្សរ៍១៩៧០​
01:36
on April 17th 1975
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១៧​មេសា​១៩៧៥
01:38
we lived in Phnom Penh.
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យើងរស់នៅទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញ​
01:40
And my parents were told by the Khmer Rouge
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ពេលនោះ​ពួកខ្មែរក្រហមបានប្រាប់ឪពុកម្តាយរបស់ខ្ញុំ
01:43
to evacuate the city because of impending American bombing for three days.
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អោយជម្លៀសពីទីក្រុង​ដើម្បីគេចពីការទំលាក់គ្រាប់បែករបស់សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិច​ចំនួន​៣​ថ្ងៃ​។​
01:47
And here is a picture of the Khmer Rouge.
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នេះគឺជារូបថតស្តីពីពួកខ្មែរក្រហម​
01:49
They were young soldiers, typically child soldiers.
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ពួកគេគឺជាទាហានក្មេងៗ​​ដែលអាចហៅថាទាហានវ័យកុមារៗ
01:52
And this is very normal now, of modern day conflict,
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ហើយនេះគឺ​ជារឿងធម្មតានាពេលបច្ចុប្បន្ន​​ នៅក្នុងវិបតិ្តជម្លោះនៅសម័យកាលបច្ចុប្បន្ន
01:55
because they're easy to bring into wars.
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ដោយសារពួកគេងាយស្រួលនាំទៅក្នុងសង្គ្រាម
01:58
The reason that they gave about American bombing wasn't all that far off.
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ហេតុផលដែលពួកវាយកការទំលាក់គ្រាប់បែក​គឺមិនមែនជារឿងមិនអាចជឿនោះទេ
02:02
I mean, from 1965 to 1973 there were
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ខ្ញុំចង់មានន័យថា​ពី​១៩៦៥​ដល់​១៩៧៣ វាមាន
02:04
more munitions that fell on Cambodia
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ការទំលាក់គ្រាប់បែក នៅទឹកដីកម្ពុជា​ច្រើន
02:08
than in all of World War II Japan,
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ជាងការទំលាក់នៅសង្គ្រាមលោកលើកទី​២​នៅប្រទេសជប៉ុន
02:10
including the two nuclear bombs
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រួមទាំងគ្រាប់បែកបរមាណូទាំងពីរ
02:12
of August 1945.
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នៅខែសីហា​១៩៤៥
02:15
The Khmer Rouge didn't believe in money.
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របបខ្មែរក្រហមមិនជឿលើក្រដាសប្រាក់ទេ
02:18
So the equivalent of the Federal Reserve Bank
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ដូច្នេះ​​​​ ធនាគារជាតិនៃកម្ពុជា​
02:20
in Cambodia was bombed.
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ត្រូវបានបំផ្លាញ
02:22
But not just that, they actually banned money.
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មិនត្រឹមតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ ក្រដាសប្រាក់ត្រូវបានហាមមិនអោយប្រើ
02:25
I think it's the only precedent in which
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ខ្ញុំគិតថា​នេះគឺជាសម័យកាលតែមួយគត់ដែល
02:27
money has ever been stopped from being used.
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ក្រដាសប្រាក់ត្រូវបានឈប់អោយប្រើ
02:29
And we know money is the root of all evil,
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យើងដឹងហើយថា​ក្រដាសប្រាក់គឺជារឹសគល់នៃបិសាចរឺរឿងអាក្រក់
02:31
but it didn't actually stop evil from happening in Cambodia, in fact.
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តែជាការ​ពិតណាស់​យើងមិនអាចបពា្ឈប់រឿងអាក្រក់មិនអោយកើតមាននៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជាបានទេ
02:35
My family was moved from Phnom Penh to Pursat province.
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ក្រុមគ្រួសាររបស់ខ្ញុំត្រូវគេជម្លៀសពីភ្នំពេញ​​ទៅខេត្តពោធិសាត់
02:39
This is a picture of what Pursat looks like.
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ក្រុមគ្រួសាររបស់ខ្ញុំត្រូវគេជម្លៀសពីភ្នំពេញ​​ទៅខេត្តពោធិសាត់
02:41
It's actually a very pretty area of Cambodia,
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វាគឺជាខេត្តមួយដ៏ស្រស់ស្អាតរបស់ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា​
02:44
where rice growing takes place.
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ជាកន្លែងដែលមានវាលស្រែ
02:46
And in fact they were forced to work the fields.
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ជាការពិតណាស់​ ពួកគេត្រូវបានអោយធ្វើការនៅវាលស្រែ
02:48
So my father and mother ended up in
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ដូច្នេះ​ ឪពុកម្តាយរបស់ខ្ញុំ​ត្រូវបានបង្ខំអោយ
02:51
a sort of concentration camp, labor camp.
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ធ្វើការងារនៅជំរុំប្រមូលផ្តុំ គឺជាជំរុំធ្វើការងារដោយកំលាំង
02:54
And it was at that time that my mother got word
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ហើយនៅពេលនោះ ដែលម្តាយខ្ញុំទទួលពាក្យ
02:56
from the commune chief
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ពីប្រធានឃុំ​
02:59
that the Vietnamese were actually asking
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ថាវៀតណាមកំពុងសុំ
03:01
for their citizens to go back to Vietnam.
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ជនជាតិរបស់ពួកគេទៅវៀតណាមវិញ​
03:04
And she spoke some Vietnamese,
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ម្តាយរបស់ខ្ញុំនិយាយភាសាវៀតណាមខ្លះៗ
03:06
as a child having grown up with Vietnamese friends.
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ដោយសារនៅវ័យកុមារ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ គាត់ធំដឹងក្តីជាមួយមិត្តភ័ក្តិជនជាតិវៀតណាម
03:09
And she decided, despite the advice of her neighbors,
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ហើយទោះបីជាមានដំបូន្មានហាមឃាត់ពីអ្នកជិតខាងក្តី គាត់នៅតែសំរេច​​ចិត្ត
03:13
that she would take the chance
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ថា​គាត់នឹងឆក់យកឱកាសនេះ
03:15
and claim to be Vietnamese
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គឺប្រកាសថាគាត់ជាជនជាតិវៀតណាម
03:17
so that we could have a chance to survive,
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ដើម្បីយើងបានឱកាសរស់តទៅទៀត
03:19
because at this point they're forcing everybody to work.
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ដោយសារនៅពេលនោះ ពួកគេបង្ខំអោយមនុស្សគ្រប់គ្នាធ្វើការ
03:21
And they're giving about --
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ហើយពួកគេផ្តល់អោយមកវិញៈ
03:23
in a modern-day, caloric-restriction diet, I guess --
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បើគិតនៅក្នុងសម័យបច្ចុប្បន្ន អាហារដែលគ្មានកាឡូរីគ្រប់គ្រាន់​
03:26
they're giving porridge, with a few grains of rice.
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ដូចជាអោយបបរ ដែលមានគ្រាប់អង្ករពីរបីគ្រាប់
03:30
And at about this time actually
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ប្រហែលជាពេលនេះហើយដែល
03:32
my father got very sick.
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ឪពុករបស់ខ្ញុំបានធ្លាក់ខ្លួនឈឺ
03:34
And he didn't speak Vietnamese.
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គាត់មិននិយាយភាសាវៀតណាម
03:36
So he died actually, in January 1976.
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ដូច្នេះ គាត់បានស្លាប់នៅឆ្នាំ​១៩៧៦
03:39
And it made it possible, in fact,
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ការពិតណាស់ វាអាចទៅរួច
03:42
for us to take on this plan.
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សំរាប់យើងធ្វើគំរោងការនេះ
03:44
So the Khmer Rouge took us
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ពួកខ្មែរក្រហមជម្លៀសយើងពី
03:46
from a place called Pursat to Kaoh Tiev,
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ខេត្តពោធិសាត់ទៅកោះទាវ
03:48
which is across from the border from Vietnam.
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ដែលនៅម្ខាងនៃព្រំដែនពីប្រទេសវៀតណាម
03:51
And there they had a detention camp
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នៅទីនោះ ពួកគេមានជំរុំឃុំឃាំងរក្សាទុក
03:53
where alleged Vietnamese would be tested, language tested.
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ជាកន្លែងដែលគេធ្វើតេស្តជនជាតិវៀតណាមដែលប្រកាសខ្លួនជាជនជាតិវៀតណាម គឹធ្វើតេស្តភាសាវៀតណាម
03:57
And my mother's Vietnamese was so bad
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ភាសាវៀតណាមរបស់ម្តាយខ្ញុំ​មិនល្អសោះ
04:00
that to make our story more credible,
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ដូច្នេះហើយដើម្បីធ្វើអោយរឿងរបស់យើងកាន់តែអាចគួរអោយជឿបាន
04:04
she'd given all the boys and girls new Vietnamese names.
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គាត់ដាក់ឈ្មោះកូនស្រីប្រុសរបស់គាត់ជាភាសាវៀតណាម
04:07
But she'd given the boys girls' names,
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ប៉ុន្តែគាត់ដាក់ឈ្មោះជាភាសាវៀតណាមដោយឈ្មោះស្រីសំរាប់កូនប្រុស
04:09
and the girls boys' names.
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ឈ្មោះប្រុសសំរាប់កូនស្រី
04:12
And it wasn't until she met a Vietnamese lady
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គាត់មិនដឹងរហួតដល់ពេលគាត់ជួបស្រ្តីជនជាតិវៀតណាមម្នាក់
04:14
who told her this, and then tutored her for two days intensively,
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ដែលបានប្រាប់គាត់រឿងនេះ ហើយបានបង្រៀនគាត់វគ្គខ្លីចំនួនពីរថ្ងៃ
04:18
that she was able to go into her exam
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ពេលនោះហើយដែលគាត់អាចប្រលងជាប់បាន
04:21
and -- you know, this was a moment of truth.
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អ្នកដឹងទេ នេះគឺជារឿងពិត
04:24
If she fails, we're all headed to the gallows;
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ប្រសិនបើគាត់មិនជាប់ទេ យើងទាំងអស់នឹងចូលមឈូស
04:27
if she passes, we can leave to Vietnam.
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ប្រសិនជាគាត់ជាប់ យើងអាចទៅនៅប្រទេសវៀតណាមបាន
04:29
And she actually, of course -- I'm here, she passes.
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ពិតណាស់ គាត់បានជាប់ ​ដូចដែលខ្ញុំនៅទីនេះ
04:33
And we end up in Hong Ngu on the Vietnamese side.
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យើងបានរស់នៅតំបន់​ហុង ងូនៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម
04:36
And then onwards to Chau Doc.
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បន្ទាប់មក យើងផ្លាស់ទៅចាវ​ដុក
04:38
And this is a picture of Hong Ngu, Vietnam today.
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នេះគឺជារូបភាពពីតំបន់ហុង​ងូនៃប្រទេសវៀតណាមបច្ចុប្បន្ន​
04:40
A pretty idyllic place on the Mekong Delta.
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ជាតំបន់ដ៏ស្ងប់ស្ងាត់នៅតាមដងទន្លេមេគង្គ
04:42
But for us it meant freedom.
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ចំពោះពួកយើង គឺជាកន្លែងមានសេរីភាពរបស់យើង
04:44
And freedom from persecution from the Khmer Rouge.
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គឺជាសេរីភាពពីការធ្វើទារុណកម្មនៃរបបខ្មែរក្រហម
04:49
Last year, the Khmer Rouge Tribunal,
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កាលពីឆ្នាំមុន តុលាការកាត់ទោសខ្មែរក្រហម
04:52
which the U.N. is helping Cambodia take on,
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ក្រោមជំនួយរបស់អង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិដល់ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា
04:54
started, and I decided that as a matter of record
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បានចាប់ផ្តើម ដើម្បីទុកជាភស្តុតាង
04:56
I should file a Civil Complaint
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ខ្ញុំបានសំរេចប្តឹងរដ្ឋប្បវេណី
04:59
with the Tribunal about my father's passing away.
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នៅតុលាការកាត់ទោសខ្មែរក្រហម ​អំពីការស្លាប់របស់ឪពុករបស់ខ្ញុំ
05:02
And I got word last month
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ខ្ញុំទើបបានទទួលដំណឹងថា
05:05
that the complaint was officially accepted by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
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បណ្តឹងរបស់ខ្ញុំត្រូវបានទទួលជាផ្លូវការដោយតុលាការកាត់ទោសខ្មែរក្រហម
05:08
And it's for me a matter of justice for history, and accountability for the future,
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ចំពោះខ្ញុំ ដើម្បីយុត្តិធម៌សំរាប់ប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្ត និងការទទួលខុសត្រូវចំពោះអនាគត
05:13
because Cambodia remains a pretty lawless place, at times.
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ដោយសារប្រទេសកម្ពុជាគឺជាប្រទេសមិនទាន់ជានិតិរដ្ឋពេញលេញ
05:18
Five years ago my mother and I went back to Chau Doc.
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កាលពី​៥ឆ្នាំមុន​ ម្តាយខ្ញុំនិងខ្ញុំ បានទៅលេងចាវ ដុក
05:22
And she was able to return to a place
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ហើយគាត់អាចត្រលប់ទៅកន្លែងនោះ
05:24
that for her meant freedom, but also fear,
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ដែលជាកន្លែងសំរាប់គាត់មានន័យថាសេរីភាព ប៉ុន្តែក៏ជាកន្លែងគួរអោយខ្លាចដែរ
05:27
because we had just come out of Cambodia.
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ពីព្រោះយើងទើបបានចាកចេញពីប្រទេសកម្ពុជា
05:30
I'm happy, actually, today, to present her.
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ខ្ញុំសប្បាយរីករាយ ជាពិសេសឥឡូវនេះខ្ញុំអាចបង្ហាញគាត់
05:34
She's here today with us in the audience.
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គាត់ក៏មានវត្តមានជាមួយយើងនៅពេលនេះដែរ
05:36
Thank you mother.
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អរគុណ​អ្នកម្តាយ​
05:38
(Applause)
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(ការទះដៃអបអរសាទរ)
Translated by Sophal Ear

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sophal Ear - Development economist
Sophal Ear leads research on post-conflict countries -- looking at the effectiveness of foreign aid and the challenge of development in places like his native land, Cambodia.

Why you should listen

Elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council in November 2015 for a 3-year term, encompassing more than 20,000 residents in unincorporated La Crescenta and Montrose, California, Sophal Ear, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor of Diplomacy & World Affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles where he lectures on political economy, security, development and Asia.

Previously, he taught how to rebuild countries after wars at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and international development at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He consulted for the World Bank, was Assistant Resident Representative for the United Nations in East Timor and Advisor to Cambodia's 1st private equity fund Leopard Capital. A TED Fellow, Fulbright Specialist, Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, he sits on the board of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Refugees International, Partners for Development, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the Southeast Asia Development Program, Diagnostic Microbiology Development Program, the Journal of International Relations and Development (Palgrave), the International Public Management Journal (Taylor & Francis), Journal of South-East Asian American Education & Advancement (Purdue), and Politics and the Life Sciences (Cambridge University Press).

He is the author of Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy (Columbia University Press, 2013) and co-author of The Hungry Dragon: How China’s Resources Quest is Reshaping the World (Routledge, 2013). He wrote and narrated the award-winning documentary film "The End/Beginning: Cambodia" (47 minutes, 2011) based on his 2009 TED Talk and has appeared in four other documentaries.

A graduate of Princeton and Berkeley, he moved to the United States from France as a Cambodian refugee at the age of 10.

More profile about the speaker
Sophal Ear | Speaker | TED.com

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