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The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

Spending The Easter Holiday At SLU

“I was told that I could come home after three days.” Former Cambodian child soldier Loung Ung’s childhood ended with that lie. She has not been home for over 25 years.

SLU’s chapter of Amnesty International hosted Ung, author of First They Killed my Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, in Carlo Auditorium Wednesday night.

Ung spoke about a childhood filled with violence. Only it was not the violence that children see on television: it was the violence she was taught to inflict on others.

At the age of a third grader, instead of wondering whether the popular girl would like her, she wondered if that girl would kill her. Instead of dancing “for praise of the gods,” she danced in “attack motion.” Instead of using music to entertain, music instilled the values of killing.

When Ung was 5 years old, the Khmer Rouge forced her family from their home. The soldiers took her father away when she was 7. He was executed the next morning. Then, her mother forced her to flee the home for her own safety. At 8 years old, she was taken to a camp where she was taught military tactics.

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“I wasn’t a monster,” Ung said. “It took three years, eight months and 21 days to turn an innocent child into a killing machine.”

Officials at the camp used her anger to train her to shoot with a gun that was one-half her height and one-third her weight.

“Soldiers rewarded me for my hate with food,” Ung said. “Being a child soldier does not end with physical training; it begins with mental training.”

Although Ung referred to herself as a child soldier, she said, “No child is a true soldier. You cannot be a soldier unless you make the decision to become one. I did not make that decision-I was brainwashed.”

For four years at the military camp, Ung lived a life of routine. There was no music, television or newspaper. Every girl had the same haircut. For four years, color was banned: every person wore black shirts and black pants.

According to Ung, “Every day was a Monday at the camp. Every Monday we worked 12 to 16 hours a day.”

Sophomore Eric Sears, assistant coordinator of Amnesty International, introduced Ung. Sears spoke about the pioneering campaign against child soldiers.

Amnesty continues to raise awareness because, even last year, 120 million people suffered through war, and at least 300,00 of them were child soldiers. Sears said the speech was “a message of hope and empowerment.”

Ung paralleled her life to that of any student in the auditorium. “All we have is luck for where we are born. You could just as easily be a child soldier or silenced voices.”

“By being here at SLU, at school, you are already speakers for your own rights.” She challenged students to become speakers of others’ rights as well.

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