Forced marriage and family life
Family relationships were heavily restricted and criticized during the Khmer Rouge's regime. Family members were separated that they barely saw each other. People were forbidden to show any slight affection, humor or pity towards anyone. Democratic weddings were completely different from traditional ones as couples were married in mass ceremonies in which there were even about 3~100 couples at each ceremony. Surprisingly, traditional clothes, dancing, singing and religious ceremonies were banned because The Khmer rouge saw the traditional wedding as a waste of time and no help in producing rice.
Each couple was designated by Angkar which claimed to be everyone's parents. Thus, some couples did not even know the name or face of their future bride and husband. Sometimes, women were forced to marry injured soldiers without a hand or a leg. If women refused, they were imprisoned, tortured severely or forced to do hard labor from their homes. Forced marriage increased after the Khmer Rouge victory in 1975. The leaders of Democratic Kampuchea wanted to make sure that children born from them could continue the revolution and labor, as the main reason for weddings was to produce children who could serve the revolution rather than forming family units.
Khamboly, Dy. A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) . [Phnom Penh, Cambodia]: Documentation Center of Cambodia, 2007 . Print. Chapter 7. Page 32
Source analysis
Source 8
Family relationships were heavily restricted and criticized during the Khmer Rouge's regime. Family members were separated that they barely saw each other. People were forbidden to show any slight affection, humor or pity towards anyone. Democratic weddings were completely different from traditional ones as couples were married in mass ceremonies in which there were even about 3~100 couples at each ceremony. Surprisingly, traditional clothes, dancing, singing and religious ceremonies were banned because The Khmer rouge saw the traditional wedding as a waste of time and no help in producing rice.
Each couple was designated by Angkar which claimed to be everyone's parents. Thus, some couples did not even know the name or face of their future bride and husband. Sometimes, women were forced to marry injured soldiers without a hand or a leg. If women refused, they were imprisoned, tortured severely or forced to do hard labor from their homes. Forced marriage increased after the Khmer Rouge victory in 1975. The leaders of Democratic Kampuchea wanted to make sure that children born from them could continue the revolution and labor, as the main reason for weddings was to produce children who could serve the revolution rather than forming family units.
Khamboly, Dy. A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) . [Phnom Penh, Cambodia]: Documentation Center of Cambodia, 2007 . Print. Chapter 7. Page 32
Source analysis
Source 8
Khamboly, Dy. A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) . [Phnom Penh, Cambodia]: Documentation Center of Cambodia, 2007 . Print. Chapter 7. Page 34
This source is what Pheng Hang from Kampong Cham described about his marriage. He described what his marriage was like. The date of this being said is unknown, but it's manifest about when the marriage was taken place. This source describes how his partner was forcefully chosen, and he was married with other 160 couples. The purpose of this source is to give information about what marriage was like during Khmer Rouge regime. This proves the information given in the textbook right. Using text format, it's more clear to understand what the author is intending to say. This source was used to back up the wedding situation in Khmer Rouge in the textbook. This source was created a month before the regime collapsed, in 1978. This suggests that he was soon free from the regime, which he said at the end, after the revolution, we came home and now have five children. This part of the source explains what kind of person the author is. Even though he didn’t choose his own wife, they live together and have babies. He doesn’t seem to have any purpose of criticizing on the government, but just recalling what he remembers from the marriage. So he is not biased or being untruthful. I think this source is quite valuable. It does not have much limitation, which doesn’t leave any story behind. This source is useful enough to advocate a main point.
Source 9
This source is what Pheng Hang from Kampong Cham described about his marriage. He described what his marriage was like. The date of this being said is unknown, but it's manifest about when the marriage was taken place. This source describes how his partner was forcefully chosen, and he was married with other 160 couples. The purpose of this source is to give information about what marriage was like during Khmer Rouge regime. This proves the information given in the textbook right. Using text format, it's more clear to understand what the author is intending to say. This source was used to back up the wedding situation in Khmer Rouge in the textbook. This source was created a month before the regime collapsed, in 1978. This suggests that he was soon free from the regime, which he said at the end, after the revolution, we came home and now have five children. This part of the source explains what kind of person the author is. Even though he didn’t choose his own wife, they live together and have babies. He doesn’t seem to have any purpose of criticizing on the government, but just recalling what he remembers from the marriage. So he is not biased or being untruthful. I think this source is quite valuable. It does not have much limitation, which doesn’t leave any story behind. This source is useful enough to advocate a main point.
Source 9
Khamboly, Dy. A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) . [Phnom Penh, Cambodia]: Documentation Center of Cambodia, 2007 . Print. Chapter 7. Page 33
This source is the recall of Mousa Sokha of Kampong Cham province who was president of a woman's sub-district association during Democratic Kampuchea. The date of this source being written is unknown but we know when she was married. This source describes how she was married and how it became different after a new rule passed. It shows how they were decorated with limited jewelries for their wedding, and how they wore simple clothes. It explains what happened to the coupes rejecting to get married. The author tells us that her husband was called to go to the battle field only three days after the marriage and how she begged the village chief to let her husband. In the end, her first son died of disease just a week after he was born. It's such a poor like she lived, and we don’t know what happened to her husband. Similar to source 8, the purpose of this source is to provide information about what real marriage was like during the Khmer Rouge. It was used to support the information given in the textbook. This kind of format is more effective way to tell straight forward than using images. I don’t see any intention of blaming someone for what happened to her. So It's easier to see the truth than biased happenings. This source is very valuable as she describes detailed about her marriage. In contrary to source 8, she was married with other 7 to 8 couples. This explains what was going on during the times when she was married and when the man in source 8. We can tell that she lived such an unfortunate life which she lost her husband and son. This piece of source reflects accurately about the Khmer Rouge regime and system of marriage. I don’t see any important part of the story missing, as it contains how she was married before the new rule was passed. Therefore I think this source is effective to support the information I wrote.
This source is the recall of Mousa Sokha of Kampong Cham province who was president of a woman's sub-district association during Democratic Kampuchea. The date of this source being written is unknown but we know when she was married. This source describes how she was married and how it became different after a new rule passed. It shows how they were decorated with limited jewelries for their wedding, and how they wore simple clothes. It explains what happened to the coupes rejecting to get married. The author tells us that her husband was called to go to the battle field only three days after the marriage and how she begged the village chief to let her husband. In the end, her first son died of disease just a week after he was born. It's such a poor like she lived, and we don’t know what happened to her husband. Similar to source 8, the purpose of this source is to provide information about what real marriage was like during the Khmer Rouge. It was used to support the information given in the textbook. This kind of format is more effective way to tell straight forward than using images. I don’t see any intention of blaming someone for what happened to her. So It's easier to see the truth than biased happenings. This source is very valuable as she describes detailed about her marriage. In contrary to source 8, she was married with other 7 to 8 couples. This explains what was going on during the times when she was married and when the man in source 8. We can tell that she lived such an unfortunate life which she lost her husband and son. This piece of source reflects accurately about the Khmer Rouge regime and system of marriage. I don’t see any important part of the story missing, as it contains how she was married before the new rule was passed. Therefore I think this source is effective to support the information I wrote.
How does it violate human right?
human right Article 16.
human right Article 16.
- (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
- (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
- (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.