Finding Peace: I Fled Khmer Rouge for Peace in Dandenong
Youhorn Chea lived through the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, before finding peace in Dandenong.
Shot by Rodney Dekker, edited by Chris Grose, The Story Collective
Originally a civil engineer who worked in the capital, Phnom Penh, when the Khmer Rouge seized power, he and millions of Cambodians were forced to work in labour camps in regional areas. This short film, Finding Peace, tells how Youhorn and his family were able to survive the horrific conditions and escape to Thailand after the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979. After a year in a Thai refugee camp, Youhorn, his wife and four children were sponsored to come to Australia. They arrived in 1981 and started a new life in safety and peace. Youhorn is a respected community leader, local councillor in Greater Dandenong, and a former refugee.
With thanks to Youhorn and family.
Originally published at www.theguardian.com on June 23, 2015.
