The Monk-Dug Canal - Youth for Peace

The Canal

During the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979), people in Cambodia were subjected to different forms of torture and maltreatment such as starvation, hard labour, and physical and psychological abuse. During this time, the Khmer Rouge tried to eliminate Buddhism and the forced disrobement of monks whom the Khmer Rouge called ‘parasites of society’. As such, around 300 monks in various pagodas in Battambang province were gathered to stay in Samrong Knong pagoda in Ek Phnom district. From January to April 1976 after the rice harvesting season, all the monks were forced to construct a canal for agricultural purposes. The canal is approximately 1,500 meters in length, 4 meters in width, and 2 meters in depth. This canal is now known as "monk-dug canal".

Forced labour

To force monks to disrobe, the Khmer Rouge forced them to work, dig, and complete the canal construction. The monks experienced nearly 12 hours of forced labour from early morning until sundown with little or no rest. In effect, the regime compelled the monks to violate Buddhist norms and virtues which altered Cambodian society. Seeing the suffering of the monks, Mr. Kak Sakhon, a civilian known to some monks, sometimes snuck in to help the monks. This was despite the ban on entering the area which was heavily guarded by the Khmer Rouge.

Food for slaves

During the lunch breaks, the Buddhist monks were allowed to prepare their own food consisting of dried fish and some vegetables. The monks were left to eat at the hill next to the canal like slaves since none of the Buddhist followers were allowed to serve food to them. This hill is now a location for the “Toul Ampel Pagoda”.

Disrobing for survival

Unable to endure the forced labour and lack of food, many monks decided to disrobe on the hill near the canal construction site. There was the case of Uncle Thun Sovath, who decided to disrobe in the early morning of April 1976 under a big tree near the canal after persistent intimidation from the Khmer Rouge. In each disrobement, the monks had to do it independently with few other witnesses, which is against the rules for Buddhist monks.

Into the Wilderness

While many monks chose to disrobe to continue their lives as ordinary citizens, eleven (11) monks refused to disrobe. Consequently, they were forced to leave the canal construction site at three o'clock in the morning under the order from the Khmer Rouge to go to the jungle. Without clear direction, the eleven monks arrived in another village. They stayed there for a month to do agriculture until one day, the Khmer Rouge came and ordered them to disrobe by 17 April 1976.

The Last Walk

After the second order by the Khmer Rouge, the eleven monks eventually agreed to disrobe at Chumpu Prek pagoda. On 11 April 1976, which was a Memorial Day to fallen Khmer Rouge soldiers, the monks who were walking on their way to Chumpu Prek pagoda, were met by a group of Khmer Rouge soldiers that had come to salute them. The eleven monks are remembered as the “17th April Monks”, the last of the monks of the Khmer Rouge regime.