THET SAMBATH & NUON CHEA: A TIMELINE
1965
1967 Thet Sambath born near Battambang, Northwest Cambodia permit for release.
1970
1973 At the height of the civil war Sambath’s father sends his family to live in a government-controlled zone. He remains in a Khmer Rouge ‘liberated’ zone.
1974 Sambath’s father killed by a Khmer Rouge cadre over a property dispute.
1975
1975 Sambath is sent to work in the fields building small dams. Sambath’s mother is forced to marry a Khmer Rouge cadre.
1978 Sambath’s older brother disappears in a political purge. Sambath later discovers his brother died in a Khmer Rouge prison camp.
1976 Sambath’s mother dies in childbirth. Sambath is by her side.
1979 After the Vietnamese invasion, Sambath remains in Battambang province. He survives by herding cows and buffalo for farmers in his village.
1980
1984 Sambath makes his way through the battlefield between the Cambodian / Vietnamese army and the Khmer Rouge forces to a refugee camp on the Thai border.
1985
1988 Sambath becomes a health worker for the American Refugee Committee and starts to learn English.
1990
1992 Sambath works as interpreter for the UN civilian police unit under UNTAC.
1995
1995 Sambath starts work as a journalist at the English – language Cambodia Daily.
1999 Ta Mok, the last of the Khmer Rouge, is captured. Sambath begins to research the history of the Khmer Rouge.
1998 Pol Pot dies. Nuon Chea surrenders and is allowed to live as private citizen in Pailin.
2000
2001 Sambath is introduced to Nuon Chea and starts regular meetings and interviews at weekends. Meanwhile Sambath also scours the country looking for Khmer Rouge killers prepared to talk to him.
2004 Nuon Chea begins to open up to Sambath. Sambath starts to audiotape their conversations. Sambath meets Chan, a former Khmer Rouge, who plays a key role in the investigation until his death in 2010.
2005
2005 Through Chan, Sambath meets Suon, who introduces him to Khoun, who in turn introduces him to Sister ‘Em’, a former District Chief of the Khmer Rouge in the Northwest.
2007 Sambath and Rob start filming with former Khmer Rouge from Nuon Chea to foot soldiers like Suon and Khoun. Nuon Chea is arrested and charged with international crimes. Three other Khmer Rouge leaders also arrested.
2009 First Khmer Rouge trial begins. Defendant is Comrade Duch, Prison Chief at notorious Tuol Sleng. Filming concludes. Film completed. Sambath flies to Amsterdam for the world premiere.
2006 United Nations-backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal swears in judges. Sambath starts to videotape his interviews with Nuon Chea. Sambath meets Rob Lemkin in Phnom Penh. They start to work on the film that would become Enemies of the People.
2008 Filming and investigation continue with other former Khmer Rouge cadres. 160 hours of Khmer language rushes are translated in conditions of total and necessary secrecy. Sambath starts work with another English language newspaper Phnom Penh Post.
2010
2010 A revised cut premieres at the Sundance Film Festival. Wins Special Jury Prize. Khmer Rouge Tribunal judges seek to use the film as evidence in prosecution case against Nuon Chea. Controversially, Sambath and Rob refuse to depose the film with the court. Cambodian government refuse to grant film an official permit for release. Cambodian premiere at small Phnom Penh art cinema, Meta House. Sells out for a week. Comrade Duch sentenced to 35 years in jail. Closing Order in Case 002 against Nuon Chea and others includes charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Film plays in theatres around the US provoking intense reaction especially from Cambodian-American audiences. Sambath and Rob organise historic face-to-face meeting between survivors of the Killing Fields now living in the US and Khmer Rouge perpetrators from the film. A three hour dialogue is facilitated by video conference.
2011 June 27: Trial of Nuon Chea and other starts in Phnom Penh.
