Synopsis: Survivor testimony and records guide a new cinematic project depicting the 1979 Dangrek Mountains tragedy.
The biographical film Blood Border: Cambodia’s 2nd Killing Fields has drawn criticism from the Thai military over historical accuracy, prompting a survivor whose memoir inspired the production and its director to defend the film.
Scheduled for release in Cambodian cinemas on November 6, the film depicts the forced return of Cambodian refugees from Thailand through the Dangrek Mountains in June 1979 following the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime.
Dr Quach Mengly, who survived the tragedy and whose memoir inspired the production, said the events portrayed were real.
“This is not a fabricated story. It is not something imagined by an individual. It is a real experience lived through by someone who still remembers it and has written a memoir to preserve those memories for future generations, so they can learn about the history of Thailand’s aggression against Cambodia,” he said.
His remarks followed an October 24 statement by Royal Thai Army spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree, who questioned the film’s historical accuracy and described it as a cinematic interpretation based on personal recollections rather than a comprehensive record. Winthai said scenes depicting Thai military operations had been dramatised for entertainment and warned that portrayals capable of generating misunderstanding could undermine efforts to restore relations.
Responding to the criticism, Dr Mengly said Thai officials should consult older generations and international records, including United Nations documentation and contemporary newspaper reports.
Dr Mengly said he experienced mistreatment by Thai soldiers during the June 19 expulsions, when refugees seeking safety were taken towards the mountainous border and forced back into Cambodia.
He said 40,000 to 45,000 refugees were forcibly returned before international intervention halted further expulsions. His account is supported by a 2000 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees report documenting how Thai soldiers forced more than 42,000 refugees down a steep mountainside near Preah Vihear in June 1979, causing numerous deaths in minefields below.
- Tags: border conflict, Cambodia
