Having survived the effects of the Vietnam War, the Khmer Civil War, and the Maoist-inspired Khmer Rouge regime, her parents decided not to stick around for another phase of mass killings. Read moreĥ29: Healing From Khmer Rouge With Sambath Meas: Sambath Meas was born in Pailin, Cambodia at a time of civil war. Veasna has created a harrowing, deeply personal account of one of the twentieth century’s greatest tragedies.

Constantly on the edge of annihilation, they realized there was only one choice-they had to escape Cambodia and become refugees. Year of the Rabbit shows the reality of life in the work camps, where Veasna’s family bartered for goods, where children were instructed to spy on their parents, and where reading was proof positive of being a class traitor.

Stripped of any money or material possessions, Veasna’s family found themselves exiled to the barren countryside along with thousands of others, where food was scarce and brutal violence a constant threat. Year of the Rabbit is based on firsthand accounts, all told from the perspective of his parents and other close relatives. Immediately after declaring victory in the war, they set about evacuating the country’s major cities with the brutal ruthlessness and disregard for humanity that characterized the regime ultimately responsible for the deaths of one million citizens.Ĭartoonist Tian Veasna was born just three days after the Khmer Rouge takeover, as his family set forth on the chaotic mass exodus from Phnom Penh. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge seized power in the capital city of Phnom Penh. Year of the Rabbit tells the true story of one family’s desperate struggle to survive the murderous reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna