The Outlook Podcast Archive - ‘Born lucky’: Escaping the Khmer Rouge

Download ‘Born lucky’: Escaping the Khmer Rouge

According to Cambodian folklore, Sieu Do was born with a ‘cloak of good fortune’. His family believed it helped them to survive under the brutal regime in the late 1970s. Sieu was a teenager who could speak seven languages. This made him a target for the Khmer Rouge, who wanted to exterminate the educated classes. But those language skills would save his life when he found work as a physician’s assistant treating thousands of refugees alongside international aid agencies.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Mariana Des Forges

Image: Composite of Sieu Do images
Credit: Courtesy of Sieu Do

Published on Monday, 18th October 2021.

Available Podcasts from The Outlook Podcast Archive

Subscribe to The Outlook Podcast Archive

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the The Outlook Podcast Archive webpage.