- [first lines]
- Richard Nixon: [on broadcast TV] Cambodia, a small country of 7 million people, has been a neutral nation since the Geneva agreement of 1954. American policy since then has been to scrupulously respect the neutrality of the Cambodian people.
- British Reporter: [standing with troops] The Vietnamese armies on the south side of the river appear to be indifferent to the contest.
- Cambodian Politician: Under the pretext that there is a war necessity, they come into Cambodia.
- Field Reporter: Are you glad to be in Cambodia?
- Soldier: Negative. No.
- Radio Reporter: The principle casualties appear to be innocent Cambodians.
- Henry Kissinger: [at podium] ... the occasional difficulties in reaching a final solution.
- Richard Nixon: What we are doing is to help the Cambodians help themselves. This is *not* an invasion of Cambodia.
- French Reporter: The Nixon Doctrine for Southeast Asia appears to have failed. The war that began in Vietnam has now engulfed Cambodia. There is anger and frustration at the US bombings. Thousands of lives lost. Farms and livelihoods destroyed.
- Propoganda Announcer: It's better to make a mistake and kill an innocent person than to leave an enemy alive.
- Loung Ung: What happens when people die?
- Older Girl: At first they think they're sleeping peacefully, not knowing they are dead. They sleep for three days. And then on the third day, they wake up. That's when they realize they are dead. They walk to a river, wash the dirt from their bodies, and start their journey to heaven to reincarnate.
- Loung Ung: Where do they go?
- Older Girl: I don't know.
- Loung Ung: I hope Keav won't have to come back here.