The trunk he hid in turned a schoolmaster into a guerrilla chief

A schoolmaster turned guerrilla hides in a car trunk, rises to power - then faces one night that unravels decades of trust and power? The trunk he hid in turned a schoolmaster into a guerrilla chief In this episode, we follow the life of Son Sen from teacher to top military leader of the Khmer Rouge, tracing the choices, networks, and methods that propelled him into power and into the machinery of state violence. What decisions and ties produced the man at the center of a night of mass killing? Person: Son Sen Date: June 10, 1997 Location: northern Cambodia Event: trucks ran over bodies after executions Period: 1953-1972 (Paris studies to Chief of Staff) - At 16 Son Sen enrolled in teacher training in Phnom Penh and later worked at the National Pedagogical Institute. - Around 1953 he went to Paris, joined Marxist reading groups, and formed a circle with Saloth Sar (Pol Pot), Ieng Sary, and others. - In May 1956 French authorities revoked his scholarship for political activity; he returned to Cambodia and resumed teaching while doing party work. - In 1964 Son Sen hid in the trunk of a Chinese diplomatic car to evade checkpoints and escaped into the jungle to organize Khmer Rouge cells. - By 1972 he had become Chief of Staff of the Khmer Rouge armed forces and supervised the movement’s security apparatus. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].