In Memoriam 1992-1997/Heng Eng Chhoeurng

HENG ENG CHHOEURNG

1959—1996

he city of Phnom Penh was practi cally deserted during the five years of the Khmer Rouge reign of terror in Cambodia.“ Most of those who left Cambodia fled to refugee camps in Thailand. One of those refugees was Mr. Heng Eng Chhoeurng.

While in a camp, he was one ofsixteen participants training to become dental assistants. They were visited by Bahá’í friends such as Mr. Navarath, Ms. Sunapa Dithathanon, and Mr. Tim Shafter, and all sixteen eventually became Bahá’ís.

In 1993 after the Paris Peace Agreement was signed, the United Nations repatriated the refugees, and Mr. Heng went back to Cambodia and worked for the United Nations as an English-Khmer translator and interpreter. At the same time he was very active in Bahá’í activities. In 1994 he assisted in the Formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Cambodia and of new Local Spiritual Assemblies. He was later appointed as an Auxiliary Board member.

Dr. Lee Lee Loh—Ludher remembers:

He accepted the Faith while in the refugee camp at the border of Thailand, and he offered his home as the center. He was trained by the United Nations team there as a dental aide and rose to be the chief of the aides. As he was leaving the camp to return to Cambodia, his fellow friends asked [him] to take along the dental equipment. He refused [saying]

1” 1975—1979 that it belonged to the UN and that he should not take it. He was given a high commendation by the United Nations Refugee Agency team (UNHCR) for his honesty and dedication to service.

I recalled vividly the time (1994) when I requested him to set up the Bahá’í inspired NGO, Cambodian Organization for Research, Development and Education (CORDE). He was then holding a job giving him a salary of US$7.80 while the average salary in Cambodia was US$100, and the government servants were not being paid owing to a tight cash flow. I said to him that I would understand if he would not work for CORDE but only assist, as CORDE was only able to pay an allowance of US$150. He said he would resign his present job and work for CORDE as it was in service to the Cause?” I requested him to consult with his family first before giving an answer, as a loss in income of US$130 at that point in Cambodia was a drastic loss. He consulted with his family and told me that his family had agreed, and his six—year—old daughter had said, “Papa, it is now time we serve Bahá’u’lláh." Since then he had dedicated his energy and served selflessly for the development of the Faith—as Cambodia’s first

3‘3 A group ()Fseven Bahá’ís launched a development agency in Cambodia in 1994——-[hc Cambodian Organization For Research, Development and Education (CORDE), an NGO that was registered with the Cambodian government. In its initial years CORDE’S activities were largely focused on building wells in villages and promoting oral and dental health education For children, drawing on the resources of three of its Founding members who were dental aides trained by the United Nations at a refugee camp. In 1994 there were only nine dental clinics for a population ofnine million people. (http://www.cordecambodia.org/ aboutcordehtm)

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Auxiliary Board member, translator, external relations officer, first full—time co-eoordinator of the Institute, and everything else that was asked of him.

He was a good husband, father, brother, and son, and he was a good teacher. He would teach children and youth no matter how small the classes were because they would like to learn. Each time I asked him to cut down the classes so he could rest or do other work, he would respond by saying that he would still complete his other assignments, but as long as there were people keen to learn, he would teach. “I can always work harder," was his response. He would always make an extra effort to make sure things were done to perfection and at the least cost to the Faith.

He was always smiling and cheering up others. He was a joy to all those around him. His love and concern for others had endeared him to them. He had only good words for others. It would be difficult even for the malicious to find fault with him. He was indeed an exemplary Bahá’í.

On this earthly plane, we have indeed lost a dedicated lover of Baha’u’llah in Cambodia, but I am confident this sacrifice at the prime of his life would inspire many others, especially his much—loved family members and friends, to do more for the Faith in memory of this spiritual giant of Cambodia.

While attending a conference on the Institute Program in the Philippines, Mr. Heng suffered a massive heart attack and died on October 25, 1996, at age thirtyseven. His wife and son attended his funeral together with many Bahá’ís from different countries. The National Spiritual Assembly

of the Bahá’ís of Cambodia received this message posted by the Department of the Secretariat on October 27:

The Universal House of justice was saddened to receive from the Philippines the news of the sudden and untimely passing oer. Heng Eng Chhoeurng. He had achieved distinction for his courage and trust in God in circumstances ofdanger, his high abilities, his trustworthiness and dependability, and his commitment and effectiveness as a teacher of the Faith.

Kindly convey to the family and friends of Mr. Heng the deep sympathy of the House of Justice, and assure them of its prayers at the Sacred Threshold showering assistance on his Bahá’í colleagues in his native land.