Special Guest - John Burgess

Dorothy Chow | 3/6/2022

John was a stringer for the Time Magazine and Washington post from 1979-1980’s, covering on the ground exactly what was happening in these Cambodian refugee camps. He has had first hand experience and was on the grounds of the camps, witnessing everything going on from starving people marching out the forests, to being there the day of First Lady Carter Visit in November 1979. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pick his brain and give all the listeners an inside scoop on what his experience was like.

In this episode we cover the following topics: 

  •  What was a day-in-the-life of a stringer (journalist) during that time? 

  • Did he feel resistance against journalists who were trying to share what was going on?

  • What were the dynamics between Thais, UN organizations, and refugees?

  • What did he witness at the camps?

  • What was the impact of First Lady Carter's visit to Cambodia?

  • What did he learn from the experience?

John is also the author of 5 Khmer books. You may find his full library of works at:
www. john-burgess.net

John Burgess Washington Post Articles from 1979-1980:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1980/01/13/feuding-armed-factions-hurt-cambodian-relief-efforts/854c4c76-75f0-49e0-a01b-66f130a86e8e/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/10/11/new-khmer-flight-to-thailand-begins/0926d22a-2bc0-4c39-a90f-19bdeb426047/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/10/30/struggle-to-save-lives-of-refugees-frequently-fails/0f32dd1d-3048-4322-9ef8-6bb8284c3bb4/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/10/24/a-futile-dash-with-a-dying-boy/ebf38e3b-4907-46e9-96fb-350b3d7f2d35/

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Unscripted: The Power of Storytelling