Vita Chieu’s is a microcosm of the overseas Chinese betrayal by Red China and the Khmer Rogue. Through his eyes we see how the naive patriotism exhibited by the ethnic Chinese community in Cambodia was requited. Instead of becoming heroes, Vita Chieu and his comrades were abandoned by Red China and victimized by the Khmer Rogue. Through Chieu’s account we get the inside story on China’s role in Southeast Asian politics, and how the Khmer Rogue remained a force to be reckoned with, despite their crimes against humanity. Chieu was fortunate enough to escape with his life, and now tells his story so that the atrocities he witnesses will never be forgotten.