Ieng Sary

Related Case(s) : 002

Alias : Kim Tran (birth name), Van or Vann, Bang Van, Thang, Nenn.¹

IENG Sary born KIM Tran (1925-2013) was the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs of Democratic Kampuchea. He was indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, and crimes under the Cambodian Penal Code. Proceedings against him were terminated on 14 March 2013, following his death.

Explore the Khmer Rouge hierarchy to understand his role in the secretive system.

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1925

24 October

Born in Loeung Va Village, Loeung Va Commune, Tra Vinh district, Tra Vinh province, Vietnam (Kampuchea Krom).²

1940

Early 1940s

Began studying at Sisowath High School in Phnom Penh.³

1950

Awarded a scholarship to study in Paris.⁴

1950-1957

Became a member of the Marxist Circle and French Communist Party along with Saloth Sar (Pol Pot), Khieu Samphan, and Ieng Thirith.⁵

1953

Married Ieng Thirith.⁶

1957

Returned to Phnom Penh and joined the Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party (KPRP).⁷

1960

Attended the First Party Congress where he met Nuon Chea and was elected to the Central Committee and as alternate member of the Standing Committee, ranking fourth in the hierarchy of the Party.⁸

1963

February

Attended the Second Party Congress where he was elected as full-rights member of the CPK Standing Committee.⁹

1966

Became the Northeast Zone Secretary.¹⁰

1970

Travelled to Hanoi, where he organised the “Voice of the FUNK” radio station, and Beijing, to liaise with the Chinese Communist Party.¹¹

1971

Became “Special Envoy of the Internal Resistance in Beijing” and was placed in charge of relations with Norodom Sihanouk.¹²

1971 – 1975

Served as the GRUNK “Special Envoy” in China.¹³

1973

Accompanied Norodom Sihanouk to CPK-held areas in Cambodia.¹⁴

1974

June

Attended a meeting with Khieu Samphan during which the decision was made to evacuate Phnom Penh.¹⁵

1975

12 August

Appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs.¹⁶

October

Was assigned “foreign affairs work, both party and state”.¹⁷

1976

30 March

Officially named Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs.¹⁸

Between 1976 and 1979

Attended several UN General Assembly meetings in New York, where he put forward the CPK’s position on the situation in Cambodia and certain international issues.¹⁹

1979

January

Fled Phnom Penh as Vietnamese forces marched on the capital, meeting with Pol Pot, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan in Pursat.²⁰

August

Convicted in absentia of genocide and sentenced to death by the People’s Revolutionary Tribunal together with Pol Pot.²¹

1996

August

Defected to government forces.²²

September

Pardoned for 1979 conviction and received an amnesty from prosecution under the 1994 Law to Outlaw the Democratic Kampuchea Group.²³

2007

14 November

Arrested and detained by order of the Co-Investigating Judges.²⁴

2010

15 September

Indicted by Co-Investigating Judges.²⁵

2013

14 March

Died in Phnom Penh while on trial before the Trial Chamber.²⁶

Charges

Indicted in Case 002 for crimes against humanity:

Murder
Extermination
Enslavement
Deportation
Imprisonment
Torture
Rape in the context of forced marriage
Persecution on political grounds
Persecution on racial grounds of the Vietnamese
Persecution on religious grounds of the Cham
Persecution on religious grounds of Buddhists
Other inhumane acts including attacks against human dignity, forced marriage, forced transfer, and enforced disappearances

Indicted in Case 002 for grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions 1949:

Wilful killing
Torture or inhumane treatment
Wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health
Wilfully depriving a prisoner of war or civilian the rights of fair and regular trial
Unlawful confinement of a civilian
Unlawful deportation of a civilian

Indicted in Case 002 for genocide:

Killing members of the Cham and Vietnamese groups. ²⁷

Proceedings were terminated on 14 March 2013 following his death.

Key Findings

Role and Responsibilities

The Co-Investigating Judges in Case 002 found that there was sufficient evidence that Ieng Sary:

Was responsible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassies abroad in the public dissemination of the CPK’s policy. ²⁹
Advised the Standing Committee on foreign affairs matters, explained and endorsed the CPK’s policies to visiting delegations and abroad, including to the United Nations, supervised internal security matters, and conducted political indoctrination sessions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ³⁰

Criminal Responsibility

The Co-Investigating Judges in Case 002 found that there was sufficient evidence that Ieng Sary:

Was a member of a joint criminal enterprise with CPK leaders with the common purpose to “implement rapid socialist revolution through a ‘great leap forward’ and defend the Party against internal and external enemies, by whatever means”. ³¹
Was informed that people were starving during operation of cooperatives and worksites and personally inspected worksites and cooperatives. ³²
Created and implemented the 30 March 1976 Directive, which delegated the power to re-educate “bad elements” and kill enemies. ³³
Was involved in the recall of overseas intellectuals and officials to Cambodia, upon which most returnees were sent for re-education and later arrested and sent to S-21. ³⁴
Knew and participated in arrests which targeted cadres, many of whom were later killed at S-21. ³⁵
Oversaw several re-education offices in Phnom Penh. ³⁶
Was involved in targeting people, endorsed the killing of the “seven traitors”, knew about the targeting of Buddhists and the Cham, and knew about and contributed to the discrimination and mass killings of the Vietnamese. ³⁷
Urged cadres to marry Cambodians and urged those who married non-Cambodians to remarry. ³⁸

Counsel

Mr. Ang Udom, Mr. Michael G. Karnavas