CHOU Vin - ECCC

Background and role

Chou Vin testified before the Trial Chamber in Case 001 on the character of the accused Kaing Guek Eav alias “Duch”.¹ At the date of his testimony in 2009, he was a 50-year old teacher living in Banteay Meanchey province.² From 1995-1997, he was a colleague and supervisor of Duch.³ At that time, the witness was the deputy administrator in charge of staff, and also an accountant, at the Svay Chek District Department of Education.⁴ He testified that Duch was humble, meticulous, capable, hardworking, friendly and popular in the field of education.⁵

Chou Vin’s knowledge of Duch

The witness knew Duch as a Krou Ta, a “grandfather teacher”,⁶ who called himself “Hang Pin” and was in the education program.⁷ Duch taught physics and chemistry in Phkoam High School and French in Svay Chek primary school, and was the witness’s assistant at Svay Chek District Department of Education.⁸ When Chou Vin learnt that “Hang Pin” was in fact Duch, the former director of S-21 [prison], he was amazed that Duch kept his personal background secret for so long and he could not believe that Duch had held such a high position in the [Khmer Rouge] regime.⁹ The Trial Chamber relied on this evidence, and found that other witnesses like Hun Smrin and Peng Poan - who were in contact with the accused while he was teaching in Phkoam and later in Savy Chek in the 1990s - were similarly astonished to find about Duch’s role as the leader of S-21.¹⁰ Chou Vin testified that due to the lack of teachers in 1995, people who knew a little bit were selected to teach others who knew nothing and people who knew a lot were selected to teach others who had better literacy.¹¹ Duch were selected in this manner to be a teacher under Svay Chek District Department of Education.¹² He confirmed that per the accused’s biography, Duch had children, and was a widower, a teacher before and after the Khmer Rouge regime and an author of books for school curriculum during the Khmer Rouge regime.¹³ Given that during 1995-1997, the situation was unsafe, Chou Vin, as a leader, felt responsible for the well-being of his teachers and obliged to take care and protect them.¹⁴ He allowed Duch to stay at Svay Chek District Education Department for his personal security after he had experienced a robbery which left his wife dead.¹⁵ At that time, the law was not followed, the situation was dangerous/threatening and shootings and robbery took place almost every day, and not only Duch but all rich people were robbed.¹⁶ The witness also allowed others like the village chief and sub-district chief to stay at the District Education Department for their safety and protection.¹⁷

Videos

Testimony
Date	Written record of proceedings	Transcript number
01 September 2009	E1/72	E1/72.1

Relevant documents
Document title Khmer	Document title English	Document title French	Document D number	Document E3 number
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