PENG Poan - ECCC

Background and Role

Peng Poan knew the Accused, Guek Eav alias Duch, as Hang Pin.¹ During the Regime and before meeting the Accused, Peng Poan worked as a labourer building dams and as a rice farmer in a mobile unit.² Peng Poan testified as a witness before the Trial Chamber in Case 001 focused on his relationship with the accused, the accused’s work as a teacher, his character and his involvement in a robbery that injured the accused and caused the death of his wife. From 1993 to 1995, Peng Poan testified that Duch worked with him as a volunteer teacher³ at Phkoam High School.⁴ Having worked as colleagues together for some time, Peng Poan and Duch were close and had a good relationship.⁵ Peng Poan also knew two other witnesses in the trial, Chou Vin and Hun Smirn, who worked in the education sector with Duch.⁶ Peng Poan was aware that Duch was working briefly on a biography, and that he was a former school teacher during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime.⁷ However, the witness was not aware of Duch’s connection with any Khmer Rouge leaders.⁸ He only learnt of Duch’s position as the Chairman of S-21 at the time of his arrest via radio broadcast.⁹

Working as a Teacher with the Accused

Peng Poan knew Duch as a teacher who was strict on his assignments and in his work.¹⁰ He was not known to the witness as an ‘abnormal’ teacher.¹¹ Duch was initially assigned to teach grade 7 and 8 students chemistry and physics.¹² Duch volunteered to work at the school at that time because there was no available funding to retain him on an official, paid basis.¹³ He knew Duch as someone with a history of consistency in his voluntary employment and as someone who would only seek leave for personal or family problems.¹⁴ In 1995, he was officially employed by the Ministry of Education.¹⁵ After he started working, Duch built a small house 100 metres away from the school.¹⁶ To earn a living while volunteering, Duch was a farmer and sold groceries from his home.¹⁷ At the time, Peng Poan did not have a good grasp of Duch’s background, however he learnt from a colleague about his previous experience as a schoolteacher from Sangkum Reastr Niyum to the Prince Sihanouk regime.¹⁸

Robbery and Death of Duch’s Wife

Peng Poan was aware of Duch’s personal and family problems.¹⁹ In November 1995²⁰ the Accused was living in an unstable area with several villagers and newcomers.²¹ There was a history of robberies in the neighbourhood, where some victims had been tortured or beaten.²² At that time, Duch’s family was robbed, during which he was injured and his wife killed by being stabbed by the bayonet of a weapon.²³ Peng Poan took the Accused to hospital to recover, after which he offered him assistance to avoid similar incidents.²⁴ Peng Poan then asked the educational district office to transfer the Accused for security reasons, after which he was moved to the district office in late 1995.²⁵

Character of the Accused

The witness did not remain in contact with Duch after he was transferred.²⁶ He described him as a ‘gentle and quiet type of person and he seldom made a joke.’²⁷ He described Duch’s relationship with other people as excellent,²⁸ commenting that many students called him “Grandfather Teacher or Master because of their appreciation of his talent”.²⁹ Peng Poan was shocked to learn that Duch was involved in the Khmer Rouge regime,³⁰ and at the time of his witness statement, he remained fearful and concerned for his personal safety.³¹

Videos

Testimony
Date	Written record of proceedings	Transcript number
2 September 2009	E1/73	E1/73.1

Relevant documents
Document title Khmer	Document title English	Document title French	Document D number	Document E3 number
NONE