Sou Sath - ECCC

Background and role

Sou Sath, a retired teacher, was a classmate and friend of Kaing Guek Eav alias “Duch” from 1959 to 1961.¹ The witness then worked for the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADO) in Phnom Penh for ten years from 1995 to 2005.² She served as a human rights trainer in LICADO.³ Sou Sath gave the evidence on the character of Duch in Case 001, testifying that Duch was loyal, kind, generous and helpful to others, supportive, punctual with his studies, humble and dealt with teachers and the school management team with respect and no conflict.⁴

Sou Sath’s knowledge of Duch

Sou Sath was in a study group with Duch from 1959 to 1961 during which she studied in year 4 and 3, equivalent to Grade 8 and Grade 9 at the present system, respectively, at a high school in Kampong Thom province.⁵ She was one of the “excellent students” in a study club composed of three male and two female students⁶. She used most of her time to concentrate on study.⁷ She recalled that Duch called her “aunty”, but called other friends by their name.⁸ In 1965, she invited Duch to her house where Duch told her that he was teaching in Skun.⁹ She did not see Duch after then until the day of her testimony about Duch’s character as a witness before the Trial Chamber.¹⁰

Testimony about Duch’s character

Sou Sath Sou Sath appeared before the Trial Chamber to testify about Duch’s character. She was asked to describe the character of Duch, and gave evidence as follows.¹²

Q: Madam Sou Sath, can you describe to the Chamber the character of the accused, Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch, whom you have known during the time of your contact with him?

A: Mr. President, I would like to inform the Chamber that I was in a study group with Mr. Kaing Guek Eav for two years. I studied with him for two years from ‘59 to ‘60 and 1960 to 1961. Mr. Kaing Guek Eav was a person of a good character, loyal, and kind and generous especially. He was a good student in his class. I had attention on him because he's not the person who 1 concealed his knowledge. He always parted his knowledge to his study group without hiding anything. He provided us the mathematic solutions and also other solutions to the study topics. He was a well-known student in the class, but he had a few friends only. He was a person who was not worry about love affairs and he was a friend who strengthened and supported other friends in the study.¹³

Sou Sath further identified Duch as supportive, punctual, approachable, and unaggressive.¹⁴

Sou Sath’s testimony was accepted by the Trial Chamber which found that Duch was modest, kind, honest, charitable, polite to his teachers and keen to part his knowledge to and to assist others.¹⁵ The Trial Chamber also relied on this evidence to find that Duch was respectful, helpful, and strongly committed to his studies.¹⁶ The Trial Chamber also found, however, that the evidence about Duch’s professional and/or family life did not remove or lessen his criminal responsibilities.¹⁷

Videos

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

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