SOH Kamrei

2-TCW-827, Mr SOS Kamri, alias Kamaruttin Yusof, was born in Akmok, Spueu, Cheyyou, Chamkar Leu, Kampong Cham in 1950. He currently is the director of the Supreme Islamic Centre and lives in Chrang Chamreh village, Chrang Chamreh commune, Ruessei Keo district, Phnom Penh. He was called to testify the 4th and 5th of April but only appeared before the Chamber on the 6th of April because of medical reasons. As a witness, he was called to testify in relation to the target group of the Cham people.

In 1973, he became an Islamic religion and Khmer Literature teacher and started using his shortened name, SOS Kamri. In 1974 or early 1975, the Khmer Rouge entered his village, Akmok alias Spueu at the time and evacuations started. There were about 1.250 families at that time in the village, but only 50 of them were allowed to stay.

After the Khmer Rouge entered the village, the Cham people were not allowed to practice their religious habits, could not speak Cham language openly or could not gather in large number. They were under close surveillance. Concerning his teaching, he was not allowed to teach Islamic religion anymore, only Khmer literature.

At that time, he knew killings were happening. He saw dead bodies because killings were widespread and without religious discrimination but did not witness real incidents. They reached a massive scale in 1977. Therefore, he asked the permission to move to Cheyyeu, a village 4-5 km away from Spueu. He stayed there between 1977 and early 1978, where he continued teaching Khmer literature. In 1977, he attended a meeting in Bos Khnaor village in Chamkar Leu district in which the Khmer Rouge were talking about the enemies in general terms, including the reactionary and Cham people and those who were Islamic or Cham's follower. The meeting was to specify a plan called “The plan to smash the enemy’’.

In late 1978, back in Spueu, he stopped being a teacher and was assigned to transport firewood to the office. This is when he saw a Khmer Rouge document called “The plan for Progressive Cooperatives” in the commune office of O-Nung Commune, Au Temit. He only read the part about the enemies stating "Cham is the biggest enemy who must be totally smashed before 1980”.

Later 1978, the killings stopped and then the liberation was set up a few months later.