Case 002 Witnesses, experts and Civil Parties

Civil Party Nuon Narom, 59, testified about the living conditions of the 1 Makara Dam. Witnesses described how she and her family were evacuated from Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975. She was separated from her family and later transferred to the 1 January Dam Mobile Unit in January. Day and night without time to rest to complete the dam before the rainy season. She described that they did not get enough food or clean water. She testified that the workers were physically and mentally abused. She confirmed that the killings ended in 1979 and that she was lucky to survive.

Ms. Chao Lang, 64, explained that she was in Siem Reap in 1975, but she was advised to go to Phnom Penh to find her parents and hide her biography. Whilst there, the Khmer Rouge took-over and she was separated from her parents. She stated that both of her parents were killed. Ms. Chao Laing stated that she ended up in a mobile unit, through which she ended up at the 1st January worksite. She described taking a day off, and discovering from that her sister, sister’s husband, and their three-year-old child had been killed, because they were in possession of salt, and were accused of being “white Khmer”. She broke down as she told how the “base people” had said that they were chained to an ox cart and dragged around the village. She also described her forced marriage, and that after the regime, she divorced her husband because his in-laws were not satisfied with her. 

Mr. Nhip Horl, 63, a Civil Party from Battambang, testified how he fled his village after it was bombed by American fighters in April 1975. He provided details on how he was required to harvest and load sacks of rice into trucks despite his ailing health condition. He mentioned that he was eventually transferred to work at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite in 1977 where he was tasked to carry soil to build the dam. He also shed light on the post-traumatic stress disorder that he suffered from, the general health condition of the workers, and the overall work structure at the Worksite. 

Mr. Chhuy Huy, 58, was born in the Thmey Village and was a sector mobile brigade worker at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite. He stated that his task was to carry soil, and that each worker was required to carry two cubic meters of soil per day. He mentioned that the workers worked from 7 AM to 11 AM, had a break, and then continued working in the afternoon and sometimes even in the evening. Mr. Huy confirmed his participation in the meetings headed by Ta Val to receive guidance on how to best organize the work structure at the Worksite. As for the health condition at the Worksite, he mentioned that around four to twenty people would fell ill at any given time.  He was also questioned about forced marriages, the “illness” that caused his temporary removal from his position at the Worksite, and the arrests and killings that allegedly happened. 

Ms.LING Lrysov described, from the perspective of a female mobile unit laborer at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite, the enslavement of thousands of laborers at the site, insufficient food provisions, inadequate and unhygienic accommodation, and the diseases from which the laborers suffered. She also describes arrests, killings and disappearances of laborers, as well as deaths from disease and starvation. The Witness also describes the imposition of forced marriages by the authorities at the site. 

Mr. Tak Boy, 61, was a former Lon Nol soldier who lived in the Trapeang Thma village as a member of the mobile unit after 1975. Mr. Tak Boy stated that he was afraid that his background would be revealed to Khmer Rouge; fortunately, he was not required to present his biography. He testified that workers were not allowed to sleep or eat enough. He stated that the water was dirty and that some people got sick. According to the witness, couples got married when both parties accepted the marriage. He stated that sometimes fifty couples got married at once. The witness described that whole families of Vietnamese and Cham were arrested, and that the husbands were separated from their families. 

Mr. CHHUM Seng, 61, was a former Lon Nol soldier and a company chief in the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite during the Khmer Rouge regime.  The witness described the arrests of the North-West Zone cadres and former Lon Nol soldiers. In regard to disappearances, Mr. Seng stated that two people disappeared from his unit and that he did not know where and how they disappeared since they never returned. The witness stated that they were monitored also during the night, and those who talked against Angkar were transferred into a different unit to be monitored. He mentioned a proverb that goes like “even a fish dies if it talks too much” to describe the situation. He also explained that the workers were made to marry each other according to their biographies. 

Mr. Chhit Yoeuk, 67, described the authority structure in ector 5 as well as the conditions at the Trapaeng Thma Dam worksite. He stated that he was sent to work at the dam in April or May 1976 to fulfill the role of assistant to the chief Ta Val. He testified that he was afraid to be arrested and killed if he refused to follow instructions. He also mentioned that the workers were required to reach the daily quota of carrying two cubic meters of earth. Chhit Youk described the scarce food ratio and stated that half of the workers were emaciated. He testified that children also worked at the Trapaeng Thma Dam worksite and that he was instructed to monitor workers: “Anyone who opposed the regime would be reported to the regime.” In addition, Chhit Yoeuk described the arrests of the North-West zone cadres and the arrival of the Southwest Zone cadres.

The witness, LAT Suoy, was a soldier in Battalion 513 of Sector 5, served under Ta Nak as a guard at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite from late 1976, tasked with patrolling and controlling the dam. He describes the different types of work forces assigned to work on/ the dam construction (sector mobile group and district/commune mobile groups) and notes differences in terms of life and work conditions. He also details the authority structure of Sector5 and the dam worksite. He describes regular visits to the dam work site by Northwest Zone / Sector5 Secretaries and visits by Chinese delegations and mentions that Party Centre leaders and other foreign delegations also visited the dam.

Mr. KAN Thorl, 57, was a deputy platoon chief at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite. He started to work at the dam on February 1977. Prior to that he was part of a mobile unit and was considered as a base person. In his testimony, the witness stated that at the beginning he had 100 people under his responsibility, but this number was reduced up to 70 due to a series of relocations or people that felt sick and were taken to the hospital. KAN stated that the workforce at the dam was composed of 15,000 workers, most of them from sector 15. The witness talked about the living and working conditions at the dam, as well as the reduction of food rations when workers didn’t achieved their daily quotas for removing soil. He also told the Tribunal about the lack of medical treatment for those who fell sick. He also said that he was afraid of being taken away and killed, as he heard from other people at the worksite. According to him, those Vietnamese identified as such during the liberation of PP were taken away and executed.

Mr. Om Chy, who is 62 or 63 years old, said he led a mobile unit of 500 people at the January 1 Dam worksite. He described the harsh working conditions at the site and claimed that no one had worked there of their own free will. According to Om Chy, idle people and lazy people were sent for re-education. He also said that anyone who opposed was considered an enemy. Om Chy also said he had heard that people had been arrested and taken to Bagota Security Center. He said those arrested never reappear. The witness said that in 1977 it was planned to carry out a purge but that he was not in the village at the time. The witness recounted that he had been sent to work in another commune 20 km from the village where he had previously worked. He reported that when he returned to the village, his neighbor had disappeared. He also heard that 5 families had been purged. Mr. Chy also indicated that the marriages were arranged according to the biographies of the workers.

លោក អ៊ុំ ជី អាយុ ៦២ ឬ ៦៣ ឆ្នាំ បាន​ប្រាប់​ថា លោក​ជា​ប្រធាន​អង្គភាព​ចល័ត​ចំនួន ៥០០ នាក់​នៅ​ការដ្ឋាន​ទំនប់ ១ មករា។ លោក​បាន​រៀបរាប់​ពី​លក្ខខណ្ឌ​ការងារ​លំបាក​នៅ​កន្លែង​ធ្វើការ ហើយ​បញ្ជាក់​ថា គ្មាន​នរណា​ម្នាក់​ធ្វើការ​ដោយ​ស្ម័គ្រ​ចិត្ត​ឡើយ។ បើ​តាម​លោក អ៊ុំ ឈី បើ​អ្នក​ណា​អសកម្ម ឬ​ខ្ជិល​នឹង​ទទួល​បាន​ការ​អប់រំ​ឡើង​វិញ។ លោក​ក៏​បាន​បញ្ជាក់​ដែរ​ថា អ្នក​ណា​ដែល​ប្រឆាំង​នឹង​ច្បាប់​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​មើល​ឃើញ​ថា​ជា​សត្រូវ។ លោក អ៊ុំ ជី បញ្ជាក់​ថា លោក​បាន​ឮ​មនុស្ស​ត្រូវ​បាន​ចាប់​ខ្លួន​យក​ទៅ​កាន់​មជ្ឈមណ្ឌល​សន្តិសុខ​បាហ្គោតា។ គាត់​បាន​ប្រាប់​ថា អ្នក​ដែល​ត្រូវ​បាន​ចាប់​ខ្លួន​មិន​ដែល​ឃើញត្រឡប់មកវិញឡើយ។ សាក្សី​បញ្ជាក់​ថា នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​១៩៧៧ មាន​គម្រោង​បោសសម្អាត​ប្រជាជន ប៉ុន្តែ​គាត់​មិន​នៅ​ភូមិ​នោះ​ទេ។ គាត់​ពន្យល់​ថា ពេល​គាត់​ត្រឡប់​មក​វិញ អ្នកជិតខាង​គាត់​បាន​បាត់​ខ្លួន។ លោក​ក៏​បាន​ឮ​ថា ពលរដ្ឋ​៥​គ្រួសារ​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​បោស​សម្អាត។ លោក ជី ក៏​បាន​រៀប​រាប់​ដែរ​ថា អាពាហ៍ពិពាហ៍​ត្រូវ​បាន​រៀប​ចំ​ទយកដាក់តាម​ជីវប្រវត្តិ​របស់​កម្មករ។

Madame Khin Vat, 65, testified that she started working at the Kampong Chhnang Airport Worksite after her husband disappeared for perceived links to Vietnam.  The witness stated that she was formally a member of military unit 502, and she was in charge of the women’s unit, which involved taking care of children, and doing farming.  She described during her testimony that even the sick had to work, and she estimated that 5-10 people were sick every day in her unit. She also testified that around 5 workers died from illness- fatigue, and malaria. She described the visit of Chinese guests at the worksite.  She also heard that senior leaders visited the worksite.  Other people at the worksite told her that specifically Khie Samphan better known as the second Uncle visited the airport. The witness told that she fled the Kampong Chhnang worksite in 1979, and she believes that she went to the worksite in mid-1978

MAM Soeurm, 59, was born in Phnom Penh Province. He gave testimony about his experience while working at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite in 1977. He worked there as a member of a mobile unit in sector 5. During this time, he stated that workers were under constant surveillance. He said that he was told of arrests that took place within his unit, apparently without any reason. The witness also gave testimony about the working conditions at the dam, as well as the daily quotas of soil that workers were supposed to reach and the visits of foreign delegations of observers to the worksite. Moreover, he told the Tribunal about food rations and hygienic conditions at the Worksite, which were insufficient. Additionally, he stressed the fact of lack of medical treatment at the dam. Finally, he spoke about a special working unit, where workers that didn’t reach the daily quota were reassigned to. In this unit, the witness explained that the working conditions were even harder than in the regular ones. 

Civil party Mr. SEN Sophon, 55, described how his family was forcibly evacuated from Phnom Pehn to Battambang Province.  He told the chamber that in 1967 he was part of rice farming group, but in 1977 he was sent to work in Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite. He described the working and living conditions at the worksite. All the workers had minimum work quota of 3 cubic meters per day. He added that the workers did not have resting time or holidays. He explained that the food and water ratio was scarce. The witness testified that he did not know about deaths and tortures, but he noticed the disappearance of people from his group on daily basis. Mr. Sophon described that Yey Chaem, who arrested Ta Val, the former head of Trapeang Thma dam, was even crueler than his predecessor. Sen Sophan told the chamber that the events and experience suffered during Democratic Kampuchea are always in his mind, and he cannot forget them. 

Witness, SAM Sithy, provided an extremely credible and detailed first-hand account of the execution of his father, a former Lon Nol soldier, and the massacre of several families, including his own. 

Mrs. Kong Uth, 63 or 64, was part of a mobile unit from her village from 1975-79, and as part of this she visited many worksites. Shewas to the 1st January Dam worksite, which she confirmed was called a ‘hot battlefield’, due to the intensive nature of the work, and the long hours (they started work at 4am). Most of the workers were between 23-25, especially single women, who were believed to possess the most strength to work. There were tens of thousands of workers, but no children. At the criticism meetings, workers were told to work harder. The witness stated that she is still suffering from the severity of the labor to this day. She stated that she never stole food, despite not having enough food to eat, but would drink dirty water when thirsty even if it made her sick. People got ill frequently, and there were many accidents from collapsed rocks falling on workers. They used traditional massage and coining to help. She described armed militias and guards who watched over the workers. None of her family members were killed during the regime, but she was forced to get married, as arranged

Mrs. Chum Samoeurn, 54 or 55, commenced her testimony before the Trial Chamber. She was questioned on her decision to join the Khmer Rouge, which she explained was as a result of wanting to free Sihanouk. She was asked about her home town and family, and explained that all her brothers joined the revolution. The civil party was linked to the former regime because her father was affiliated with it. In mid-1976, she was transferred to work in Kampong Chhnang airfield with her unit. They worked three times a day, carrying soil and rock. She explained that there was no breakfast, no supplementary food, no mosquito net or mat, and they had to drink the water from the creek that they used to wash themselves. She stated that they were never allowed to walk freely and had to work under the rain without proper protection. She explained that due to low levels of hygiene, she had an infection on her hand, but she kept working despite her injury,as no workers dared to refuse to work. In 1978, she was forced to marry, in a five-person ceremony. She initially refused, but was threatened to be killed.

Mr. Him Han, 66, was a member of Division 310 and was responsible for sorting biographies of RAK cadres from bad to good. In January 1976, he became a full candidate member but his rights were taken after being allegedly connected to the enemy, and sent to work as a regular worker in Kampong Chhnang. He described the conditions as exhausting and insufficient. Before the Division 310 purges, the witness was summoned to a meeting at Olympic Stadium and stated that he witnessed senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge, including Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan, Pol Pot and Nuon Chea. He described people disappearing as a result of the division 310 purges, and explained that that was also a threat while working at Kampong Chhnang. He stated that Division chief of 310 Oeun and the deputy chiefs were arrested by cadres from the southwest zone, and that he found out Oeun had been sent away after a meeting at Wat Phnom. The witness stated he was sent to Kampong Chhnang where he was demobilized. He described the insufficient work conditions and food rations and said that the work was very hard and the workload exhausting. The workers were not allowed to walk freely or visit other units, and he was instructed not to talk with people from the East Zone, with whom they were working, or they would disappear. In his unit people hid their illnesses to avoid being considered lazy, and were killed and injured in explosions. He confirmed that there were many female workers and Chinese technicians on site.

Mr. Sem Hoeurn was only 15 years old at the time of the Lon Nol Coup and joined the Khmer Rouge with the understanding that he was going to liberate his country. He became disillusioned with the regime, however, and was sent to work as a lay person after ‘violating’ the regime. He was present at Wat Phnom, following the occupation of the city, and witnessed torture while training as a soldier. His unit was sent to farm rice, where he was expected to produce five tons of rice per hectare, with only hoes and their bare hands. He said that he did not like the regime, as they mistreated soldiers, their own people, and did not have any freedom. He described it as a ‘prison without walls’, as they were not allowed to move around. He explained that people were accused of being spies for the CIA and KGB, and seen as avoiding the revolution. He described insufficient work conditions, killings, and witnessing Khieu Samphan at the Kampong Chhnang Airport. While a part of the regime during the overthrow of Phnom Penh, Mr. Sem Hoeurn was sent to work as an ordinary citizen at Kampong Chhnang as a result of being defective. He was questioned on his witness statements, which differed from ones given in previous years to DC-CAM, a fault the witness blamed on the passing of time.

Ms. Kong Siek, 63, explained that she joined the military, as part of division 450, in Russei Keo hospital before being transferred to work in rice fields. In 1977, she started to work at the Kampong Chhnang construction site, where she had to build canals, carry bags of cement (weighing around 50kg each) and sew clothes. She described the work conditions as very hard, and elaborated on the poor hygiene. She stated that none of the workers looked healthy, and her group held meetings on self-criticism, where everyone was criticized and no one dared to react. She described seeing trucks transporting people and two people being electrocuted near a mango tree. She confirmed that workers were not allowed to move freely, or talk with others, and emphasized that under the regime she couldn’t choose what to do, but did only what as she was ordered. It was emphasized to her ,that if one person was punished, everyone underneath them would be punished too. She explained that she joined the military as a mechanism to survive and her brother, who was already a part of it, encouraged her to do so.

Mr. Yean Lon, 73, was assigned by the village chief to work at the 1st January Dam in a mobile unit. He described the working and living conditions at the worksite. As a daily quota they were assigned four cubic meters of earth to be achieved only by using a hoe. According to the witness, he worked very hard, sometimes until 10pm. He stated that food was not sufficient and that there was no drinking water provided. He also said that the workers had to continue working even if they got sick and that there was not sufficient medicine to treat them. The witness acknowledged having been a village militiaman after his work at the dam but he did not agree with a former witness’ claim that he was a chief executioner.

KEO Loeur, age 64, started his testimony under the questions of the Co-Prosecutors. According to the witness, he was wounded in battle at the end of 1974 and taken to K4 unit. KEO stated that in 1977 there was a purge of deputies from the North Zone in Division 310. Later on, he was accused of being an enemy and sent to the Kampong Chhnang Airport Construction Worksite on 15 January 1978, where he stayed till 7 January 1979. The witness said that workers were not allowed to move freely, they did not get paid, they did not have enough food (barely a bowl of rice) and that they worked every day of the month. Due to the hard conditions of work, KEO stated that people died. He did not see any guards dying of overwork and of starvation. Only when people got really sick, they were allowed to go to the medical unit, where traditional medicine was used to treat the patients. The witness also stated that he saw approximately 30 cases of people being tortured for being considered traitors. When asked about his arrival to the worksite on 15 January 1978, KEO said that he attended several meetings, during which they were told to work hard otherwise they would be arrested and tortured. According to the witness, workers would be brought to these meetings and then taken away. He claimed not to know the name of the superiors who were chairing these meetings.