[Wat O Trau Kuon]

D119558

[Wat O Trau Kuon]

English

Cambodia

DC-CamDC-Cam /01 April 2025

DC.Cam

DC-Cam/Documentation Center of Cambodia

Cambodia

Computer-Typing (Tx). 3 pages.

1.Wat O Trau Kuon 2.Wat Champuh Ka-ek 3.Wat Bang Rai, 4-Wat Samdech Muny-5 Prey Khsach 6-.Chong Chory 7-Wat Kok Thlork Leu 8-Koh Khyang
9-Wat Sophy (Wat kakoh)

Killing sites

1.Wat O Trau Kuon
The site is in Peam Chikang commune, Kang Meas district, Kampong Cham province. This Wat and the nearly school were used as the main district prison 1974-78. The first victims imprisoned and killed there were Lon Nol soldiers, and then New People who had been brought to Kang Meas District from Phnom Penh. The victims were brought by boat and by ox cart, and were executed at the mass graves close to the wat. The certified document obtained from the DHQ gave the number of mass graves at this site as 467, and estimated the number of victims executed there as 32,69. these graves were partially excavated in 1982 and the bone placed in a memorial near the Wat.
2. Wat Champuh Ka ek
This site is located in Prek Thmey commune, Kean Svay district, Kandal province. We were told many New People had been brought here in 1976 to be killed, and also that many victims were loaded onto boats at this wat and were taken down the Bassac to the islands (koh Por and Koh Thmey) to be killed. We were able to interview two witnesses who were prisoner at this site: Witness Say Um (male) aged 68 year and witness Bun Theun (female) Age 40 year. We got same information from villager that there were about 18,700 victims were killed in the compound of wat Champuh Ka-ek prison.
3. Wat Bang Rai
The second largest Prison in Svey Rieng was located at wat Bang Rai in Svay Chrum District. The prison was located in the large kot in the grounds of the Wat after the monks had been forced to disrobe. Many of theses monks were then imprisoned there and subsequently executed. The present chief monk now user this building (repaired in 1980's) as his residence and as the administrative center for the large Wat complex. The memorial in the grounds pf the wat contain the bones Of 330 bodies excavated in 1982 from some of the 28 mass graves that are nearby. There were about 30,000 victims were killed at that wat.
4. Wat Samdech Muny
The site is located in about 1 to 2 kilometer southeast of Baribo district office of kampong Chhnang province. There, we met a man named Sun Ngann, 73, chief of the wat co,mmitee. He currently lives in dak Poar village, Khon Rang sub-district, Baribo district. Mr. Sun Ngann was one of our important witnesses. He told us that Wat Samdech Muny was used as security office, prison and bif execution site of district 10, which is now called Baribo district. The estimation of victims who died at the place was about 32,000.
5. Prey Khsach
Mr. My Salan told us that security office and prison in the sub-district were built in 1975. Execution sites were set up before and after 1970. People were killed there until 1979. Between 1975-76 the victims were ordinary people, civil officials, soldier and teachers. Between 1976-77, they were evacuees from cities. First they were investigated by Khmer Rouge cadres to find out their tendency, and then were killed there. (Males, females, and adults were killed). The whole families were killed. All new people and base people were killed when they were found guilty. Between 1973-74 (this area was liberated by the Khmer Rouge before 1975), Lon Nol's soldiers who were defeated and arrested were killed. Most of the victims were taken from the security office and prison in Svay Rumpear sub-districts or other place, During the period of the Khmer Rouge regime, there were about 150,000 victims were killed at the site surrounding the prison.
6. Chong Chroy
It is in Chheu Kach village, Kok Banteay sub-district, Rolea Phieat district. Van Im and Mr. Phann Choar were our two important witnesses because the saw victims being hit. After that, it was the work of photographing and interviewing for our documentation. Mr. Van Im said that in 1977 he say Khmer Rouge cadres walking victims in lines past his house towards the security office and prison in Chong Chroy. This site is one kilometer southeast of the village. In each line, there were from 12 to 30 victims and he saw this every two or there days until 1979.At 6 or 7 p.m., he always heard screaming sound, sound, so he went toward it secretly and saw a female victim being tortured by heating iron bar. He was deeply shocked. At that time he was between 11 to 12 years old. The victims were sent every day from cooperatives and sub-districts in District 18 to this prison because it was the district prison. The victims were accused of having moral offences, being spies and enemies of Angkar. The victims were sent every day from cooperatives and sub-districts in district 18 to this prison because it was the district prison. The victims were accused of having moral offences, being spies and enemies of Angkar. The victims were old, adult and young people as well as children. Sometimes, male and female youth or children in mobile work brigades were tied together in lines. When father were arrested, the whole family followed the same suit. Sometimes after parents were killed, their children were transported by ox-cars to be killed, too. The Khmer Rouge killed both new and Base People. Some pits were 4 square meters. Some pits were from 10 square to 40 square meters with 5 meters deep. The pits were flattened when they were filled with corpses. We examined the pits directly. Each pit is 3 meter wide, 15 meter long and 1.5 meters deep. There were from 200 to 300 small pits. There were from 30 to 40 big pits. The number of victims was estimated at between 70,000 to 150,000. The size of the execution site was in square meter and filled with corpses. Now it is full of trees and wild bamboo.
7. Wat Kok Thlork leu
The site is in Mkakk village, Thlork Leu sub-district, Chikreng district. Mr. Siv Son was former village chief in the Khmer Rouge regime. In those days, people called small cell or village authority. He lived in Ta Sek village, Kok Thlork Leu sub-district, Chikreng district. According the witnesses between 1977-78, there were about 400 to 500 people killed. They did not know how many were killed before this period. Ms. Deputy chief of Kra Lanh district said that according to the documents made after the liberation day, there were 35,000 to 36,000 people killed in 1975-1978. The documents were left in Kra Lanh District. He, however, was then absent his house was far. We could not go to his house because time was not permitted we were afraid that we were not able to meet him.
8. Koh Khyang
The site is in Koh Khyang village, O Chrov commune, Prey Nup district, Sihanouk Ville province. The estimate victims who died during that period were about 50,000. The team got information about this location from many people who live in Koh Khyang village.
9. Wat Sophy (wat Kakoh)
This site is Bati district, Takeo province. After April 17, 1975, many people from Phnom Penh were evacuated and were allowed to temporarily stay at wat Sophy. Almost all thoese people were killed ang buried in the compound of the wat after they were detained a very short time in the pagoda. Until 1979, there were about 20,000 victims were killed. Uy was chief of the prison. He killed a lot of people.

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