Meas Ay

VPA-KP0104

Meas Ay

Male

68

Khmer

Khmer

Snam Kou village, Kanthaor Khang Lech commune, Kampong Trach district, Kampot province

Farmer

Snam Kou village, Kanthaor Khang Lech commune, Kampong Trach district, Kampot province

1975

Korky Dek and Kampong Kranhoung dam

Forced labor

Under the Pol Pot regime (1975-1979), unit chiefs (deceased), who mostly came from the high districts, ordered villagers to work from dawn to dusk. For example, my family and I were made to do extremely hard forced labor, such as plowing, carrying dirt, building dams at Korky Dek and Kampong Kranhoung. To this very day, my legs still hurt from this time that I was forced to build a dam in the Kampong Trach district. Without breakfast, I worked from six a.m. to eleven a.m., which was the time we received three ladles of watery rice soup to eat. Then, to receive another three ladles of watery soup, I had to work from one p.m. to five p.m. During this time, we were put to work every day, without any days off, not even Sunday. Even though I was sick, I had to work, because everyone was forced to work. I went to work, because I was afraid of being taken way and killed. People who worked with me are Mean Roeung, my cousin, and my neighbors in the village [mentioned in the current address.]

In approximately 1976, I saw an unknown unit chief arrest my neighbors (Tauch Yan, Meas Roeun, Sy Vuoch), tie them up, load them onto a horse cart, and take them away. They arrested these three people, my neighbors, to bring to the new village, but they did not tell us where they were taking them. My neighbors (deceased) and I witnessed the incident. These three were arrested, after being accused of laziness, because they had already been sick for two or three days. Those who got sick for two or three days were taken to the new village. And I knew, that taking people to the new village meant taking them to be killed. I do not know who ordered and who were responsible for the incident. I do not know why the Khmer Rouge forced us to work so extremely hard, gave us such a tiny amount food to eat, or where they took all the rice they had.

Religious persecution

After 1975, in the Preak Ko pagoda, located in the Koh Tramoung village, Boeng Sala commune, Kampong Trach district, one monk named Tien Nakk (deceased), the head of the pagoda, did not want to leave his monkhood after being defrocked by the Khmer Rouge. He was the last and an extremely devout monk, who did not follow Pol Pot’s words. In approximately May or June of 1975, unknown militiamen from Kampong Trach arrested Tien Nakk and brought him to the Thaokauv pagoda. I only heard about the incident. Later on, the Khmer Rouge militiamen transferred him to another place.

I think these Khmer Rouge militiamen killed him early on. I do not know who is responsible for this incident. When Tien Nakk stayed in the pagoda, no one dared to bring him food, because they were afraid of the Khmer Rouge.

Complainant

No;

Mental hospital

Yes;

20081024

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