Kem Leat

VPA-KT0053

Kem Leat

Male

Khmer

Khmer

Kbil village, Sankor commune, Kampong Svay district, Kampong Thom province

19570808

Chief o Kbil village association

Kbil village, Sankor commune, Kampong Svay district, Kampong Thom province, Cambodia

1975

Sra Nge pagoda, Sra Nge village, Tbeng commune, Kampong Svay district, Kampong Thom province

In 1975, when Khmer Rouge soldiers liberated the city of Phnom Penh, two security personnel (names unknown) at Kampong Svay District ordered my uncle, Nhem Dim, aged 45, to be re-educated. My uncle lived in Sbeng Khpuos Village, Sankor Commune, Kampong Svay District, Kampong Thom Province. The incident took place at six p.m., and the accusation was that my uncle was a Lon Nol soldier and therefore a spy. When Lon Nol soldiers evacuated him from Thbil Village, Sankor Commune, Kampong Rate commune chief of Kampong Svay District, (whose name I do not remember), nominated my uncle as group chief. The two security men helped my uncle come down the stairs of his house. I still remember that when the security men came and called my uncle for reeducation, he wore a black shirt, which he had exchanged with me because he did not have a black shirt.

When he left his home, he was aware that the security men might kill him because he informed his wife and children that he would return if he were still alive. He has disappeared ever since. A month later, I became certain that the security men killed my uncle at Srange Security Center, located in Srange Village, Thbil Commune, Kampong Svay District, Kampong Thom Province. When the security men walked to work, I noticed that one of the men who came to take my uncle for reeducation was wearing the shirt which my uncle had exchanged with me.

That is why I can conclude that my uncle was killed, even though I did not witness the incident. I do not know who killed my uncle or how he was executed. I only know that the security men took my uncle and killed him based on the accusation of being a C.I.A. agent of Lon Nol.

Witnessing Torture:

In approximately 1976, I witnessed two security men (named Phaey and Son) from Krasaing Commune (known as Damrei Phsaing under the Pol Pot regime) torture a man named Huot from Kampong Thom provincial town. His hands were tied tightly behind his back with a cow tether; he was beaten severely and left in the forest next to the security center, which was a small warehouse in the paddy fields. He was left at the warehouse in the paddy fields near the forest, north of Thbil village, throughout the whole night until dawn. Huot was approximately fifteen years old and was captured by the security men because he had stolen potatoes on the east side of Thbil village. The security men caught him stealing and then tortured him. While I was walking towards the economic section to get rice from the chefs, I saw Phaey coming to question me, “Is there a warehouse to the north?� “Yes!� I answered. Surely, if I did not respond, I would have had a problem. And I had lived there, so I was certain about the geography of the area. The security men asked me to guide them to the paddy field to find Huot who had been left behind in the middle of the field for one whole night.

Upon our arrival in the field, I saw the security men severely beating and kicking him, tying his hands behind his back tightly, and leaving him there. At dawn the next morning, the two security men untied and released him. As a result of the torture, both his hands became disabled and he was unable to move them for a month. Having his hands bound tightly restricted the circulation to his hands, causing permanent scars. Both of his hands then became lifeless. Later on, I learned that Huot had only limited movement in his hands. I have not heard from Huot since then, because he moved to his home village. I do not know who is responsible for the torture of Huot. He only stole potatoes to satisfy his hunger, but as a result he was severely tortured and suffered permanent damage to his hands.

Destruction of Pheah Theat Temple (Kampong Thom Province):

This temple was located in Tbel Village, Sankor Commune, Kampong Svay District, Kampong Thom Province. It was four kilometers from Chin Reach Pagoda, located along the national road. In approximately 1977, I served in the mobile unit of Kbel Village, Damrei Phasaing Commune (San Kor), Kampong Svay District. The mobile unit was supervised by Chakk (deceased), of Damrei Phasaing Commune, and consisted of approximately a hundred men and women who worked to remove temple stones made of laterite and transport the stones to build the 30 September Dam. This task lasted for approximately a month, given that trucks were used to transport the stone used in building the dam. I am certain the entire temple was destroyed for the construction, because I dug out the stone of the temple. I remember that Phreah Theat Temple had many beautifully-carved pediments and columnsat the arched gateway, but after it was destroyed, only the foundation which was buried inside the earth remained. The size of Preah Theat Temple was about ten meters. I do not know the name of the upper level cadre who ordered Chakk, the elderly commune chief, to destroy the temple.

Complainant

No;

Depend on the judges

No;

20080325

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