Sam Soeun

VPA-PH0011

Sam Soeun

Male

Khmer

Khmer

Daung village, Rik Reay commune, Rovieng district, Preah Vihear province

19510401

Farmer

Daung village, Rik Reay commune, Rovieng district, Preah Vihear province

1978

Cham Ka-san village, Cham Ka-sa district, Preah Vihear provincem Ka-san commune,

Detention

In approximately 1978, I was imprisoned in a security center of Choam Ksan Village, Choam Ksan Commune, Choam Ksan District, Preah Vihear Province. At that time, they accused me of being a member of the Vietnam Workers’ Party (VWP). The two people who accused me, Yorn and Peng, both came from the Southwest Zone. ( I recall only two people.) I was detained for fifteen days. I was shackled with the other prisoners. There were approximately fifteen prisoners in the prison, mostly women, some of whom were accompanied by children. I recall one single woman (whose name I do not remember) being interrogated. I heard her scream during the interrogation. The following morning, she died. The prison belonged to the division, and the chief was Sy, whose wife, Kiry, was the chief of Choam Ksan District. Kiry told the guards not to mistreat me. Kiry and I had never known each other before. I do not know why she helped me.

At that time, I was in charge of telegram of Battalion 311. The battalion chiefs were Sim (in charge of politics) and Yatt (in charge of economics). These two people were captured, taken away and replaced by Peng and Yorn, whom I have mentioned above. These two people were taken for seven days of re-education. I informed them when they left that they would not return, but they did not believe me. I heard that they all died. I was the last person to be arrested.

Preah Vihear had been an autonomous region until 1977 or 1978, when it was incorporated into the North Zone. The autonomous region received the same supplies as the standing committee, which was more than that received at the zone level. Preah Vihear was suspected of harboring enemies, so the Khmer Rouge sent people from the Southwest Zone to take control of the area.

Later, a former soldier was detained in the prison with me and he informed me that he was tortured and mistreated. I do not recall people who were detained in the prison, nor do I know their whereabouts.

Malnutrition

Generally, both people and soldiers did not have enough food to eat. The soldiers grew lots of rice, but meals were insufficient. They ordered us to economize, and they assigned the economic section responsibility for dividing the ration. I do not understand, because we produced a lot of food, but we were not given sufficient food to eat. I think that they did this because they wanted to expose their enemies – those who could not tolerate the conditions and tried to escape were considered enemies.

Complainant

No;

Hospital

No;

20080519

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