Mapping project 1999: Kampong Thom province

D119618

Mapping project 1999: Kampong Thom province

English

Cambodia

August 10 , 1999

DC-Cam 1999

Kampong Thom province

DC-Cam/Documentation D119618 2/27/2025

Cambodia

Computer-Typing (Tx) 10 pages

1. Sandan District
2. Baray District.

On August 10, 1999, a Documentation Center team composed of Phat Kosal, Sin Khin, Ouch Sam Oeun, and Peou Dara went to Kampong Thom Province in order to conduct research on crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge during its reign between 1975 and 1979. During our meeting with Mr. Leam Sarun, he described some of the cruelties committed by the Khmer Rouge in Sandan District during their reign. He said that the Pol Pot regime, it was quiet and fairly secure in this district. There was not much killing for most of the regime. Late in 1978 and early 1979, Killings committed by the Khmer Rouge noticeably increased. Mr. Sarun suggested that if we wanted to know more, we should ask Mr. chim Vuthy, who lived in Sandan District under the Khmer Rouge regime. Given our failure to find suitable transport to Sandan District, we decided to seek witnesses who had lived in Sandan District during the Pol Pot regime and who could describe what happened in the area. So, following Mr. Sarun's suggestion, we interviewed Mr. chim Vuthy. Mr. chim Vuthy, 51 years old, was born in Sandan District. He is now deputy chief of the environment office for Kampong Thom Province. He told us that he lived in Sandan District from 1975 to 1978. He therefore has good information about what happened in the district in those days. He said that in Sandan District during the Khmer Rouge regime, there was a security office used to detain all kinds of people. Some of the detainees were Sandan District residents who were accused of having betrayed the revolution, while other detainees were cadres who had committed various errors in the villages, commune and district. Mr. chim Vuthy told us that he knew the Prey Kanleng security office clearly, as he used to do dry-season farming near there. According to Mr. Chim Vuthy, more than one hundred people were detained at the Prey Kanleng security office. The Khmer Rouge took people from the security office to be killed nearby. They killed people and buried them in pits near the security office. After the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed, the district authorities excavated pits near Prey Kanleng security office in order to recover the remains, taking the bones to be placed in a pagoda veneration. Mr. Chim Vuthy asserted that the Khmer Rouge massacred Lon Nol soldiers everywhere in the fields, and buried them in the forests of Sandan district. However, he does not know about this quite as clearly as he knows about the security office. Mr. Chim Vuthy believes that there were not any Khmer Rouge prisons in the area other than Prey Kanleng Security office. We also asked him if he knew of any woman who had been raped by the Khmer Rouge before being taken to be killed between 1975 and 1978 in Sandan District. Mr. Chim Vuthy said he knew of a woman named Natt, living in Kampong Trabek village, Sandan commune, Sandan District, Kampong Thom Province. This woman had been accused of committing "moral offenses," and she was then arrested and detained in "the prison" of Prey Kanleng. Ms. Natt escaped from the Khmer Rouge when the Vietnamese troops came to liberate the country. On August 11, 1999, we led the French film crew to photograph the Khmer Rouge genocide sites at Wat Baray Choan Dek, Baray District, Kampong Thom Province. An interview with these four people follows. Mr. Men Le, 70 years old, male, was born in Daung Village, Balaing commune, Baray District, Kampong Thom Province. During the Sihanouk and Lon Nol regimes, he also lived in this location. In 1996, he acted as First Deputy of Balaing commune, Kampong Thom Province. During that period of time, he was put in prison on the charge that he had connections (his service as a commune deputy chief) to the Sihanouk and Lon Nol regimes, and that he had lived with Lon Nol soldiers instead of with people loyal to Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge assigned him to make ox-carts. At some point, while he was making the carts, a militiaman came and asked him to cut forest. He was the forced to leave his wife and children. Along with many other, he was taken to the Balaing commune office. After some hours, he was sent with nineteen other people to a dark jungle at Prey Sam Ky, Chaeng Daeng village, Chaeng Daeng commune, Baray District, kampong Thom Province, where they spent the night. The next morning, they all were gathered for a meeting. The Khmer Rouge told the assembled people, "You [Grandfather and Uncles] all can not go back, because this place will be used to establish a new village." They were assigned to clear the forest, with work quotas based on the number of family members. The wives and children were brought along to help with the work. Later that day, the Khmer Rouge gathered up Mr. Men Le and ten other people, telling them they were being reassigned once again, this time to work on handicrafts. They were then taken to Wat Punareay, but upon reaching the Wat, the Khmer Rouge allowed eight of the people to return to the site of the new village. They kept only two persons: Mr. Men Le and Ao Yoeng, who, like Mr. Men, had been involved with the Lon Nol army. Testimony of the other witnesses, Mr. Cap Bun, aged 72, lives in Daung Village, Balaing commune, Baray District, Kampong Thom Province. Prior the Khmer Rouge regime, he lived in the same village as Mr. Men Le. During the Pol Pot time, he became a prisoner. He described to us the reason for his arrest. In early 1974, he was called to attend a meeting where he was badly mistreated, and accused of being a chief of Baray District. He protested, " Why was I not asked in advance for a reason? What kind of mistakes have I made? " Security guards beat him all evening, until midnight. He was beaten so severely that his ribs were broken, and he began coughing up blood, At I am, guards took him to the Tradet Prison where he was placed in shackles with Mr. Men Le, our previous witnesses. There he was were forced to work. Later, he was sent to O Tra Khop, where he was made a servant of security guards until 1975. Mr. Ao Yoeng, age 65, male, has been living in Daung village, Balaing commune, Baray District, Kampong Thom Province. He, too, was a Khmer Rouge prisoner. At first, he was detained in Tradet prison. Later he was transferred to the security office at Wat Baray Choan Dek. While shackled in the eating hall for monks. he was sponsored by Mr. Men Le to work as an ox-cart maker. He performed this job until 1979. Mr. Ao Yoeng said that in the hall at the Wat many prisoners were shackled. The prisoners were laid out in many lines, with their heads alternating in oppsite directions. When prisoners who had committed minor offenses needed to relieve themselves, they were allowed to use a spittoon. When thirsty, these prisoners were allowed to ask for water. Every fifteen days, the prisoners were walked to take a bath.

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