Him Huy (Photo: DC-Cam)By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Kandal province
13 February 2009
In the village Anlong San, in Kandal province, 80 kilometers from Phnom Penh, Him Huy, passes house after house, walking indiscriminately and with total liberty.
Thirty years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, the former guard supervisor at Tuol Sleng prison has hung up his black uniform, put away his cap, given up his arms, and become a simple farmer in this village close to the Vietnam border.
Now Him Huy is one of the witnesses against Kaing Kek Iev, his former boss, the Khmer Rouge prison chief known as Duch who will go on trial soon.
“I will oppose Duch,” Him Huy said in an interview this week, “because he is one of the Khmer Rouge leaders who hurt very much the Cambodian people and caused the deaths of Cambodian citizens nearly all over the country.”
Under the Khmer Rouge, Him Huy received prisoners as they were brought to Tuol Sleng, and he was ordered to arrest “enemies of the Angkar,” the Organization, in Phnom Penh and in the provinces.
Each day, he said, Tuol Sleng received between 10 to 60 detainees, and, during the same day, as many as 30 to 70 people were tortured and killed.
“The order to make arrests came from Duch,” he said. “If Duch wanted someone destroyed, he would be destroyed. And he said that after one of the prisoners was interrogated, he must be destroyed. Even prison staff. He said if they cannot follow [orders] they would be destroyed also.”
Duch is charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder for his role as chief of Tuol Sleng, where at least 12,000 Cambodians were tortured before they were executed. His initial trial hearing is set for Feb. 17, with a trial to begin in earnest shortly thereafter.
Duch’s trial will be a signal of justice for Cambodian victims and will inform the international community that Khmer Rouge leaders must be tried for their mistakes, Him Huy said.
In Anlong San, Him Huy’s neighbors say they are waiting for Duch’s trial as well, are following the progress of the courts by radio and plan to follow the hearing on television.
Meanwhile, as Duch’s approaching trial has increased interest in the long-awaited tribunal, the courts remain dogged by allegations of corruption.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, a tribunal monitoring group, issued a statement Friday warning of “grave flaws” in the courts and warning that recent reports “suggest the Cambodian government is attempting to block further indictments.”
“The court must demonstrate that it is not a tool of the Cambodian government and ensure a fair and transparent judicial process,” OSJI Executive Director James Goldston said in the statement. “The court must show it is relying on law and facts, not politics, in deciding how many suspects will be investigated.”
Thirty years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, the former guard supervisor at Tuol Sleng prison has hung up his black uniform, put away his cap, given up his arms, and become a simple farmer in this village close to the Vietnam border.
Now Him Huy is one of the witnesses against Kaing Kek Iev, his former boss, the Khmer Rouge prison chief known as Duch who will go on trial soon.
“I will oppose Duch,” Him Huy said in an interview this week, “because he is one of the Khmer Rouge leaders who hurt very much the Cambodian people and caused the deaths of Cambodian citizens nearly all over the country.”
Under the Khmer Rouge, Him Huy received prisoners as they were brought to Tuol Sleng, and he was ordered to arrest “enemies of the Angkar,” the Organization, in Phnom Penh and in the provinces.
Each day, he said, Tuol Sleng received between 10 to 60 detainees, and, during the same day, as many as 30 to 70 people were tortured and killed.
“The order to make arrests came from Duch,” he said. “If Duch wanted someone destroyed, he would be destroyed. And he said that after one of the prisoners was interrogated, he must be destroyed. Even prison staff. He said if they cannot follow [orders] they would be destroyed also.”
Duch is charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder for his role as chief of Tuol Sleng, where at least 12,000 Cambodians were tortured before they were executed. His initial trial hearing is set for Feb. 17, with a trial to begin in earnest shortly thereafter.
Duch’s trial will be a signal of justice for Cambodian victims and will inform the international community that Khmer Rouge leaders must be tried for their mistakes, Him Huy said.
In Anlong San, Him Huy’s neighbors say they are waiting for Duch’s trial as well, are following the progress of the courts by radio and plan to follow the hearing on television.
Meanwhile, as Duch’s approaching trial has increased interest in the long-awaited tribunal, the courts remain dogged by allegations of corruption.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, a tribunal monitoring group, issued a statement Friday warning of “grave flaws” in the courts and warning that recent reports “suggest the Cambodian government is attempting to block further indictments.”
“The court must demonstrate that it is not a tool of the Cambodian government and ensure a fair and transparent judicial process,” OSJI Executive Director James Goldston said in the statement. “The court must show it is relying on law and facts, not politics, in deciding how many suspects will be investigated.”
12 comments:
why did no one risk their lives? Why were these guards so afraid of their own death?
this is a big lesson to learn folks. Sometimes it is necessary to stop evil by staring death in the face. Out of all the stories of Tuol Sleng, I read only about one prisoner who tried to escape. This man died trying to fight for freedom. I ask all of you, when you see evil and it is against your conscious, to stop it! Sometimes it is necessary to be the hero.
He should be a great witness for the tribunal. I hope they will used him.
Huy Phat himself killed so many people ar s21. Now he prete4nded to turn around and be a good guy and blamed it all on Duch. Phat is no different from Duch. At least he should bear some responsibility.
7:06 AM
Have you ever gotten through that time?
If not, just shut the fuck up.
So, what you gonna do if you were in the S21 at that period. Run..fight back for your....fucking freedom....?
I bet you will be a real fucking hero in hell, man.
And you're maybe not able to post your dummy comment right now or ever.
7:06 AM,
Why don't you ask your own parents or your grandparents or the elders who you knew?
You will get the real and complete response.
Dear 7:06am,
What stop you from seeking justice and truth?
What a pity!
embedded yuon spy?
why just Duch? how about those involved or those brought up the regime into existence?
how about Sihanouk? sihanouk can't just escape from the trial only he claimed to resign from the pol pot regime. sihanouk in capacity as a leader must be announced guilty in this life or in history in the relation with pol pot regime.
don't act too coward sihanouk. you are making things worse and no positive contribution as you are responsible in capacity as a leader.
can you not see that cambodia is repeating the cycle of history? come out and propose mechanism or at least help to rescue your nation at your last breath. help to breakthrough this cycle of history, the one that will invite pol pot regime and the one that will cease the existence of khmer nation.
act like one kind of leader sihanouk!
It's not wrong and the same as ECCC caught the sole, skinny and hungry dog whose the criminal (their master) left in the house.
And told the people, "IT, the dog, is the first and the real one"
Actually, they got nothing but just a nearly death dog who laid down with hunger.
"The master gone. so the dog must be responisible." That's a ECCC's policy.
Please dont forget take HIM HUY to trail too.
Look at his face he acting like human being but he is DEVIL.....
In that period how he happy is when he kill people.
dont let him go..I lived with POL POT regime I know...I fell very ..very sick when I think about that..
Khmer ruos madang teath
From 7:06, thats why you are all cowards and your families deserved to die. I am not rotting in hell, but your families who died by the KR are rotting in hell.
Have a happy valentines day!
and 8:51 AM
learn to write in english you poor pathetic bastard who cant speaking engrish. Your kind is not welcome here, go back and pray for Buddha to bring back your loved ones from hell. Fuck your mother who was probably raped a million times at S21. She probably loved the anal sex and wanted to die in S21 right? Asshole.
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