Thursday, June 25, 2009

Under Duch, No Care for Pregnant Inmates

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 June 2009


At least eight women who were pregnant during their incarceration at a prison run by Kaing Kek Iev were “not well treated,” the former Khmer Rouge administrator better known as Duch told tribunal judges Wednesday.

The ladies who were pregnant were not allowed to go to the hospital,” Duch said, referring to women who were held at Prey Sar prison, which he administered along with the torture center, Tuol Sleng.

“I myself and my wife never thought about health care,” he said.

When pregnant women gave birth at Prey Sar, known to the Khmer Rouge as S-24, they did so without expert nurses, he said, by the traditional method.

Even outside of prison, women who had given birth were sent to work as soon as they seemed strong enough.

“The mother can work in the field and keep her baby in the shade of a tree,” he told the Trial Chamber’s chief judge, Nil Non.

Duch, now 66, is facing charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder for his role as administrator of Tuol Sleng, Prey Sar and the “killing fields” of Choeung Ek, an execution site on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Duch said he had not concerned himself with the health of prisons.

Prosecutors blame him for the deaths of 12,380 people.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gentleman

When you do not have enough to eat, health care is another step away in reality.

And many of us in killing field experienced that.

Neang SA

Anonymous said...

oh please! the stupid, brutal KR regime didn't care for anybody, youngs, olds, male, female, nationality, etc... they just kill everyone, even their own people. it probably had a lot to do with their cleansing and mistrust of former gov't members, hatred, rebellious nature, etc, etc... hello, wake up and know the truth!

Anonymous said...

I cannot find words good enough to describe the brutality and stupidity of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith and the like should feel really and seriously ashamed of themselves for they had been sent to Paris to study by the Cambodian nation so that they could come back and help to develop the country and not to destroy it the way they did.

Who, on earth, did they think they were to decide to destroy a Cambodian tradition, culture and nation that gave them their own identity?

It is too bad they were born as Khmers!

Anet Khmer

Anonymous said...

the way i see it, from the stupid KR lesson of the past, cambodia needs to call for the true rule of law society so everyone can have justice as law penalize and prevent others from taking advantage and abuse others in the way the stupid KR did to its population. it was the darkest period, if not one of the darkest in khmer history.

Anonymous said...

yes, strengthen the rule of law in cambodian society. this is the feasible way to foster a good society and justice for all!

Anonymous said...

តើអាចុយម្រ៉ាយ ខ្ញុំកញ្ជះបាតជើង យួន ភីភីយូ ទៅណ៎ាបាត់ហើយហ្ន៎?

Anonymous said...

នែអាឆ្កួតពួកអាឯងក៏ធឺក្តិតយួនដែរហេតុអីបានជាអាឆ្កួតឯងជេរម៉ែខ្លួនឯងទៅវិញអាភ្លើ។
អាឆ្កួតជ្រូកឯងជេរតែគេទេប៉ុន្តែអាភ្លើឯងយកតែប្រពន្ធ
យួន។អាភ្លើឯងប្រយ័ត្តយួនវាចុយងាប់ទៅ។
អាកើតពីរន្ធឈើ។បើពួកអញខ្ញុំយួនក៏បានកន្តួយយួនធ្វើដែរមិនដួចអាកញ្ជះសៀមនឹងកញ្ជះបស្ចឹមប្រទេសហើយមកស្រែកថា
ខ្លួនល្អនោះឡើយ។អាងាប់ក្រោមកន្តួយសៀមនឹងកន្តួយបស្ជឹមប្រទេស។
បើពួកអាឆ្កួតឯងហានទៅស្រុកខ្មែរអញចុយទាំងម៉ែអាឯងទៀត។

8:55 AM

Anonymous said...

7:51am

អាចុយម្រ៉ាយ អញគ្មានទៅណាទេ អញនៅមើលបក្សពួកអាឯង
ចុយកន្តួយម៉ែអាឯងហ្នឹងណា
អាឆ្កួត អាភ្លើ អាឆ្កែបស្ជឹមប្រទេស។

ពី អញ
ភីភីយូ