DPA
Phnom Penh - A former child prisoner at a notorious Khmer Rouge torture facility wept Thursday as he described to Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal the last time he saw his mother before she was murdered by the Maoist regime.
Norng Chan Phal, 39, who is one of just a handful of survivors from the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, told the court he was separated from his mother shortly after they arrived with his brother at the school-turned-torture facility in 1978.
"Then one day when we were in the yard, I could see her on the second floor holding on to the bars and looking," he said. "She did not say a single word to us."
His testimony came in the trial of former S-21 torture facility chief Kaing Guek Eav, known by his revolutionary alias Duch, who faces charges of crimes against humanity, premeditated murder and breeches of the Geneva Conventions.
At least 15,000 men, women and children were imprisoned and tortured at S-21 before being sent to be murdered at the Choeng Ek "killing field" on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Duch is one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders facing trial for their roles in the deaths of up to 2 million people through execution, starvation or overwork during the group's 1975-1979 rule.
He has admitted guilt and apologized for his crimes, but his defence lawyers have sought to prove he was merely acting on the orders of his superiors.
Norng Chan Phal, said he was imprisoned with his mother and brother after Khmer Rouge soldiers arrested his father and took him from their village.
He said he did not know what happened to his father after they were taken to the prison but he never saw him again.
"We slept on the floor in the workshop and were forced to eat gruel," he said of his few months of imprisonment at S-21. "I knew that if I had stayed there long, I would have become sick and died."
The father of two wept as he recalled seeing guards pushing and beating his mother, saying he was "terrified of them."
Presiding Judge Nil Nonn interrupted the testimony and told the witness to compose himself.
"This is your opportunity to tell your story, so please use the time you have to do this," he said.
Norng Chan Phal described the chaotic scene at the prison on the day the Vietnamese invaded in January 1979 and guards fled, leaving tortured bodies strapped to beds and no food for the surviving prisoners.
"I tried to find my mother, and I looked for her on the second floor where I saw her, but I could not find her anywhere," he said.
Duch sat impassively through the testimony, occasionally taking notes.
Three other S-21 survivors have appeared before the tribunal this week, and judges have allowed them to directly question their former jailer.
Bou Meng, a 68-year-old artist who survived S-21 after being ordered to paint portraits of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, on Wednesday begged Duch to tell him were his wife had been murdered so he could "collect her ashes and pray for her soul."
Duch replied that he did not know where she was murdered, but it was probably at the Choeng Ek killing field.
Norng Chan Phal, 39, who is one of just a handful of survivors from the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, told the court he was separated from his mother shortly after they arrived with his brother at the school-turned-torture facility in 1978.
"Then one day when we were in the yard, I could see her on the second floor holding on to the bars and looking," he said. "She did not say a single word to us."
His testimony came in the trial of former S-21 torture facility chief Kaing Guek Eav, known by his revolutionary alias Duch, who faces charges of crimes against humanity, premeditated murder and breeches of the Geneva Conventions.
At least 15,000 men, women and children were imprisoned and tortured at S-21 before being sent to be murdered at the Choeng Ek "killing field" on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Duch is one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders facing trial for their roles in the deaths of up to 2 million people through execution, starvation or overwork during the group's 1975-1979 rule.
He has admitted guilt and apologized for his crimes, but his defence lawyers have sought to prove he was merely acting on the orders of his superiors.
Norng Chan Phal, said he was imprisoned with his mother and brother after Khmer Rouge soldiers arrested his father and took him from their village.
He said he did not know what happened to his father after they were taken to the prison but he never saw him again.
"We slept on the floor in the workshop and were forced to eat gruel," he said of his few months of imprisonment at S-21. "I knew that if I had stayed there long, I would have become sick and died."
The father of two wept as he recalled seeing guards pushing and beating his mother, saying he was "terrified of them."
Presiding Judge Nil Nonn interrupted the testimony and told the witness to compose himself.
"This is your opportunity to tell your story, so please use the time you have to do this," he said.
Norng Chan Phal described the chaotic scene at the prison on the day the Vietnamese invaded in January 1979 and guards fled, leaving tortured bodies strapped to beds and no food for the surviving prisoners.
"I tried to find my mother, and I looked for her on the second floor where I saw her, but I could not find her anywhere," he said.
Duch sat impassively through the testimony, occasionally taking notes.
Three other S-21 survivors have appeared before the tribunal this week, and judges have allowed them to directly question their former jailer.
Bou Meng, a 68-year-old artist who survived S-21 after being ordered to paint portraits of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, on Wednesday begged Duch to tell him were his wife had been murdered so he could "collect her ashes and pray for her soul."
Duch replied that he did not know where she was murdered, but it was probably at the Choeng Ek killing field.
10 comments:
Norng Chan Phal,You was a child,you did't know who were khmer rouge,not only Maoist,but together with Hoist regime.They loved each other to fight ChackrorPoat Americain.In 70 They taught us "Chhén-PouChay,Yeknam,ChongKoir Chhéfann-chhean ThoanChhé Chay Ik-chri Tatao Meiy-TikoirChhou-y".That's time Your kingTa Sihanouk was the Leader who cried from Pékin Blablabla.I hope UN knew more than us and they got The Nobel Peace Prize.
Why can the people of Cambodia do the same way like the people of Iragi did to Saddam Hussein? We the people should come out and march in unity to put every leader on the stand, then hang them.
For Hun Sen, we should hang him upside down -- by the balls.
Definitely this guy is paid by Vietnamese to cry and make up sad story. Oh man money can buy all.
Keep coming more fiction so outsiders will send money to them. Bulsshit unemployment keeps rising at everywhere.
8:14 PM,
If he was a child back then why did they put him there to testify?
Is it about ripping off our taxe payers' money again?
Before you went off the clif blaming King Sihanouk for broadcasting from Bejing, have you read the papers now are available online for your very lazy Cambodian people to read to find out what happened to your country?
Up to now we still see your Cambodian people are too lazy to learn the facts, but you all are good in fabricating stories to cheat others for cash.
If King Sihanouk did not go for China; Soviet, China and Vietnam would have torn Cambodia into pieces already.
Your fucking Cambodians need to stop fucking and killing each others and stop making up the fucking fake trial for money.
For you people of the world.
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2009/04/9-lives-of-norodom-sihanouk-part-1-in.html
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2009/04/9-lives-of-norodom-sihanouk-part-2-in.html
Sihanouk has betrayed our Buddha since 1970!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVLTFmWX4VE
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2009/04/9-lives-of-norodom-sihanouk-part-1-in.html
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2009/04/9-lives-of-norodom-sihanouk-part-2-in.html
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2009/04/9-lives-of-norodom-sihanouk-part-1-in.html
Hey blockeahd 10;.09 and 10;28pm
King Sihanouk btrayed no Buddha nor your shithead. Everyone has a duty to fulfill according to FATE, you stupid Moron.
How about yourself you fucking azzhole? Do you believe in Buddha?
Stop making yourself as Buddah's Ambassador, you shihead.
8:27pm
I am strongly believed that money can buy you, not all Khmer!! This is the story of Khmer Rouge child survivor. It is irrelevant to the unemployment issue.
One of the K.R. survivor.
Yep my grand parents were children of Jews who survived while 6 million Jews killed and died by starvation by Hitler.
This is the story of Jews died in Holocaust.
The whole world have problems, suffering and killed, why are you thinking yours is so important?
BS, just an act for money so to fill your all pockets.
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