Original report from Phnom Penh
03 August 2009
A former child nurse at Duch’s notorious Khmer Rouge prison told a UN-backed court Monday he had been asked to treat prisoners even though he had no medical training and was in fact illiterate.
“Most of the detainees were not sick,” said Sek Dan, he was 11 years old when he was tasked as a medic at the prison, Tuol Sleng, brought in from his home province of Kampong Cham. “I cured them of all kinds of wounds caused by torture I can’t explain.”
Several hundred of Tuol Sleng’s prisoners died of illness, said Sek Dan, who was one of four child medics.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Kek Iev, is undergoing an atrocity crimes trial for his role as head of the prison and other Khmer Rouge facilities. Prosecutors say he is responsible for the deaths of 12,380 people.
“I never learned medicine,” Sek Dan, now 48, told the court. “I followed the elders and they told me to give medicine to this one or that one.”
Prisoners “were wounded by torture in the back, on the nails of their hands and in their legs,” he said.
Duch said he recognized that children were used as Tuol Sleng staff, but he said Sek Dan’s confession was “unclear.”
“Most of the detainees were not sick,” said Sek Dan, he was 11 years old when he was tasked as a medic at the prison, Tuol Sleng, brought in from his home province of Kampong Cham. “I cured them of all kinds of wounds caused by torture I can’t explain.”
Several hundred of Tuol Sleng’s prisoners died of illness, said Sek Dan, who was one of four child medics.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Kek Iev, is undergoing an atrocity crimes trial for his role as head of the prison and other Khmer Rouge facilities. Prosecutors say he is responsible for the deaths of 12,380 people.
“I never learned medicine,” Sek Dan, now 48, told the court. “I followed the elders and they told me to give medicine to this one or that one.”
Prisoners “were wounded by torture in the back, on the nails of their hands and in their legs,” he said.
Duch said he recognized that children were used as Tuol Sleng staff, but he said Sek Dan’s confession was “unclear.”
6 comments:
Most of the Khmer Rouge leaders in the top leadership were quite educated when compared to the average Cambodians of that time.
What has appalled me is the degree of stupidity among these so-called intellectuals who were part of the Khmer Rouge leadership.
I just can't find words good enough to describe their unbelievable stupidity. People like Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith, etc.
In the history of Cambodia we have Angkor period at the top of the list of accomplishment and really at the bottom of that list is Democratic Kampuchea period of these idiots and murderers!
Those who are parts of Democratic Kampuchea should really feel ashamed of themselves and should not have been born!
Anet Khmer
Many of the Khmer Rouge leaders in the top leadership were quite educated when compared to the average Cambodians of that time.
What has appalled me is the degree of stupidity among these so-called intellectuals who were part of the Khmer Rouge leadership.
I just can't find words good enough to describe their unbelievable stupidity. People like Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith, etc. should really be ashamed of themselves for what they had done to their country, Cambodia and the people, Cambodians.
In the history of Cambodia we have Angkor period at the top of the list of accomplishment and really at the bottom of that list is Democratic Kampuchea period of these idiots and murderers!
Those who are parts of Democratic Kampuchea should really feel ashamed of themselves and should not have been born in the land of past glorious Angkor!
Anet Khmer
I used to hated those fucken home-made medicine, it's tasts nasty! they look like rabbit shit alright...
Hello CPP youth,
I think PPU was bornt from a mother of svay park. He is a breed from that scientific experimentation of Hun Sen human breeding ground.
Hahaha! PPU is from Svy Pak brothel with one whore and hundred thousands of viet father....hahaha!
Dear friends,
We are very unlucky by passing through the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime. This was the worst time in the history of Cambodia. There were 4.5 million innocent Khmers died of Killings, starvation, disease by lack of foods, labour exhaustion, no freedom, ... We were in jails without walls in the whole Cambodia which were isolated from the rest of the world even the Chinese experts and diplomats like Duch said that he had changed the central prison to Tuol Sleng because the PJ jail was in visibility of foreigners (Chineses, North Koreans, ...).
We have the highest point in the Mahanagara (Moha Nokor) from the 9th-13th centuries. Our ancestors built many Temples throughout the country. Some Temples are owned by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
Nowaday we strive hard to build the Angkor Land from zero. We have a better life but there is still poverty in our society. We must help poor people to work hard for their better future as well. There are also some negative issues which must be eliminated by our government.
Corruptors must be aware that people are looking on you and you must stop your bad action from now onward. Rich people must not exploit poorer people and do not take away their land because they live by agricultural works and do not cheat them and do not cause them sufferings. You are very rich already and do not be too greedy because you will die sooner or later. You cannot live for more than 100 years even somebody give you a good blessing or even you have a lot of money which cannot bring you to Nirvana. Too much money will bring you to hell because Yumareach loves richest people to stay around him.
Thank you for kind consideration.
Best regards,
Ly
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