Duch in court on 23 August 2009 (Photo: Leng Maly, RFA)Tuesday, August 25, 2009
By Leng Maly
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer
The accused Duch told the court that the testimony provided by one civil party witness on 24 August is a strange [textual translation: strange to the ears] story and he rejected it, saying that he never undertook the action as claimed even though he accepted the other portions of the testimony as being correct.
Duch’s claim of “strange story” came in response to Mrs. Chum Nov, a civil party witness who was a former prisoner, who told the court that Duch pulled a handgun and pointed it at her.
When he was authorized to provide his notes on the testimony provided by the civil party witness, Duch told the court: “This story is strange, strange from my recollection. There are 3 points: when Mrs. Chum Nov said that I asked someone to invite her over, then I pointed a gun at her head temple for her escape, this is not true. I never pointed a gun on anybody in this manner. I have several subordinates to tie and to warn others [prisoners]. I never did it with my own hands.”
The testimony that Duch rejected was provided by Mrs. Chum Nov, a former prisoner of S-21 – a detention center administered by Duch under the KR regime.
During the hearing, Mrs. Chum Nov told the court: “Before his questioning, he pulled out his handgun already. But, for this handgun, I did not see it cocked, i.e. he pulled [the gun] from his hip and pointed it at us immediately.”
Mrs. Chum Nov, a former KR army cadre, told the court chamber in tears that, because of the KR regime, she lost her dear husband and child. She said that her husband’s name was Nou Somoeun aka Sem, he was arrested from the KR army equipment department and brought to S-21 in 1977.
In spite of the rejection of some portions of Mrs. Chum Nov’s testimony, Duch recognized that Mrs. Chum Nov’s husband was indeed arrested and sent over to S-21: “I fully recognize that Mr. Nou Samoeun or Mr. Nou Moeun was indeed a victim, and he truly died in S-21.”
62-year old Chum Nov told the court that she was sent to S-24, the annex of S-21, between 1977 and 1979.
She said that she was emotionally very hurt because, following the KR regime, she lost her husband and child, and she cannot accept Duch’s apology.
Duch’s claim of “strange story” came in response to Mrs. Chum Nov, a civil party witness who was a former prisoner, who told the court that Duch pulled a handgun and pointed it at her.
When he was authorized to provide his notes on the testimony provided by the civil party witness, Duch told the court: “This story is strange, strange from my recollection. There are 3 points: when Mrs. Chum Nov said that I asked someone to invite her over, then I pointed a gun at her head temple for her escape, this is not true. I never pointed a gun on anybody in this manner. I have several subordinates to tie and to warn others [prisoners]. I never did it with my own hands.”
The testimony that Duch rejected was provided by Mrs. Chum Nov, a former prisoner of S-21 – a detention center administered by Duch under the KR regime.
During the hearing, Mrs. Chum Nov told the court: “Before his questioning, he pulled out his handgun already. But, for this handgun, I did not see it cocked, i.e. he pulled [the gun] from his hip and pointed it at us immediately.”
Mrs. Chum Nov, a former KR army cadre, told the court chamber in tears that, because of the KR regime, she lost her dear husband and child. She said that her husband’s name was Nou Somoeun aka Sem, he was arrested from the KR army equipment department and brought to S-21 in 1977.
In spite of the rejection of some portions of Mrs. Chum Nov’s testimony, Duch recognized that Mrs. Chum Nov’s husband was indeed arrested and sent over to S-21: “I fully recognize that Mr. Nou Samoeun or Mr. Nou Moeun was indeed a victim, and he truly died in S-21.”
62-year old Chum Nov told the court that she was sent to S-24, the annex of S-21, between 1977 and 1979.
She said that she was emotionally very hurt because, following the KR regime, she lost her husband and child, and she cannot accept Duch’s apology.
