Chum Mey, one of the few who survived imprisonment at the Khmer Rouge's S-21 prison, smiles before attending a U.N.-back genocide tribunal in Phnom Penh on April 23, 2008. (Chor Sokunthea/Reuters)Tuesday, June 30, 2009
CBC News (Canada)
One of three living survivors from the Khmer Rouge's main torture centre wept as he told a United Nations-backed tribunal in Cambodia Tuesday that he was beaten, subjected to electric shocks and had his toenails pulled out, but was spared execution because he knew how to fix cars.
"When I was tortured, I no longer felt like a human being. I felt like an animal," said Chum Mey, 79, who was jailed at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, also known as the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh between 1975 and 1979. "I was beaten for 12 days and nights. I was beaten day and night. I could hardly walk."
Mey was testifying at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, 66, popularly known as Duch, who headed the prison from 1975 to 1979, and is charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes and murder.
About 16,000 men, women and children were detained and tortured at S-21 before being executed at the "Killing Fields."
Mey's wife and baby were among the estimated 1.7 million people killed under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.
Like most prisoners at S-21, Mey was forced to confess that he was a spy for the CIA, Russia's KGB or Vietnam.
"I kept responding that I didn't know anything about the CIA and KGB, but they used pliers and twisted off my toenail," he said. After removing one big toenail, torturers moved to the other foot.
"They tried to twist the other one off with the pliers but the nail didn't come out so they pulled it out with their hands," Mey said.
His torture ended once his captors realized he had a useful skill and he was put to work fixing his jailers' cars, tractors, sewing machines and typewriters.
In response to Mey's testimony, Duch told the tribunal the term CIA was used to refer to anyone who opposed the Khmer Rouge.
He is the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to acknowledge responsibility for his actions and stand trial. Earlier, Duch testified that he was only following orders to save his own life.
Senior leaders Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Ieng Sary's wife, Ieng Thirith, are all detained and likely to face trial in the next year or so.
With files from The Associated Press
"When I was tortured, I no longer felt like a human being. I felt like an animal," said Chum Mey, 79, who was jailed at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, also known as the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh between 1975 and 1979. "I was beaten for 12 days and nights. I was beaten day and night. I could hardly walk."
Mey was testifying at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, 66, popularly known as Duch, who headed the prison from 1975 to 1979, and is charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes and murder.
About 16,000 men, women and children were detained and tortured at S-21 before being executed at the "Killing Fields."
Mey's wife and baby were among the estimated 1.7 million people killed under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.
Like most prisoners at S-21, Mey was forced to confess that he was a spy for the CIA, Russia's KGB or Vietnam.
"I kept responding that I didn't know anything about the CIA and KGB, but they used pliers and twisted off my toenail," he said. After removing one big toenail, torturers moved to the other foot.
"They tried to twist the other one off with the pliers but the nail didn't come out so they pulled it out with their hands," Mey said.
His torture ended once his captors realized he had a useful skill and he was put to work fixing his jailers' cars, tractors, sewing machines and typewriters.
In response to Mey's testimony, Duch told the tribunal the term CIA was used to refer to anyone who opposed the Khmer Rouge.
He is the first senior Khmer Rouge figure to acknowledge responsibility for his actions and stand trial. Earlier, Duch testified that he was only following orders to save his own life.
Senior leaders Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Ieng Sary's wife, Ieng Thirith, are all detained and likely to face trial in the next year or so.
With files from The Associated Press
2 comments:
The China-Khmer Rough(Pot Pot) is in trail, but the Vietnam-Khmer Rough (Hun Sen & Heng Samrin) became permanant King.
2 million Khmers were killed by only Pol Pot, what's about Vietnamise-Khmer Rough? Keep them be King of Cambodia to when? the rests, you shut up Paris Peace Agreement!, and you go hell, 17 April !
Is this a fair game? Please show Khmer people what is the JUSTICE?
Red-Ant.
We all shouldn't get too distracted by Hun Sen's Khmer Rouge Show Trial. We should focus on the Viets who are stealing our land. They are getting closer to completing the boarder markings.
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