Noun Chea Said he did not Know about Toul Sleng Prison during the Khmer Rouge Regime While the Transfer of Douch to the ECCC Special Prison Cell being planned

Although Noun Chea, in an interview with a foreign journalist, pretended that he didn’t know about the mass killings during Khmer Rouge regime, evidence from Douch’s response is enough to bring Noun Chea to the special prison cells in the ECCC with Douch. Tribunal officials are planning to transfer Douch from the military prison to the tribunal special prison cells.

Some people might have forgotten the suffering during the Khmer Rouge regime but the government has tried to celebrate Remembrance Day (17th April) which marks the beginning of the Khmer Rouge regime. But after hearing from Noun Chea, Big Brother 2 that he didn’t know about the mass killings, the starvation and the existence of Toul Sleng prison during the regime, people have become angry again at the former Khmer Rouge whom they believe should be executed.  

Noun Chea told a foreign newspaper that he didn’t know about the death of 1.7 million people during the regime. On the other hand, he raised the killings during the Lon Nol regime which was supported by America and by the Yuon [Vietnamese] installed government with support from Youn soldiers. Noun Chea claimed that almost 2 million people might have been killed during this 5-year-war against America.

When asked about the evidence of the mass killing during the regime, Noun Chea said that he had not killed his people, but his enemies had and when he was asked about those enemies he said they were foreign spies concealing themselves in the villages. However, he didn’t mention how many spies there were.

Noun Chea claimed that current evidence gathered including bones and skulls have been created using new technology.

Although this top murderer has tried to say that he didn’t want to evade the responsibility for the mass killings, law observers have declared that Noun Chea is evading responsibility for what he did during the Khmer Rouge regime including the mass killings and that he is provoking the public by asking them why would he kill his own people.

Noun Chea put the blame on foreign spies who were Khmer enemies. But during the Khmer Rouge regime, everyone knew that the Khmer Rouge considered people as their enemies, those from urban areas as parasitic people, and previous government officials, soldiers, police and workers as American CIA spies whom they needed to destroy. So, Cambodians’ were the enemies of the Khmer Rouge.

‘It is strange that Noun Chea has said that he didn’t know about the mass killings and puts all the blame on foreign enemies. Even stranger, he said is that he didn’t know that Toul Sleng prison existed during the Khmer Rouge regime,’ observers have said.

But according to Kang Gech Eav known as Douch, former Toul Sleng prison or bureau S-21, in 1978 he was directly ordered by Noun Chea, Big Brother2, to kill 300 Khmer Rouge soldiers without questions asked.

 ‘Douch has accused me of many things. It is thought that I was Big Brother 2 so I must have been responsible for my obligations, but my power was limited. Those things were decided in the Interior Security department,’ explained Noun Chea.

Noun Chea said Douch directly worked in Interior Security department in the Ministry of Defense in which Son Sen was the minister.  Douch admitted that Son Sen ordered him to kill a lot of people, but all Khmer Rouge leaders were involved in this, so the blame shouldn’t only be put on the dead [Khmer Rouge leaders].

The journalist also asked Noun Chea whether the tribunal will accuse him of crimes during the regime. Noun Chea laughed and said that the tribunal is a concern of his since he was the Big Brother 2 in the Khmer Rouge regime. He said he doesn’t want to have any trouble and he will talk about what had happened if there is the trial.

Observers called Noun Chea a cold-blooded murderer who even now smilingly says without any regret what he has done to the Cambodian people. When asked about his smiling face, he said it’s his nature.

Military officers reported that Douch, former bureau S-21 chief, is being kept in the military prison for the tribunal. He will be transferred to an ECCC special prison cell soon.

Douch, 64, has been detained since 1999 in a military prison for the trial, suspected of crimes against humanity during the Democratic Kampuchea regime or the Khmer Rouge regime.

Military court and ECCC officers also confirmed that they will transfer the place of the detainee, Douch, soon. The ECCC officers are preparing for the transfer.

A lawyer said that the legal detention period for Douch in a military prison will end in May 2008 and that if there is no rule for keeping Douch or the tribunal does not begin soon after that, that  Douch will be released temporarily.

Meas Moth, now a general and advisor in the Ministry of Defense, recently said he played no part in the death of the 2 million people during the Khmer Rouge regime.

‘I know I am accused of genocide and war crimes, but what evidence do they have to accuse me? I’m not afraid or frightened of the tribunal,’ he added.

Though Meas Moth said he had no relation to the killings of the innocent people, Stephen Header’s book reveals that at least 24 detainees [during the Khmer Rouge regime] from military unit No. 164 led by Meas Moth were sent to Toul Sleng prison.

‘I am 68 and I have no worry about this,’ said Meas Moth. Most recently besides the printing of outreach posters and some fundraising, the progress of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal has not been good,.

Adopted from Moneas Seka Khmer. 14-3062. Monday, January 15th, 2007