“Then the fetus was destroyed”, Female Cadre Recounts Instruction to Abort

 

Former cadre Beit Boeun told the court about her assignments at different locations, including Tuol Tom Poung in Phnom Penh and Kampong Chhnang. She recounted the arrests of high-ranking cadres and her husband. When her husband was arrested, she was instructed by her superior to have an abortion of her unborn child. Ms. Boeun also remembered being sent to Kampong Chhnang Airfield, after having been stationed at Wat Kok Ksach.

 

Different Assignments

Witness 2-TCW-953 testified. All parties were present. An oral ruling on the admission of prior statements and the related audio and video recordings with regards to 2-TCW-953 was issued. The chamber admitted the Written Record of Interview on its own motion. The related audio and video recordings were not admitted, as no discrepancy between the recordings and the transcript had been shown.[1]

Ms. Beit Boeun alias Na was born in 1950 in Kandal Province. International Deputy Co-Prosecutor William Smith wanted to know when she joined the revolution. She replied that she joined in 1971. Revolutionaries made the call to join the revolution and oppose the Lon Nol regime. After she joined the revolution, she was sent to Kampong Chhnang Province. She was sent to assist the local villagers in their rice farmers. After this, she was reassigned to a hospital. They were told to dig tree roots and boil them to produce medicine. They were used for treatment of malaria, fever and diarrhea. After her assignment at the hospital, she was sent to work in the rice in Kampong Chhnang. In 1973, her group was sent to Sector 13. Mr. Smith said that she had said in her interview that she was sent to Kob Srov area in Sector 25.[2] She replied that this refreshed her memory. She was part of the army in Battalion 229. At the time, she was assigned to carry guns in Unit 80. Her unit was in charge of transporting ammunition to soldiers.

After the fighting with the Lon Nol soldier stopped, her unit arrived in Phnom Penh in the evening after the people had been evacuated. When they first arrived, her unit was based at the stadium. They were further sent to do rice farming at Samron Andeth near Pochentong. They were also sent to Kilometer 6 to sew clothes. Asked who she sewed clothes for, she replied that she was not close to anyone and that she was stationed at Unit 801, which was the General Staff. She remained based at the stadium. She was also assigned to sow clothes to supply them to soldiers and Samdech Ta (Kingfather). Her unit was sent to be based near the Chinese Embassy in Tuol Svay Prey and did rice farming at the same time.

Mr. Smith said that a historian had said that Kingfather came back to Phnom Penh on 9 September 1975.[3] He asked whether this refreshed her memory as to when she left the stadium. She received him at the airport. She remained in Battalion 229. In 1977, Angkar assigned her to join the Ministry of Commerce. This was in July.

 

Tuol Tom Poung

She was in charge of purchasing products, including coffee grains. She was initially based at Psar Chas, but then she was sent to Tuol Tom Poung Pagoda. Mr. Smith asked whether it was correct that she was the chief of the Product Sorting Group, which she confirmed.[4] She denied being in charge of packing cotton. She was in charge of peeling kapoks. Each bag was more than 100 kilograms. Mr. Smith read an excerpt of her statement, in which she had indicated that she worked at a kapok cotton collection place at Ta Khmao.[5] She replied that she stayed there for one year.

She stayed at Tuol Tom Poung before she went to Ta Khmao. Later, she was sent to Wat Kok Ksach. She could not recall the year. “It was after Sao Phim had been arrested.”

 

Arrests

Ta Hong worked at the Ministry of Commerce. He was Ta Ryt’s deputy. Ta Ryt was the Chief of Commerce and in charge of both domestic and overseas commerce. Her husband was implicated as being the driver of Ta Hong. After Ta Hong was arrested, her husband was also arrested. She found out that her husband was arrested, because he was also at the Ministry of Commerce. She never met him again. Ta Hong had a wife and grandchildren. All of them were arrested and taken away. They were arrested before the arrest of her husband.

There were many people at Kok Ksach Pagoda. She said she did not know why she was sent to Kok Sach Pagoda, but every day truckloads of people would be sent away.[6] Sometimes two trucks would be sent away. The people at the pagoda were wives of commanders. There was a mixture of male and female people who were brought in. Shestayed there until the end of the harvest season, before the Khmer Rouge transported them to a train and they were sent to Kampong Chhnang.

 

Smashing the Enemy

She confirmed that she was sent to Kampong Chhnang Airfield. She confirmed that she became a party member of the Communist Party of Kampuchea. She attended study sessions with other party members. “Pol Pot was the chief. The deputy was Nuon Chea. Members were Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ieng Tirith for the Ministry of Social Affairs.” She attended two major study sessions. Each study session lasted for three days. Pol Pot opened the study sessions. Later, the deputy and members would speak. Mr. Smith said that she had told the DC-Cam investigators that Nuon Chea was the speaker.[7] He asked whether Khieu Samphan spoke. She replied that he also used to speak. “When the chief made a speech, the member and the deputy would be allowed also to comment and supplement.” The person who spoke the most was Pol Pot. They told them about political organization and work leadership. She could not recall the details of the content. They taught them contents of the Revolutionary Flag Magazines. They also spoke about the “enemy situation”. She replied that “enemies were our parents or relatives, and did we dare to smash the enemies if our parents were the enemies.”

After the first break, Mr. Smith inquired what “smash” meant in this context. She replied that she did not know the meaning of komtech (or smash). Mr. Smith read her statement, in which she had said that they talked about smashing in study sessions.[8] Pol Pot was the one who gave the lecture. Mr. Smith asked whether she ever joined a large gathering celebrating the taking over of Cambodia.[9] Khieu Samphan had said that they must “exterminate” Vietnamese and CIA spies “in the struggle to exterminate the enemy”, “particularly the expansionist, annexist, Vietnamese enemy […] in order to preserve the nation.” She could not recall that these submissions by Khieu Samphan were used in her study session.

She confirmed that they asked them to search for enemies within their units. They said that they should “strengthen our leadership” and “search for the enemy embedded within our units.”

At the kapok cotton collection place, the chief was called Comrade Ta. The witness was chief at the packaging place. This was located at Ta Khmao “near the bridge.”

“We were so concerned with our respective work, we did not have attention to search for respective enemies.” After she returned to Ta Khmao, “my rights [as a party member] were withdrawn.” She did not know why her rights were withdrawn. When Mr. Smith asked whether her rights were withdrawn because she did not look for enemies, Khieu Samphan Defense Counsel Anta Guissé objected. “An attempt to put words into the witness’s mouth is not acceptable.” The objection was sustained.

Khieu Samphan was in charge of the Ministry of Commerce. They would attend meetings once a month. A meeting with Khieu Samphan would take place once every two or three months. The discussions related to morality, disciplines and similar subjects. She did not hear about the topics of dealing with the enemy.

She then said she did not know how often the meetings took place.

Mr. Smith then inquired about Kok Ksach Pagoda. She replied that she was sent there to be tempered. “Many people were sent there. When we were put on a train to Kampong Chhnang, the train was fully loaded.” There were hundreds of people who were arrested, but she did not know where they were taken to. Most of the people were from the East Zone, and no many people from the Northwest or North Zone. She did not know the reason for the East Zone people’s arrests. They took place after the arrest of Ta Hong.

At this point, Mr. Smith handed the floor to his Cambodian colleague Seng Leang. She did not know where the people were taken to.

Mr. Leang said that she had told the investigators that some could have been sent to Choeung Ek, but that she was not sure.[10] She said that there places like Choeung Ek during the regime, but that she did not know where they were sent to. “I only heard these rumors.” She only recently knew about Tuol Sleng when they were taken to visit it.[11] Mr. Leang said that she had told the interviewers that she knew Tuol Sleng at the time, because she had passed by the area. She replied that she recalled that they went to a meeting there. “I knew that it was Tuol Sleng prison.” It was adjacent to Tuol Tom Poung Pagoda. She did not hear any screaming, but she heard young guards saying that screaming could be heard at night.[12] Mr. Leang said that she had told the investigators that she heard the screaming at night time. She answered that she heard it from young guards who were stationed there at night time. The guards did not tell her what the screaming was caused by, but she guessed that it was because of torture. There was a big road next to her office that led from the Chinese Embassy to a high zinc fence.

Moving to his next topic, Mr. Leang inquired where she was assigned to next. The train stopped in the forest, she said.

 

Marriage

Mr. Leang asked whether there was a mistake in her statement that she got married in 1978.[13] She replied that it was in 1977 or 1978, but that it was likely in 1977. She was proposed by her husband. They were the only couple. There were often many couples who were arranged to get married at the same time. “Most couples likes the people that were proposed to them.” She said that she did have the right to refuse. This prompted Mr. Leang to quote her statement.[14] She replied that ordinary people had not many rights. She said she did “not know how to respond to the question” when he asked her whether she as a cadre had more rights.

 

Abortion

Mr. Leang asked whether there was an instruction to consummate the marriage. “There was no need for such instruction, because they already got married,” she replied. They went to a house together. She “lost [her] period for five days.” After her husband had been arrested, Comrade Tha told her that she had to “get rid of my fetus.” They arranged a medic for that. “I was injected with some medicine. Then the fetus was destroyed.” Mr. Leang inquired whether Comrade Tha told her the reasons for her abortion. She answered that she was only told that Angkar instructed her to have an abortion. When Mr. Leang put further questions, an objection was raised. Mr. Leang repeated his question and asked whether Angkar had a right to arrange a woman to marry if she did not propose to get married. She replied that she did not know whether this happened at her ministry. She did not know where the person was sent to, but the person was removed from the workplace. She had not received any news from that person again.

 

Kampong Chhnang Airfield

Mr. Leang then asked about Kampong Chhnang Airfield. She said that there were “many people” at the airfield. “Everywhere I looked, there were only people.” She was told that it comprised ten square kilometers. “It was like people attending the water festival. […] and those people were so skinny.” The majority were soldiers and there were some women. She rarely see children. They were implicated in “the accusations that they were disloyal to the Khmer Rouge.” Men were sent to break rocks and carry them. Women were sent to work at dry season rice farming at the lower part of Kampong Chhnang. She did not know why she was sent from Kok Ksach Pagoda to Kampong Chhnang. Mr. Leang asked her to describe the work and living conditions at the rice field.[15] She replied that they were given watery gruel. They slept in a long shelter together with other workers. “People were brought in from everywhere.” With this, Mr. Leang concluded his line of questioning and the President adjourned the hearing for a break.

 

Cadres

After the break, Nuon Chea Defense Counsel Victor Koppe indicated that they had no questions for the witness. The floor was then handed to the Khieu Samphan Defense Counsel. Ta Ryt was the chief of the so-called Special Zone. The witness clarified that it was Ta Ret and not the same person as the person who became the head of the Ministry of Commerce.

There was another person called Om, but she did not clearly remember. There were Om Khieu and Om Tyk, and another one who she could not remember.

Ms. Guissé asked what she knew about Pol Pot’s position at the time of his speeches. She replied that Pol Pot had announced that he was the chairman, Nuon Chea his deputy, and Khieu Samphan the member and that Ieng Tirith was in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Asked about her stay at the pagoda, she replied that she worked inside the compound. As for the meetings, she forgot the meeting venue. She could not recognize places in Phnom Penh, she said. She used a motorbike to attend the meetings. She went to the meeting with Comrade Tha when she was stationed at Kok Ksach. He also went with her when she was stationed at Tuol Tom Poung.

Ms. Guissé said that she had said that she attended the meetings with Ta Oeun, Ta Ryt, and herself. The witness replied that she was sent to Ta Khmao after she was stationed at Tuol Tom Poung. She knew of the ranks of Khieu Samphan and other high-ranking cadres when Pol Pot made that announcement. He made the announcement, but she could not remember everything. She said that Ieng Sary and Ieng Tirith were lower than Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea. She did not know what the Standing Committee was. Son Sen, she said, was the chairman of the Special Zone.[16] She was also familiar with Vorn Vet.

Ms. Guissé pointed to her interview, in which she had talked about Son Sen and Khieu Samphan. She said that the witness had referred to a meeting at Borei Keila.[17] Ms. Guissé asked whether she remembered who brought up the name at the time.[18] Ms. Guissé wanted to know whether anyone spoke to her about the leaders of the Ministry of Commerce at the time. Ms. Guissé quoted her statement, in which she was asked about Koy Thuon and Ta Tuch. Ms. Guissé wanted to know whether she knew Koy Thuon and what position he occupied. She replied that she did not know him. At this point, Mr. Smith interjected and said that neither Ta Tuch nor Koy Thuon were mentioned in the English translation. Ms. Guissé asked whether she was informed of the content of the meetings between Ta On and Ta Ryt. She answered that she knew about “the three main policies – that is psychological and organizational policy.”

 

Meetings

The witness herself was in charge of packing the products. She confirmed that she had meetings in relation to her work. Comrade Tha summonsed her to the meeting. “But we knew that every month we had to attend such a meeting.” She met Khieu Samphan four times at the Ministry of Commerce. Ms. Guissé asked whether these meetings took place at the Ministry of Foreign Commerce, which the witness confirmed. It was at Psar Chas. Khieu Samphan was there in his capacity “to give his advice.”

She inquire about Comrade Oeun and Comrade Tha, who were also present at the meeting. She replied that Comrade Tha was the chairman of the office, and Oeun was a woman. She was chief of a section in a similar capacity to the witness. Mr. Smith asked to clarify whether Ms. Guissé spoke about Ta Hong and not Oeun. Ms. Guissé asked her to clarify that Ta Hong was arrested after Sao Phim, which the witness did. There was a rumour that Sao Phim was a traitor and Ta Hong was subsequently arrested. She estimated that this was in 1978. Later on, their wives, children and grandchildren were arrested. “There were people who were removed from their positions.”

 

Ms. Guissé then turned to her transfer to Kampong Chhang. She recounted that the paddy fields was next to a river. If they walked from the airfield, it was around three kilometers, before taking the boat to get to that place. She confirmed that her work place was at a different location than her sleeping quarter, which was close to the airfield.

At this point, Ms. Guissé concluded her line of questioning. As there was no reserve witness, the court adjourned at 2:40 pm.

 

 

 

[1] E3/10721.

[2] E3/10721.

[3] At 00192228 (EN), 00191354 (KH), 00236947 (FR).

[4] At answer 153.

[5] At 00054410 (KH), 00332588 (FR), 00640171 (EN).

[6] E3/10721, at answer 171.

[7] E3/5647, at 00640152 (EN), 00054389 (KH), 00332572 (FR).

[8] E3/5647, at 00640152 (EN), 00054389-90 (KH), 00332572 (FR).

[9] E3/562, at S00010563 (EN), 00249989 (KH), 00280379-80 (FR).

[10] E3/10721, at 183.

[11] E3/8028,

[12] E3/5647, at 00640175-76 (EN), 00054415 (KH), 00332592 (FR).

[13] E3/10721, at answer 192.

[14] E3/5647, at 00640184 (EN), 00054424-25 (KH), 00332598-99 (FR).

[15] At 00640174 (EN), 00054413 (KH), 00332590 (FR).

[16] E3/10721, at 126-131.

[17] E3/5647, at 00332157 (FR), 00640150 (EN), 00054387 (KH).

[18] At 00641051 (EN) 00054389 (KH).

Featured image: Witness Beit Boeun (ECCC: Flickr).