CHHUN Phal
Pseudonym: KW-23
Cases: Case 001
Category: Witness
Background and role
Between 1975 and 1979, Chhun Phal worked as a prison guard at Tuol Sleng prison, otherwise known as S-21,
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and was assigned to farm work at Choeung Ek.
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He testified as a witness in the Case 001 trial proceedings on his duties and the conditions of detainees at S-21, as well as his duties at Choeung Ek.
Following 17 April 1975,
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he joined the Khmer Rouge movement and was sent to Ta Khmau where he undertook strategic training at a military technical school.
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Upon completion of his military training, when he was about 15 years old,
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Chuun Phal was sent to S-24, also known as Prey Sar, which was a re-education camp under the authority of Duch.
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There he was assigned to work in the rice fields and to dig canals.
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He was then transferred to S-21 where he was assigned to guard duty.
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As noted by the Trial Chamber, Chuun Phal was likely targeted by the Khmer Rouge as his youth, lack of education and peasant background increased his susceptibility to political and psychological influence.
Duties at S-21
Chuun Phal’s testimony shed light on the operation of S-21. He recalled that there were four prison buildings and that he guarded building number 2.
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His role was to prevent prisoners from escaping or committing suicide.
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He recalled that the shifts commenced at midday and at either 4pm or 5pm.
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One team, consisting of approximately 12 people, was assigned to each shift.
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The Trial Chamber considered this recollection to be credible.
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While Chuun Phal mostly patrolled the corridors of building number 2,
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he occasionally watched the rear and front gates of the complex. He stated that he sometimes saw incoming and outgoing prisoners,
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who were transported on trucks
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bearing number plates marked “S-21”.
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Treatment of detainees at S-21
Chhun Phal testified about the treatment of detainees at S-21. He observed those who were very thin because they were not given sufficient food rations,
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which was in the form of gruel.
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He recalled detainees wearing ragged clothes, with unkept hair.
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He described how male prisoners were shackled all together to a long metal bar.
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They were washed with a water hose while shackled,
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the guards having first removed their clothes.
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Chuun Phal stated that female detainees were mostly detained in a common room.
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He sometimes saw mothers accompanied by children,
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who were eventually separated from them.
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He also recalled that foreigners and Vietnamese prisoners were detained separately from Cambodian prisoners.
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While he never witnessed the deaths of detainees,
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he learnt from other guards that prisoners had died in their cells.
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He explained that guards could beat detainees only if authorised by their group chief,
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and observed that some prisoners who had been taken for interrogation would return with beating marks or wounds.
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He recalled that some prisoners were taken out from their cells in the evening and never returned,
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although he did not know where they were taken.
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Chuun Phal testified that he did not witness any rapes while at S-21, but his group chief had said that some guards had been arrested for raping prisoners.
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Hierarchy of leaders
Chuun Phal said the name of his group chief was Korn, and the names of those above Korn were Peng and Hor.
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He could not recall the name of the chairman of S-21,
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but claimed he had never heard of the Accused, “Brother East” or Duch, or seen the Accused come into the buildings
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while working there.
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Duties at Choeung Ek
In about 1979, Chhun Phal was assigned to farm work at Choeung Ek.
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He admitted he worked at the execution site on two occasions during the day,
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where he dug pits measuring approximately 2 by 3 metres.
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He was also ordered to bury bodies in those pits in the late afternoon, during shifts which commenced at about 5pm or 6pm.
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He stated that the bodies were naked and of mostly male detainees,
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and that some were covered in blood, and had swollen throats and necks.
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Others were handcuffed.
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He claimed the pit was “probably up to the neck” in depth,
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and said it took an hour or two for the group of workers to fill it completely.
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Chhun Phal testified that while carrying out duties assigned to him by Angkar, he was not allowed to visit his home.
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He said that he would not have been able to run away from his place of work, as nobody could run away.
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