Hun Smirn
Pseudonym: D5
Cases: Case 001
Category: Witness
Background and role
Hun Smirn knew the Accused, Guek Eav alias Duch, as Hang Pin from October 1996.
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At that time, the Accused was working as a French teacher under the supervision of Hun Smirn who was the director of Svay Chek High School.
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Duch taught at the school until late February or early March 1997, after which he disappeared without notifying his colleagues or the education department.
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At the time of his departure, Hun Smirn heard through others that the Accused went to work in Samlaut.
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Hun Smirn’s testified as a witness in the Case 001 trial on Duch’s role as a teacher in the school, his character and religious beliefs.
Working with the Accused
Duch lived 500 metres away from the school with his children,
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and either walked or rode his motorbike to work.
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He was hired to teach grade 8 and 9 students,
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and was considered to be well-educated and qualified to teach French.
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His performance at work was considered “excellent”,
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and Hun Smirn described him as very attentive and punctual.
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The witness was happy with every aspect of his work.
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He was well liked,
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and Hun Smirn described the Accused as a generous, kind, friendly teacher who had good relationships with staff, the management committee and students.
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He did not cause any conflicts or disputes during his tenure as a teacher.
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Hun Smirn observed that Duch was a Christian,
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and described him as a gentle, quiet person who liked reading books alone after work.
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While the other teachers liked Duch,
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Hun Smirn explained that he did not enjoy talking to or sharing conversations with his colleagues at the school.
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He never witnessed the Accused displaying any kind of inappropriate behaviour that would hurt the mentality or the state of mind of the students or teachers at the school.
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The students referred to Duch as ‘Grandpa Teacher’, which Hun Smirn described as a sign of his excellence at teaching.
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Character of the Accused
Hun Smirn was not aware that Duch had any relationship with the Khmer Rouge leadership.
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He did not know that the authorities were looking for him during the time he was working at the school and found it extremely hard to understand that he was involved in committing serious crimes
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because he presented as a ‘good and friendly person’.
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Hun Smirn noted an occasion when Duch had been the victim of a robbery, which resulted in the death of his wife.
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Hun Smirn did not know why or how the robbery took place.
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Thereafter, Duch fled to work at Svay Chek school, and continued to grieve the loss of his wife.
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Learning of the Accused’s arrest
In late 1999
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Hun Smirn was extremely surprised to learn of Duch’s arrest through radio and TV news broadcasts.
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The witness expressed that “Even today, it is extremely hard for me to take it that he was involved with so serious crimes in comparison to his teaching career at my school. It was a complete opposite. In his teaching career, he was so perfect”.
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