LACH Kry
Pseudonym: 2-TCCP-844
Cases: Case 002/02
Category: Civil Party
Disappearance of Vietnamese
Lach Kry testified that, before the Khmer Rouge Regime, Vietnamese people in his native village at Pou Chentam, Svay Antor, Prey Veng province sold fish and vegetables for a living alongside Khmer people.
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During the Khmer Rouge Regime, Lach Kry was assigned to work in rice production in of Pou Chentham, and knew of three Vietnamese living there who disappeared during that time.
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He stated that, in late 1975, a villager of Vietnamese origin named Ngang was arrested and sent away to cut "rumpeak" vines for baskets, but never returned.
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Soon thereafter in early 1976, another villager of Vietnamese origin named Chuy, who had Khmer wife, was called away to clear the forest and disappeared as well.
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This, Lach Kry heard from Chuy’s wife, Doung Oeurn, who is also Lach Kry’s cousin.
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Then in November 1977, Lach Kry witnessed his brother Lach Ny’s wife, San, who was half Khmer and half Vietnamese,
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get arrested and put on a horse cart and sent away along with four of her five children.
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As for the fifth child, a daughter, Lach Kry testified that “the militiamen went to fetch her after them”,
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and that Lach Ny collapsed and fainted when he witnessed his wife get arrested,
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and subsequently became psychologically unstable.
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Lach Kry later learned from the horse cart driver named “Tri” that San and her children were taken to Trapeang Pring forest.
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A month later, Tri was also taken away and disappeared.
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Angkar later arranged for Lach Ny to marry a new wife at Svay Antor Pagoda with other 20 couples.
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The Trial Chamber cited Lack Kry’s testimony that it was “widely known” by villagers that children of Vietnamese mothers were considered Vietnamese and therefore “taken away”, but children of Vietnamese fathers and Khmer mothers were not considered Vietnamese and therefore spared.
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However, the Trial Chamber noted discrepancies in his evidence with that of others regarding the killings of Vietnamese including Ngang, Chuy, and San, and therefore did not take these specific killings into account in its legal findings,
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nor could it reasonably establish on this evidence “that waves of killings of Vietnamese civilians occurred in Prey Veng province from April 1977.”
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Evacuation to Battambang province and death of his family
Around October 1978, approximately 80 percent of villagers from Pou Chentam, including Lach Kry and his family (wife, children, parents and siblings) were evacuated to Moung Ruessei district in Battambang province.
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After arriving at Battambang, Lach Kry saw 30-40 dead bodies in the paddy fields at Svay Doun Kev, when crossing the area to Pursat province.
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During the Khmer Rouge Regime, Lach Kry lost eleven members of his family, including his parents, his wife and child, and his five siblings (three sisters and two brothers),
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as well as his brother’s wife and children.
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