Background and role
Mun Mot testified in closed session. The summary is based on the redacted transcript. Mun Mot testified as a witnessed in Case 002/02 on authority and structure at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite, the working conditions, arrests and replacement of the Northwest Zone Cadres. The Trial Chamber relied on Mun Mot’s testimony in finding, among other things, that Ta Val was the chief of the Trapeang Thma Dam and that in 1977, the Northwest Zone cadres were arrested and replaced by the Southwest Zone cadres.
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Authority and structure at the Trapeang Thma Dam
Mun Mot worked at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite as a company chief from mid-1976 until 1977.
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He reported to Ta San, chief of the regiment, on the work progress.
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Ta San reported to Ta Val, the chief of the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite.
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Ta Hoeng was the chief of the sector and Ta Maong was the chief of the Preah Netr district.
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Mun Mot’s company had three platoons, each comprising of three groups.
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The groups were divided into three squads,
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with a total of 100 to 120 workers.
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Around 1976 Mun Mot saw a convoy of between 20 to 30 4x4 white-and-egg-shell-colored vehicles,
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though he did not know who were the people in those vehicles since they never exited them while at the worksite.
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The Trial Chamber considered Mun Mot’s testimony in its findings on the authority and reporting structure,
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visits by CPK leaders,
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and organization of the workforce.
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Working conditions
Ta Val set the work quota based on orders from his superiors.
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All workers were given a quota of three cubic meters per day.
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Workers in Mun Mot’s unit started to work around 7 a.m. and usually completed the quota by 3 p.m. or 4 p.m.
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They had a short break around noon.
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After completing their quotas, the workers were allowed to return to their sleeping quarters or go searching for supplementary food.
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By 5 p.m. latest, the quotas were usually completed.
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They did not work at night or early in the morning.
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When some workers were falling behind with completing their quotas, the co-workers helped them.
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Workers from other units started earlier than 7 a.m. in order to meet the quota earlier in the afternoon and go search for supplementary food.
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Mun Mot never saw workers collapse from exhaustion, but he heard from his comrades that some workers fainted.
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He never saw workers being beaten or killed while working at the worksite.
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Seriously ill workers were allowed to sleep in the sleeping quarters and those who were not seriously ill had to work.
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The unit chiefs determined whether a worker was seriously ill.
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Workers with poor vision were assisted by co-workers in completing the quota.
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The food was sufficient; he received two cans of rice per day.
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The soup was insufficient and not nutritious, sometimes with morning glory, or water lily, or banana stalk.
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The rice ration was cut by half after the arrival of the Southwest Zone cadres in 1977.
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There was no clean water to drink, only from the stream or pond, or rainwater.
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The were no latrines; people had to relieve themselves in the bushes.
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The Trial Chamber considered Mun Mot’s testimony in its findings on the working conditions,
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work quotas,
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working hours,
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health conditions,
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medical help,
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food ration,
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water distribution,
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and hygiene and sanitation
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at the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite. In relation to Mun Mot’s testimony on the working conditions, the Trial Chamber found that due to Mun Mot’s position of authority as chief of the company, his evidence must be considered with caution, as he may tend to minimize the severity of the conditions experienced by the workers at the Dam.
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The Trial Chamber also found that Mun Mot’s testimony on the working hours showed that in some units working hours were imposed, with different regulations applied to different units,
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and was consistent with other evidence showing an insufficiency of food.
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Arrests of Northwest Zone cadres
Ta Val was the chief of mobile brigades at the Trapeang Thma Dam in Sector 5.
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Ta Hoeng was member of the committee of Sector 5.
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Ta Nhim was chief of the Northwest Zone.
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The Southwest Zone cadres arrived at the Trapeang Thma Dam in early 1977.
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When they arrived, Mun Mot started hearing about the arrests of the Northwest Zone cadres, though he did not know the reasons for the arrests.
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About three months before the Southwest Zone cadres arrived, Ta Val and Ta Hoeng held a secret meeting with the company and battalion chiefs,
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informing them that they would become captains and fight the Khmer Rouge.
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Mun Mot did not understand why Ta Val said that they all will become captains or why they will fight the Khmer Rouge.
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The chiefs of the units who attended this meeting were not armed. Ta Val did not set any serious plan during that meeting.
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Mun Mot saw supplies, including sandals, scarves, cigarette lighters and white shirts, stored at Ta Val’s location.
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These supplies were distributed to members of battalions up to the regiments.
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There was a rumor among the mobile units that Ta Cheal, Ta Nhim’s son, sent a messenger to his father-in-law, So Phim, member of the East Zone committee, informing So Phim about the secret meeting.
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The messenger was arrested before he delivered the message to So Phim.
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After that the Southwest Zone cadres began arresting cadres from the Northwest and East Zones.
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Ta Cheal, then Ta Hoeng, Ta Nhim and Ta Val were arrested in 1977.
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Ta Nhav replaced Ta San and Ta Val.
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The arrests started from the upper level going down to the lower level.
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Mun Mot witnessed the arrest of Ta San, his immediate superior and chief of the regiment.
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Mun Mot was shocked that Ta San was arrested and was afraid he might be next.
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He did not know where to flee.
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Other company chiefs fled to the Thai border but were arrested by the Khmer Rouge soldiers before they could cross the border.
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Mun Mot decided not to flee out of fear to get caught.
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The Trial Chamber considered Mun Mot’s testimony in its findings on the authority above the Trapeang Thma Dam Worksite
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and the arrests of the Northwest Zone cadres in 1977.
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It gave no weight to Mun Mot’s statement that Ta Nhim was arrested in mid-1977 given that it is uncorroborated hearsay evidence which is inconsistent with the contemporaneous documents,
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and found that Ta Nhim was arrested after 17 May and before 14 June 1978.
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Mun Mot’s testimony about the distribution of supplies was found to be unremarkable and not indicative of a plot to overthrow the Khmer Rouge regime.
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