SA Vi
Pseudonym: TCW-620
Cases: Case 002/01
Category: Witness
Background and role
Sa Vi, born Sa Sarim
1
(alias “Song”),
2
was a guard at the K-1 compound in Phnom Penh.
3
In 1974, he worked as a mail messenger in Kampong Speu province, which was part of Sector 33.
4
In June 1975, he joined the Samraong District army in June of 1975, before being promoted to the Sector 33 army.
5
He was an “ordinary combatant” in both Samraong district and Sector 33.
6
In late 1975, Sa Vi was sent to Phnom Penh to work at K-1 until January 1979.
7
Sa Vi testified in Case 002/01 about his work in the military forces and at K-1, the administrative offices of S-71, and the senior leadership’s residence, working, and travel locations during the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) period.
Sa Vi’s work in the military forces and at K-1
Since the war ended on 17 April 1975, Sa Vi was assigned to help people in the District dig canals and build dams.
8
Despite being young, he was made to work as hard as the adults.
9
According to Sa Vi, the military worked at a separate location from the people.
10
From late 1975 to 1979, Sa Vi served as a protection officer in the second layer of the guard unit at K-1 alongside 50 to 60 other guards.
11
At K-1, his guard unit was in charge of security and safety.
12
Sa Vi’s main task while working in the guard unit at K-1 was to guard its entrance.
13
There, he worked eight to ten hours daily,
14
alternating between four guard posts.
15
At night, he patrolled the grounds in two-hour shifts.
16
Guards would eat and sleep at a house about 100 metres from the guard post.
17
The administrative offices of S-71
Through his work at K-1, Sa Vi learned that K-1 and K-3 were residential and office compounds for the Communist Party of Kampuchea’s (CPK) senior leaders.
18
Leaders also came from various Zones, Sectors, and Districts to attend meetings at K-1.
19
Attendees at such meetings included Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, and Khieu Samphan, as well as East Zone Secretary Sao Phim and Southwest Zone Secretary Ta Mok.
20
Sa Vi was unable to recall exactly who else was in attendance, but afterwards learned from colleagues who had been inside K-1 during the meetings that leaders from all across the country attended.
21
He and his guard unit would be asked to give protection before such meetings, but were not informed of the names of individuals: “[t]he message we received was just brothers form the zones attending those meetings.”
22
In preparation for such events, Sa Vi’s guard unit was assigned to clean the roads and prepare protective measures.
23
While Sa Vi was working at K-1, the head of S-71, Chimm Sam Aok alias “Pang”, disappeared.
24
He heard later from others that Pang had been accused of treason.
25
The Trial Chamber relied on Sa Vi’s testimony in addition to other evidence in finding that code names beginning with the prefix ‘K’ were used to identify the sub-offices and units of S-71,
26
and that the head of S-71, Chimm Sam Aok alias “Pang”, was arrested and taken to S-21.
27
It further relied on Sa Vi’s evidence in finding that the committee secretary in each tier was also generally a member (or at least attended the meetings) of the committee of the echelon immediately above.
28
Residence, working, and travel locations of senior leadership during the DK period
Sa Vi observed that Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, and Nuon Chea came to K-1 “on a regular basis” between 1976 and 1979.
29
Khieu Samphan visited K-1 more frequently than the others.
30
When they came for work, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, and Nuon Chea drove their vehicles through the compound’s entrance.
31
Each time Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, and Khieu Samphan visited K-1 for meetings or work, they would stay there also.
32
According to Sa Vi, nobody came to greet them upon their arrival.
33
During the DK period, Pol Pot resided at the K-1 compound,
34
while other senior leaders such as Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan resided at the K-3 compound.
35
Sa Vi learned from his superiors and guards assigned to escort Nuon Chea that while living at K-3, Nuon Chea made trips to the countryside.
36
The Trial Chamber relied on Sa Vi’s and other witness testimonies regarding CPK leadership find that CPK senior members met with each other in various combinations at K-1 and K-3.
37
It also found, relying in part on Sa Vi’s evidence, that Khieu Samphan regularly attended meetings of the Standing Committee,
38
and that Nuon Chea continued travelling to the countryside during the DK period.
39
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