SAUT Toeung
Pseudonym: TCW-617
Cases: Case 002/01
Category: Witness
Background and role
Witness Saut Toeung was Nuon Chea’s bodyguard and messenger between 1975 and 1978.
1
He joined the revolution in Ratanakiri and became a member of the Youth League in 1972.
2
Around late 1974 he was assigned to transport ammunition and food by truck from the region of Kampong Cham to Kampong Chhnang for the fight against the Lon Nol soldiers and the American imperialists.
3
Role as Nuon Chea’s security guard and messenger
The witness was Nuon Chea’s bodyguard for about three years (from 1975 until September 1978).
6
He was a security guard around the compounds where Nuon Chea worked.
7
He recalled accompanying Nuon Chea to Battambang (North-west zone), Kampong Chhnang (West zone), Kampong Speu (West zone) and the East Zone in order to meet zone and sector leaders, to watch over the sectors, to provide training to other cadres or to visit dams and worksites, for example, the 1st January Dam, a dam on the Chinit River.
8
As for trips abroad, he also recalled traveling to China and North Korea once with Nuon Chea for about 2 weeks in around September 1978.
9
He recalled bringing letters from Nuon Chea to Kaing Guek Eav aka Duch at his office and vice versa.
10
According to his testimony, he did not know the content of the documents in the envelopes.
11
He added that it was either Nuon Chea or Pang who gave him orders and they were also the ones who received the documents from Duch.
12
“K-offices” and other units in Phnom Penh
The witness recalled that when working as a security guard, he provided protection outside the offices of K-1 and K-3
13
, which were the residential and office compounds in Phnom Penh for the CPK senior leaders. He described K-1 as a four-story building, while K-3 was a one-story building surrounded by walls.
14
According to his testimony, K-1 and K-3 were the “Angkar’s” bases or offices and he saw Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Vorn Vet, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan there. He also saw other leaders coming in and out too including Koy Thuon and other people.
He explained that office K-7, which was located on the riverfront, was the place for receiving equipment and people from the base who were recruited to the forces before being moved to other places.
15
The witness explained that he was working for a unit called “Y-10” which was in charge of providing security and protection to K-1 and K-3.
16
This unit was led by a person named “Kham My”. It was adjacent to K-1.
17
Meetings and education sessions
The witness testified that zone secretaries Ta Mok, Ruos Nhim and Sor Phim came to meet with Nuon Chea and others at K-1 regularly.
18
He recalled seeing other zone and sector leaders come for meetings in Phnom Penh.
19
However, he did not know the content of the meetings as he guarded outside the compound.
20
He recalled providing security outside Borei Keila where Nuon Chea conducted study sessions once every 3 or 4 months,
21
and on ceremonial occasions such as the anniversary of the Party or the anniversary of 17 April.
22
The rallies were conducted at different places for more 50 people. He recalled seeing Khieu Samphan and sometimes Ieng Sary at the rallies.
23
As a Youth League member, the witness recalled receiving some "Revolutionary Youth" magazines in 1975 and 1976, although he could not understand much. The magazine was first published in 1974. Because the majority of cadres in his unit could not read Khmer, the content of the magazines was read out by the unit head, “Kham My”, so that they could understand.
24
The witness used to attend the re-education or self-criticism sessions once a month at the Y-10 unit.
25
The main objective of the sessions was to strengthen the spirit of fighting oppressive classes and national patriotism.
26
He recalled listening to the radio broadcast during the DK regime and heard Nuon Chea’s speeches about the Vietnamese invasion at the East Zone.
27
Videos
| Date | Written record of proceedings | Transcript number |
|---|---|---|
| 18/04/2012 | E1/63 | E1/63.1 |
| 19/04/2012 | E1/64 | E1/64.1 |
| 20/04/2012 | E1/65 | E1/65.1 |
| Document title Khmer | Document title English | Document title French | Document D number | Document E3 number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| កំណត់ហេតុនៃការស្តាប់ចម្លើយសាក្សី សូត្រ ទឿង | Written record of interview of SOUTR Toeung | Procès-verbal de l’audition de SOUTR Toeung | D234/23 | E3/423 |
| កំណត់ហេតុនៃការស្តាប់ចម្លើយសាក្សី សូត្រ ទឿង ថ្ងៃទី ០៤ ខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ២០០៧ | Written record of interview of SAUT Toeung | Procès-verbal de l’audition de SAUT Toeung | D91/4 | E3/103 |
| កំណត់ហេតុសច្ចាប្រណិធានរបស់សាក្សី សូត្រ ទឿង | Written record of the swearing of Witness Saut Toeung | Procès verbal de la prestation de serment de témoin de Saut Toeung | A339 | E3/1594 |