PHUNG Guth Sunthary
Alongside her mother Im Sunthy, Phung Guth Sunthary submitted a Civil Party application in order to preserve the memory of her father Phung Ton, who was detained at S-21, and to find out the truth concerning his fate.
Phung Ton was the former Dean of the University of Phnom Penh, a Law Professor specializing in international law. He left Cambodia on 16 March 1975 to attend a conference on law of the sea in Geneva. After the Khmer rouge seized power, he returned to Cambodia on 25 December 1975 in order to reunite with his family, but was never able to do so. On 12 December 1976, he was arrested and transferred to S-21. The last S-21 document referring to him is dated 6 July 1977. Im Sunthy and her family lived with the hope that Phung Ton was safe in Europe until they discovered his fate in 1979. As a Civil Party, Phung Guth Sunthary told the Trial Chamber childhood and adolescent memories of her father. She described the suffering she experienced alongside her family, a suffering which only deepened with time. She told the Trial Chamber about the research her family undertook in order to discover the truth regarding Phung Ton's fate.
Phung Guth Sunthary put three questions to the Accused: "Who made the decision to kill her father?" "What were the tortures inflicted upon him?" "Who decided to transfer him to S-21?"
- Witness acronym :
D25/5
- Age at the time of testimony :
- Appeared as :
- Cases : Case 001,
- Date(s) of testimony :