Fact Sheet Pol Pot and His Prisoners at Secret Prison S-21
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MEMORY AND JUSTICE Keo Sarun Chan Kim Srun Ham Hang Chheouy Narang Pang Sokhon Chraeng Sam Ol FACT SHEET POL POT AND HIS PRISONERS AT SECRET PRISON S-21 Published by The Documentation Center of Cambodia www.dccam.org • www.cambodiatribunal.org PolPot_Cover_FINAL.indd 2-3 2/12/18 8:45 PM Searching for the Truth: Memory & Justice Sor Ork Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) P.O. Box 1110 66 Sihanouk Boulevard Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA Telephone: +855 (23) 211-875 Fax: +855 (23) 210-358 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dccam.org www.cambodiatribunal.org FACT SHEET POL POT AND HIS PRISONERS AT SECRET PRISON S-21 Dacil Q. Keo Nean Yin 1. Cambodia—Politics and Government—1975-1979. 2. Cambodia—History—1975-1979. Funding for this project was generously provided by THE SLEUK RITH INSTITUTE with core support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Documentation Center of Cambodia is dedicated to researching and documenting the Khmer Rouge era and encourages other researchers, the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). Cambodian and foreigners alike, to do the same in order to seek the truth of what happened at S-21 and during the entire period of Democratic Kampuchea. It is likely that after this document is published, there will be more claims to verify. The views expressed in this booklet are those of the author only. Copyright ©2011 by the Documentation Center of Cambodia. KEO Dacil was born in Cambodia shortly after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime and grew up in America after several years of living in a refugee camp in Thailand and the Philippines. In 2006, she received a M.A. degree in Political Science from UW-Madison and is now a doctoral All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. candidate in the Department of Political Science at UW-Madison. There, she was a teaching assistant for five semesters and an associate lecturer for the course “Politics of Southeast Asia.” She is currently in Cambodia conducting dissertation field work on the local dynamics of genocide Concept: Youk Chhang during the period of Democratic Kampuchea through a fellowship from the United States Institute of Peace (Jennings Randolph Peace Scholarship Design: Double Happiness Creations Dissertation Program). PHOTO CREDITS: Documentation Center of Cambodia Archives and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Archives. Cover Photo: Pol Pot was born in 1925 (year of the Ox) in Kampong Thom province. His father was a prosperous landowner. At the age of six, he went to live with his YIN Nean is a senior archivist at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. He has been working at the museum since 1979. He is responsible for brother, an official at the Royal Palace. In Phnom Penh, he was educated at a series of French language schools and as a Buddhist novice. cataloguing, microfilming and digitizing materials in the confession and photo archives, an endeavor supported by Cornell University in 1992, and In 1949, he was awarded a scholarship to study in Paris, but failed to obtain a degree. While in Paris, Pol Pot became a member of the French Communist Party and later by the Cambodian Genocide Program (CGP) at Yale University and the Documentation Center of Cambodia from 1995-2000. Mr. Yin was devoted his time to political activity. trained in documentation in the United States (at Yale University and Rutgers University), Indonesia, and Japan. Since 2006, he has been providing documents to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Presently, he is writing a book in collaboration with Documentation Center of Cambodia titled, History Upon returning to Cambodia in 1953, he taught history and geography at a private high school and joined the clandestine communist movement. He married Khieu Ponnary in 1956. In 1960, he ranked number three in the then-Workers’ Party of Kampuchea. He was named its second deputy secretary in 1961 and party secretary in of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum: A Memorial Site. This monograph focuses on the transformation of Toul Sleng from a torture center to a 1963. He later led the Khmer Rouge army in its war against the Lon Nol regime. Genocide museum and as a site of conscience. It presents a chronological survey of S-21 through various political periods since the discovery of S-21 by Vietnamese troops on January 10, 1979. Pol Pot became prime minister of Democratic Kampuchea in 1976 and resigned in 1979, but remained an active leader of the Khmer Rouge. He lived in exile, mainly in Thailand, until his death on April 15, 1998. His body was cremated on April 17, 1998. Printed in Cambodia THE SLEUK RIT H I N STI T U T E January 7, 2011 Building a Permanent Documentation Center of Cambodia Phnom Penh, Cambodia PolPot_Cover_FINAL.indd 4-5 2/12/18 8:45 PM Child survivors of S-21 Norng Chanphal and Norng Chanly after their rescue, January 10, 1979. They were the last prisoners sent to S-21, arriving with their mother on January 1, 1979. Source: Documentation Center of Cambodia Archives/HTV (Ho Chi Minh Television) Searching for the Truth: Memory & Justice Sor Ork Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) P.O. Box 1110 66 Sihanouk Boulevard Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA Telephone: +855 (23) 211-875 Fax: +855 (23) 210-358 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dccam.org www.cambodiatribunal.org FACT SHEET POL POT AND HIS PRISONERS AT SECRET PRISON S-21 FACT SHEET Dacil Q. Keo Nean Yin POL POT AND HIS PRISONERS AT 1. Cambodia—Politics and Government—1975-1979. 2. Cambodia—History—1975-1979. SECRET PRISON S-21 Funding for this project was generously provided by THE SLEUK RITH INSTITUTE with core support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Documentation Center of Cambodia is dedicated to researching and documenting the Khmer Rouge era and encourages other researchers, the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). Cambodian and foreigners alike, to do the same in order to seek the truth of what happened at S-21 and during the entire period of Democratic Kampuchea. It is likely that after this document is published, there will be more claims to verify. The views expressed in this booklet are those of the author only. Cambodian soldiers coming to rescue S-21 child survivors, 1979. At the far right is commander Khang Sarin, who became Minister of Interior of the People’s Republic of Kampu- Copyright ©2011 by the Documentation Center of Cambodia. KEOchea. With Dacil help fromwas Vietnamese born in officials,Cambodia the PRK shortly Ministry ofafter Interior the obtained fall andof thepreserved Khmer many Rougeof the official regime documents and thatgrew fleeing up inKhmer America Rouge officials after left several behind. years of living in a refugeeThese documents camp are in now Thailand part of the and DC-Cam the Archives. Philippines. Source: Documentation In 2006, she Center received of Cambodia a M.A. Archives/HTV degree in Political Science from UW-Madison and is now a doctoral All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. candidate in the Department of Political Science at UW-Madison. There, she was a teaching assistant for five semesters and an associate lecturer for the course “Politics of Southeast Asia.” She is currently in Cambodia conducting dissertation field work on the local dynamics of genocide Concept: Youk Chhang during the period of Democratic Kampuchea through a fellowship from the United States Institute of Peace (Jennings Randolph Peace Scholarship Design: Double Happiness Creations Dissertation Program). PHOTO CREDITS: Documentation Center of Cambodia Archives and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Archives. Cover Photo: Pol Pot was born in 1925 (year of the Ox) in Kampong Thom province. His father was a prosperous landowner. At the age of six, he went to live with his YIN Nean is a senior archivist at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. He has been working at the museum since 1979. He is responsible for brother, an official at the Royal Palace. In Phnom Penh, he was educated at a series of French language schools and as a Buddhist novice. cataloguing, microfilming and digitizing materials in the confession and photo archives, an endeavor supported by Cornell University in 1992, and In 1949, he was awarded a scholarship to study in Paris, but failed to obtain a degree. While in Paris, Pol Pot became a member of the French Communist Party and later by the Cambodian Genocide Program (CGP) at Yale University and the Documentation Center of Cambodia from 1995-2000. Mr. Yin was devoted his time to political activity. trained in documentation in the United States (at Yale University and Rutgers University), Indonesia, and Japan. Since 2006, he has been providing documents to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Presently, he is writing a book in collaboration with Documentation Center of Cambodia titled, History Upon returning to Cambodia in 1953, he taught history and geography at a private high school and joined the clandestine communist movement. He married Khieu Ponnary in 1956. In 1960, he ranked number three in the then-Workers’ Party of Kampuchea. He was named its second deputy secretary in 1961 and party secretary in of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum: A Memorial Site. This monograph focuses on the transformation of Toul Sleng from a torture center to a 1963.