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These messages were a calculated attempt to reduce opposition to the Khmer Rouge
advance and lull the Khmer Republic officials into a false sense of security. 344As he
was perceived to be a moderate capable of unifying Khmer people from various sides,
Khmer Rouge leaders called upon KHIEU Samphan to give deceptive assurances that
once the CPK forces took control of the country, only the “seven supertraitors”,
including LON Nol and his inner leadership, would be executed.345 The messages
invited the Khmer Republic soldiers and civil servants to join the revolution, but
warned implicitly that if they delayed in doing so, they would be in the same category
as the supertraitors.346 At the same time, cadre were taught at study sessions prior to
the attack on Phnom Penh that the enemies of the Khmer Rouge were those who
worked under the LON Nol regime and LON Nol soldiers.347
of State Norodom Sihanouk, and on behalf of the RGNUC with Samdech Penn Nouth as prime
minister, I make the following appeal to all brother countrymen, including Buddhist monks, laymen,
soldiers, civilians in Phnom Penh and the few provincial capitals still under temporary enemy control:
1. All brother officers and troops in the traitorous army are requested to immediately lay down your
weapons and join in the NUFC. The NUFC is proud to welcome you and is ready to greet you as
brothers and compatriots.”); KHIEU Samphan Congratulates CPNLAF on Neak Luong Victories (in
FBIS Collection), E3/118, 3 April 1975, ERN (En) 00166925 (naming the seven members of the LON
Nol regime as traitors: LON Nol, SIRIK Matak, SON Ngoc Thanh, CHENG Heng, IN Tam, LONG
Boret, SOSTHENE Fernandez); Sihanouk Addresses 22 March NUFC-CPNLAF Reception in Peking
(in FBIS Collection), E3/118, 31 March 1975, ERN (En) 00166907 (noting that Khmer Republic
soldiers who surrender will be pardoned and granted amnesty by FUNK, GRUNK and the CPK forces,
but that the seven supertraitors are to be hanged).
344
T. 11 July 2013 (Stephen HEDER), pp. 68-69; Article by S. HEDER: Pol Pot and Khieu Samphan,
E3/3169, 1991, p. 7, ERN (En) 00002752 (“In what appears to have been a calculated abuse of the trust
in which he was held, Khieu Samphan actively helped just before the end of the war to set up Lon Nol
military personnel and civil servants for easy execution. The esteem in which he was held meant that
some of them allowed themselves to become sitting ducks for murder. Thus, as the Communist Party of
Kampuchea advanced towards an all-out military victory during the first four months of 1975, Khieu
Samphan twice signalled those who had been fighting against it that only the seven top leaders among
them would be executed upon defeat.”).
345
KHIEU Samphan Chairs NUFC Congress Session; Communique Issued (in FBIS Collection),
E3/117, 26 February 1975, ERN (En) 00166772 (“Concerning the seven traitors in Phnom Penh […]
On behalf of the NUFC, RGNUC and CPNLAF, the national congress declares it absolutely necessary
to kill these seven traitors for their treason against the nation. […] The Cambodian nation and people,
the NUFC and RGNUC will welcome and duly reward those army officers, troops, militiamen,
policemen, functionaries, politicians and high dignitaries in the areas under temporary enemy control
who dare to oppose the traitors, fight them and turn their weapons on them.”); T. 8 May 2013, p. 35
(Philip SHORT); AKI Reports Sihanouk’s 26 Mar War Criminals Statement (in FBIS Collection),
E3/118, 1 April 1975, ERN (En) 00166896 (“Though not sentenced to death […], the other
supertraitors such as [list of Khmer Republic officials] are no less true war criminals who, following
the liberation of Phnom Penh, will have to answer before state justice for their innumerable evil deeds
and terrible crimes […].”).
346
T. 9 May 2013, pp. 3-5 (Philip SHORT).
347
T. 11 January 2013 (CHHAOM Se), pp. 52-55, 60-61.
Case 002/01, Judgement, 7 August 2014 - Public
66
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