002/19-09-2007-ECCC-OCIJ ЮŲŠ / No: D427 276. A document of the Standing Committee dated August 1975 pertains to the visit of the Standing Committee to the Northwest Zone.1117 The report insists on the need to develop rice production in the whole of the Northwest Zone, with “Angkar” delivering its directions regarding inter alia economic and crop diversification and stating that the North and the Northwest Zones had “good qualities” such as better paddy land and rice to sustain “new people”.1118 A meeting minute of the Standing Committee dated July/August 1976 and containing the CPK 4-year plan1119 insists on the need to focus efforts on rice production. 277. A number of the witnesses who were moved were told that they were being sent to an area where there was more food1120 and fertile land1121 or because there was a shortage of labour.1122 One witness states that people were being told that they had to work for the socialist regime.1123 Upon arrival, people were sent to work in cooperatives1124 on building dams and canals1125 or on rice farming.1126 278. A former local CPK cadre explained that “the central policy was to remove the new people from the East when the war broke with Vietnam in late 1975 or early 1976 … the new people had to be evacuated because the war broke out at the border”.1127 Planning 279. Witnesses1128 and documents1129 provide evidence as to how the Centre was involved in these movements of the population. The decision to send people to the North and North West Zones of the country appears to have been made following the visit of the CPK Standing Committee to this area around August 19751130 and a Party document dated September 1975 discusses its implementation.1131 280. Telegram #15 dated November 19751132 describes a high-level decision of the Party regarding movements of population, which, according to numerous and consistent witness testimonies, was subsequently carried out. This telegram was sent by Chhon to Pol Pot and copied to Nuon Chea, Brother Doeun (Secretary of the 870 Political Office) and Brother Yem (Office 870). One witness who translated telegrams for Office K-1 during the DK regime states that the Chairman of the Telegram Unit made the decision to copy this telegram to Nuon Chea, indicating that “this telegram was originally sent to Pol Pot alone, but the person in charge of the telegram knew that this matter must also be sent to the person who was in charge of the people like Nuon Chea in order to find a solution”.1133 This witness also refers to the involvement of the Standing Committee in the resolution of the problem.1134 Another witness, former chairman of the Central (Old North) Zone Telegram Unit explains that “[the East Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, National Road 4, Choam Chao, Dangkao Phnom Penh Mailing address: P.O. Box 71, Phnom Penh; Tel: +855(0)23 218914 Fax: +855(0) 23 218941. 73