002/19-09-2007-ECCC-OCIJ ЮŲŠ / No: D427 Penh as witnessed by his participation in meetings with military leaders.975 In a statement to a journalist Nuon Chea stated that the decision to evacuate people from cities was made by “the Party Centre… At the time, individuals each helped a little to originate ideas, it was combining this with that”.976 Nuon Chea further stated that “we attacked and we took military bases inside. So by 17 April 75, liberation, the army went in and completely liberated Phnom Penh”.977 Ieng Sary stated in a written statement in 1996 that the decision was made by Pol Pot without his knowledge978 although he states he attempted to dissuade Pol Pot, stating that “in 1974 I talked with Pol Pot that taking people out of Stung Treng and Kratie was easy because there weren’t many people, but evacuating people out of Phnom Penh would not be so easy, everything must be thoroughly arranged because there were millions of people”. 979 Ieng Sary has also stated that “all decisions were made by the committee of the four [including himself and Nuon Chea]. The evacuation of people from the cities did not involve my participation in the decision … [upon return from Peking on 23 of April] I saw that the town had already been deserted of its inhabitants”.980 According to Ieng Sary, the authoritative decision to “evacuate” Phnom Penh was made in late March or early April 1975.981 Khieu Samphan stated in a radio interview that he was against the population movement but that it had to be done for the good of the city dwellers,982 and he stated in another interview that such steps were “thought and planned by the Standing Committee”.983 Ieng Thirith stated in an interview with Elizabeth Becker in 1980 that she did not know when the Phonm Penh evacuation decision was made because she was elsewhere at the time.984 259. With respect to the presence of the Charged Persons in Phnom Penh, Nuon Chea left the former CPK headquarters on 17th April and arrived at Phnom Penh on or around 20th April.985 Ieng Sary stated that he arrived in Phnom Penh on 23 April 1975 from Peking,986 Ieng Thirith stated in an interview with Elizabeth Becker that she arrived in Phnom Penh around June, but that she knew of the evacuation before she arrived,987 and Khieu Samphan stated that he entered Phnom Penh 7-10 days after 17 April 1975.988 260. Based on the foregoing evidence, the decision to move people from Phnom Penh was made largely by Pol Pot in February 1975989 with plans already disseminated to prepare the reception of persons from Phnom Penh that same month.990 Further involvement in the development of this plan by members of the Party Centre991 also took place through meetings in late March or early April 1975,992 including the participation of Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary.993 Although Ieng Sary was out of the country at the time, there is evidence that he received communications of decisions and that he had already discussed the matter with Pol Pot in 1974.994 There were then meetings with lower level cadre to 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. 68