002/19-09-2007-ECCC-OCIJ ЮŲŠ / No: D427
357.
Pol Pot visited the 1st January Dam worksite at least once on its inauguration1499 together with
foreign visitors.1500 Ieng Sary1501 and Khieu Samphan,1502 Ta Mok1503 and Son Sen1504 were
also seen at the 1st January Dam worksite. Nuon Chea1505 also went to the worksite and
“encouraged people to try hard to preserve water for planting rice”.1506 Ieng Thirith visited
the 1st January Dam along with a Laotian delegation in April 1977.1507 According to one
witness, on that occasion, those who were to greet Ieng Thirith were given enough food and
smart clothes and she was made aware of the shortages of medicine while visiting a
hospital.1508
Working and Living Conditions
358.
According to most of the former workers1509 and former local cadres,1510 tens of thousands of
people participated in the construction of the 1st January Dam.1511 They were generally sent
from the surrounding districts1512 and sectors 41, 42 and 43.1513 Workers were mostly young
and middle aged men and women.1514 Some of the workers were “new people”1515 (some had
been moved from Phnom Penh),1516 Cham,1517 or according to at least one witness,
Vietnamese and Chinese.1518
359.
People could not speak1519 or move freely.1520 Whistles or loud speakers
1521
were used to
gather the workers, who worked according to set times without rest or with strictly controlled
periods of rest.1522 Most teams worked night shifts.1523 There was a fixed quota of soil to dig
and carry per day and those who could not meet the quota were punished.1524 Witnesses give
account of the daily quota being between one to three cubic metres of earth per day.1525 One
former village Chairman explained he sometimes lied to the upper echelon and reported that
his team had met its quota.1526 Most of the hard labour was performed by hand but machines
were also used.1527 In most cases, food was insufficient.1528 Men and women lived
separately,1529 in shacks or basic shelters.1530 No mosquito nets, blankets or mats were
provided and most workers slept on the ground.1531
360.
Workers were treated differently depending on their unit and/or on whether they were “new
people” or Cham.1532 Cham and Buddhists were not allowed to practice their religion.1533
Working times, quotas and discipline varied from teams to teams.1534 Whilst two witnesses
assert that food was sufficient1535 another states that “new people” had less food than
others.1536 Other witnesses indicate that “base people” and CPK cadre had better clothing1537
and better housing.1538 Certain positions such as cooks, team chiefs or communication
operatives were not accessible to “new people,” or to Cham or Sino Khmer.1539 This and the
unhygienic conditions1540 resulted in many people becoming sick with various diseases.1541
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.
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