CAMBODIA: STORY OF ONE MASSACRE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R002000100089-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 2004
• Sequence Number: 89
• Publication Date: May 4, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R002000100089-2
WASHINGTON POST PAGE ZLPC //
Jack Anderson
THE WASHINGTON POST Thursday, May 4,I978
Cambodia; Story of One Massacre
Americans were outraged at the Although the Khmer Rouge guerril-
news that German SS men in 1944 had las did not defeat Gen. Em San in the
lined up captured American troops at field, he ordered his command to sur-
Malmedy crossroads in Belgium and render to them after the government
had mowed them down with machine collapsed on April 17, 1975. Then he
guns. Twenty-four years later, Ameri- met the Khmer Rouge as they entered
cans were horrified to hear that their Stem Reap city. "He was arrested im-
own spooked soldiers had wiped out mediately and taken in his own jeep to
the defenseless men, women and chil- Kompong Kdei in eastern Siem Reap
dren of Mylai village in Vietnam. province for interrogation," the wit-
compared to the retribution the com-
munist conquerors have brought
against their former foes in Cambodia.
There is stark, staggering evidence
that the communists, as one intelli-
gence report put it, began "immedi-
ately executing all officers in the
defeated army and their families."
The executions were kept uiet.
"Since the KCP [communist party] had
not established complete control over
the country, the party ordered the exe-
cutions carried out in such a manner as
to not alarm the people."
The work of death is still going on in-
side Cambodia.
The grisly evidence - government
documents, refugee accounts, medical
records and smuggled photos - stag-
nesses recall.
His officers down to the rank of
major were also rounded up and herd-
ed aboard trucks, "together with their
wives and children." According to one
account, they were told by their cap-
tors that they had been "invited" to at-
tend independence ceremonies at Ang-
kor Wat. Other witnesses thought the
prisoners had been told "they were
being sent to Angkor Wat to attend a'
special training course." In any event,
they got no farther than Kompong
Kdei where they were unloaded.
Next they were told there was a
shortage of trucks so they would travel
to Angkor Wat by motorcycle. Each
captive officer was instructed'to carry
a length of rope In case the motorcycle
broke down and had to be towed.
They waited until April 23 when a
gets the mind. The atrocities have been Khmer Rouge official showed pp osten-
so monstrous that they can be better sibly to sign travel passes for them.
understood by focusing on a single,
typical incident.
This is the story of what happened to
Gen. Em San and the men who served
under him in Siem Reap province.
They were shot and battered to death
before they had a chance to tell their
story. But it has now been told by-their
executioners who tied, to , Thailand
after a party purge.
Each prisoner, as he was processed,
was told "it would be necessary to tie
his hands behind his back because the
high-level officer did not wish to take
any risks."
Reports an intelligence summary
grimly: "Each man was blindfolded,
led to the edge of a ditch and beaten to
death with a hoe. The executions took
mast, of the day to complete. Although
DC 11
the first few groups of officers were
not aware that they were going to die,
the latter group struggled strenuously
to escape since the air was permeated
with the stench of blood."
Back at Siem Reap, all 'officers below
the rank of major were told they would
be shipped off for "reeducation." Four
trucks delivered them to the Wat Loley
temple.
Declares another intelligence report:
"When the truck arrived at the temple,
it was backed up to the temple en-
trance. As the officers were offloaded,
the Khmer Rouge instructed them to
strip down to their underwear. Their
hands were tied behind them, and they
were loaded back into the truck.
"The truck was then driven to a loca-
tion approximately one kilometer
northwest of the Wat in a forested area
where three trenches were dug
... When the truck arrived, the offi-
cers were ordered at gun point to jump
down one by one into the trench. As
they did, they were shot. When the
truck was empty, it was driven back to
Stem Reap for another load.
"This went on for seven consecutive
days. Following the initial period of
executions, persons were no longer
shot but they were killed by a blow
from a hoe against their head."
Finally in mid-May, according to still
another intelligence report, Em San's
enlisted men were hauled to Wat Loley
for execution. "Four truck loads of
men were moved to Wat Loley each
day and were immediately executed by
firing squads there. The bodies were
buried together in large pits. This pro-
cedure continued daily for two weeks."
Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R002000100089-2