Bou Meng, a Cambodian artist and survivor of a Khmer Rouge torture center, dies at 85

Key Points:

• Cambodian artist Bou Meng, one of only seven known survivors of the Khmer Rouge's notorious S-21 torture center, has died at age 85 due to age-related illness.
• Bou Meng was spared execution because of his skill in painting portraits of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot and other communist figures, which he was forced to create while imprisoned.
• The Khmer Rouge regime, ruling Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, caused the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people through executions, starvation, and neglect, with approximately 16,000 prisoners held and killed at S-21.
• Bou Meng testified in 2009 against S-21 commandant Kaing Guek Eav (Duch), who was convicted of crimes against humanity and died in prison in 2020; Bou Meng’s testimony and life story contribute to preserving the history of Khmer Rouge atrocities.
• In his later years, Bou Meng remained active at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, sharing his experiences and advocating for the preservation of survivor stories and support for victims of the genocide.