Cambodian artist Bou Meng, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge's S-21 Security Centre, has died at age 85.
Bou Meng, a renowned Cambodian artist, died late Friday at the age of 85 due to age-related illness. He was one of only seven known survivors of the notorious S-21 Security Centre, a prison where he was held for nearly two years starting in 1977. Bou Meng was preserved from execution during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime because of his ability to paint portraits of the leader Pol Pot and other communist icons. He testified in 2009 at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, the S-21 commandant who was later found guilty of crimes against humanity. During his time as a prisoner, Bou Meng endured brutal torture before being assigned his painting duties. While his first wife and two children were presumably executed during his imprisonment, he survived to become a historical witness to the genocide that claimed the lives of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians. His life journey for justice has been told and documented for future generations.