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. During his imprisonment, Bou Meng was kept alive primarily because of his ability to paint portraits of the Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot and other communist icons. He was tasked with creating large-scale works, including a portrait of Ho Chi Minh’s head on the body of a dog. His testimony in 2009 helped secure a life sentence for the S-21 commandant, Kaing Guek Eav, who was found guilty of crimes against humanity and torture. The Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people through forced labor, starvation, and executions. Bou Meng’s life and work serve as a historical witness to the grave crimes committed during this brutal period.