01/11/2007By Thomas Bell in Phnom Penh
The Daily Telegraph (UK)
When the Khmer Rouge's victims arrived at the S-21 torture camp in Phnom Penh, the first face they saw after the blindfold was removed belonged to Nhem En.
He was the official photographer.
The men, women and children in the notorious black and white images who appear to be staring death in the face were mostly looking at him.
Today he appeared as the first witness before Cambodia's genocide tribunal as prosecutors make their case against the prison's commandant Kaing Geuk Eav, better known as Duch, for crimes against humanity.
"It's hard to say if they knew they would die or not," he told The Daily Telegraph before giving his testimony in camera.
After months of torture, death awaited every prisoner. Over 14,000 people were sent to S-21 but only half a dozen survived.
"I realised that many times they arrested people who had done nothing," he said. "People from my village confessed to being in the CIA.
"In the end, everyone confessed to something.
"Most people went on to name every person they could think of as an accomplice before they were killed with an iron bar.
"Conversation with the prisoners was discouraged.
"Sometimes they would say, 'why have they arrested me?' and I would say, 'I don't know. My only job is to take your photo'.
"It was a job," he said, "and if you did it wrong you were dead for sure.
"You knew that. I was responsible for taking care of my own head. I took care of it."
The teenage photographer was also responsible for developing and printing the images.
"I did it all," he said with a glimmer of pride. "It was tough work."
After seizing the capital and declaring "year zero" in 1975, the Maoist Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia for three years, eight months and 20 days before the regime collapsed under the weight of its own insanity and in the face of a Vietnamese invasion.
During that period at least 1.7 million people, over one fifth of the population, were executed or died of torture, starvation and overwork.
After losing power, party workers retreated into Cambodia's jungles to wage a guerrilla war.
Nhem En, 47, finally left the Khmer Rouge in 1995 under a government amnesty.
Today he is a deputy district governor for the ruling party.
He has gold teeth, a gold watch and a chunky gold ring and he discusses his old job without shame or remorse.
"Of course I felt sad for them, but there was nothing I could do," he said of the victims he catalogued.
"As a Buddhist person of course I feel for others." But he does not believe he has bad karma.
"You do good things, you receive good things," he said. "I've become a district governor. I didn't bribe anyone.
"I love my country and I did the job for my country.
"Calling me an artist is kind of correct. As a photographer you try to make it look good," he said, before complaining: "My photos are famous around the world but no-one ever thinks of my copyrights."
He is also angry at the money offered to him by the court to cover his travel expenses.
"I'm living history," he insisted. "They should give me more. The court only offered me $5 and I don't need that money. I'm a deputy governor!
"I did my job and I have my pride. Why do they offer me $5? It's not enough for my breakfast!"
He was the official photographer.
The men, women and children in the notorious black and white images who appear to be staring death in the face were mostly looking at him.
Today he appeared as the first witness before Cambodia's genocide tribunal as prosecutors make their case against the prison's commandant Kaing Geuk Eav, better known as Duch, for crimes against humanity.
"It's hard to say if they knew they would die or not," he told The Daily Telegraph before giving his testimony in camera.
After months of torture, death awaited every prisoner. Over 14,000 people were sent to S-21 but only half a dozen survived.
"I realised that many times they arrested people who had done nothing," he said. "People from my village confessed to being in the CIA.
"In the end, everyone confessed to something.
"Most people went on to name every person they could think of as an accomplice before they were killed with an iron bar.
"Conversation with the prisoners was discouraged.
"Sometimes they would say, 'why have they arrested me?' and I would say, 'I don't know. My only job is to take your photo'.
"It was a job," he said, "and if you did it wrong you were dead for sure.
"You knew that. I was responsible for taking care of my own head. I took care of it."
The teenage photographer was also responsible for developing and printing the images.
"I did it all," he said with a glimmer of pride. "It was tough work."
After seizing the capital and declaring "year zero" in 1975, the Maoist Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia for three years, eight months and 20 days before the regime collapsed under the weight of its own insanity and in the face of a Vietnamese invasion.
During that period at least 1.7 million people, over one fifth of the population, were executed or died of torture, starvation and overwork.
After losing power, party workers retreated into Cambodia's jungles to wage a guerrilla war.
Nhem En, 47, finally left the Khmer Rouge in 1995 under a government amnesty.
Today he is a deputy district governor for the ruling party.
He has gold teeth, a gold watch and a chunky gold ring and he discusses his old job without shame or remorse.
"Of course I felt sad for them, but there was nothing I could do," he said of the victims he catalogued.
"As a Buddhist person of course I feel for others." But he does not believe he has bad karma.
"You do good things, you receive good things," he said. "I've become a district governor. I didn't bribe anyone.
"I love my country and I did the job for my country.
"Calling me an artist is kind of correct. As a photographer you try to make it look good," he said, before complaining: "My photos are famous around the world but no-one ever thinks of my copyrights."
He is also angry at the money offered to him by the court to cover his travel expenses.
"I'm living history," he insisted. "They should give me more. The court only offered me $5 and I don't need that money. I'm a deputy governor!
"I did my job and I have my pride. Why do they offer me $5? It's not enough for my breakfast!"
13 comments:
Hmm ... those people in the picture look like Ah Khmer-Yuon LonNolians. Hence, I must commend the Khmer Rouge for doing an excellent job.
NO, this animal Viet troller that pretends to be Khmer @5:20 AM must not insult the victims of the Viet/KR genocide. This Animal Viet troller must leave Khmer alone and go back to Hanoi where it belong!
KI-Media is none of this animal Viet trollers's business!
Now, Go home Vier troller!
Now, Go home Vietcong!
Nope, not until all Ah evil Khmer-Yuons are out of Khmer holly soil.
NO, the animal Viet troller that pretends to be Khmer on KI-Media @6:01AM must go back to Hanoi where it belongs!
It is this Animal Viet(namese) troller leunatic that SPAMS KI-Media that cannot even know how to spell the word HOLY!
Now, Go home Viet troller!
Now, Go home Vietcong!
We now know who this Animal Viet troller is!
Tuol Sleng is the Prison of Yuon espionage and secret double agents; Facts:
In March 1976, Koy Thuon and his wife revealed the plot of the KR leaders during the meeting with King Sihanouk’s special session to form the Government of DK: Men San which gave them the order to carry out these dirty works, the poison received from Yuon Hanoi name Tran Nam Trung from Northern region which was known as region 304 with an assistance formulated by Lê Duan . They had the mission of being delivered to espionage and of sabotaging and to desparate the Cambodia.
In the same month (March 1976), King Sihanouk had resigned from the Kampuchea Démocratique Government. However, the Prince was aware of the objective that Yuon espionage and secret double agents want to distroyed him and his new government.
So , was told to play quite and act like (Underhouse arrested) in his Palace.
On 14th April 1976, another government was formed in Phnom Penh, the DK came into play.
The New cabinet were primarily deployed teams to search the internal government which were power shadowed by the so called “Angkar” whose attempted to distroy the DK.
1st Plan for the Top Leaders Group of Khmer-Vietminh or Khmer-Yuon to be destroyed by Pol Pot and Nuon Chea:
Hanoi Doctrinate under mixed command:
1st Generation:
Koy Thuon, Poc Deuskoma, Tanch Phoeun, Ok Sakun, Kieu Komar, Ros Chethor, Dy Phon, Ros Nhim, Sao Phim, Men San and it networks. These this the 1st group whose secret agent’s order to Killed Khmer 17 April.(Bro chea chon Thmey)
2nd Generation: Penn Sovann, Chea Soth, and his Group (1st.+3rd.)
3rd. Generation: Heng Samrin, Chea Sim, Hun Sen.
Becarefull the 4th Generation are coming to gradually replace the 2nd and 3rd:
Don't worry, Rambo's new generation is ready to take care of them.
5:30 AM,
Hey, ass hole, if your mother's face look even as good as these victim's butts, it would be a compliment. But a mother fucker like you who insults the victims of the KR genocide deserves to be shot in the funcking head.
Victim my ass, they are immoral evil full of hatred and racist as their master Sisowatt Sarimatak and Lon Nol, and they deserved every drop of what Pol Pot decided for them.
Fuck!!! S21 curser! You are born and live by KR spirit.
Go to hell quy, but if you are girl, come to me for Fuck.
Oh! come... come... you would then
Come on guys, would you take a close look at the picture. I have no doubt that the two girls on the outside and the guy are Ah Khmer-Yuon. I bet they even speak with Viet accent. And the woman in the white top and dress or sompot is undeterminate because the picture is too small, but the outfit shows she's a sarimatak puppet, alright.
fuck VC...i supported Noun Chea 100%....please reveal everything to the world....fuck VC.
Why are you supporting Noun Chea? And don't tell me that he got the order to kill from Hanoi either.
This animal Viet troller @2:00PM pretending to be Khmer speaking for Khmer must be stopped at all cost. We know who this animal is...This animal should be castrated and then euthanized to fit its crime loitering, spamming and littering KI-media.
Now, Go home animal Viet troller!
Now, Go home Vietcong!
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