Vann Nath has held art exhibitions drawing on his time in Tuol SlengMonday, 29 June 2009
By Guy DeLauney
BBC News, Phnom Penh
Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal is due to hear for the first time from a survivor of a notorious detention centre.
Around 15,000 people were detained at the facility known as S-21 or Tuol Sleng.
There were only seven known survivors - and the man who ran the facility is on trial for crimes against humanity.
Vann Nath, the survivor now due to speak, has been waiting for his day in court for 30 years.
That is how long it has taken to bring to account the man best known as Comrade Duch.
Now at last the one-time prisoner is set to confront his former jailer across the trial chamber.
It should produce compelling testimony.
The Tribunal has already heard plenty from Comrade Duch himself - as well as a number of expert witnesses.
But Vann Nath can provide a unique perspective. He is one of only three men alive who can say they know what it is like to have been a prisoner at S-21.
Vann Nath owed his survival to his skills as a painter. He was forced to produce portraits of Khmer Rouge leaders - on pain of death.
"I thought that if I could do good pictures and they were satisfied with what I painted, they would be happy and I would survive," said Vann Nath.
"But if I couldn't do what they liked then I would die," he said.
Vann Nath's portraits passed muster - and he has since become one of Cambodia's most famous artists.
His work often depicts scenes from S-21 - the torture, murder and brutality from which he was fortunate to escape with his life.
Around 15,000 people were detained at the facility known as S-21 or Tuol Sleng.
There were only seven known survivors - and the man who ran the facility is on trial for crimes against humanity.
Vann Nath, the survivor now due to speak, has been waiting for his day in court for 30 years.
That is how long it has taken to bring to account the man best known as Comrade Duch.
Now at last the one-time prisoner is set to confront his former jailer across the trial chamber.
It should produce compelling testimony.
The Tribunal has already heard plenty from Comrade Duch himself - as well as a number of expert witnesses.
But Vann Nath can provide a unique perspective. He is one of only three men alive who can say they know what it is like to have been a prisoner at S-21.
Vann Nath owed his survival to his skills as a painter. He was forced to produce portraits of Khmer Rouge leaders - on pain of death.
"I thought that if I could do good pictures and they were satisfied with what I painted, they would be happy and I would survive," said Vann Nath.
"But if I couldn't do what they liked then I would die," he said.
Vann Nath's portraits passed muster - and he has since become one of Cambodia's most famous artists.
His work often depicts scenes from S-21 - the torture, murder and brutality from which he was fortunate to escape with his life.
4 comments:
Sorry my Cambodian friends,
I just want to share with you all what Khmer-Serey said in here:
LOL LOL:) :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcoAjcsU5ec&feature=fvw
KhmerSerey1: I was hoping for someon more beautiful,like cinderella ;))
pimpmaroc: Have you seen her brother? He is frankenstein.
---
pimpmaroc meant Bhumibol's son is frankenstein. :))
Dear friends,
The Khmer Rouge Killed 4.5 million Cambodians during their reign of terror 1979-79. Not 3.3 million and not 2.3 million and surely not only 1.7 million innocent Cambodians. Please do not lighten the crime of genocide of the gang of 5: Chea, Samphan, Sary, Thirith and Duch. They were in a collective leadership so ECCC must put them on trial at the same time for one week and after three month comes the appeal court for one more week and then the supreme court for another week. They must be in jail for more than their life. 4.5 million divide by 5 criminals that means nearly one million years in jail for one criminal.
ECCC please do not release them of the jail. If you let them out, we will kill them on the spot. The jungle law must be applied to them because in their time they never talked about law at all. Kill, kill, kill = smash, smash, smash ...= take away, take away, take away...
Thank ECCC but do not take too much time for salary money. Do not be so greedy for yourselves. Think about the many million victims: the Cambodians and foreigners.
I like the 1979 court very much. It took only one week and spent little money but a fair justice for all of us as victims.
We do not believe in a too long time for such trial. ECCC please hurry up, hurry up and up.
Thank for a good job.
The Chinise-Khmer Rough(Pot Pot) is in trail, but the Vietnamise-Khmer Rough (Hun Sen & Heng Samrin) became the King.
2 million Khmer were killed only Pol Pot, what is about Vietnamise Khmer Rough? Keep them be King of Cambodia?
Red-Ant.
Cheyo!!!
7th Janaury 1979, Vietnamise-Khmer Rough (Hun Sen & Heng Samrin)
Go hill!!!
17th April, 1975, Chinise-Khmer Rough(Pot Pot, you are in trail. Beause you are the Killer, not me the killers Hun Sen & Heng Samrin.
Paris Peace Agreement, you shut up.
Is this a fair game?
Please think about this.
Red-Ant.
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