Bou Meng: An Artist Who Lived Through S-21

Bou Meng is a Cambodian artist who survived imprisonment at Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh. He was arrested and tortured by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. He lost his wife and children during that time.

His painting saved his life. He painted portraits of leaders and prison officers, so guards kept him alive. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge he returned to Tuol Sleng to work at the museum and to show visitors the prison rooms. He is one of only a few people who walked out of S-21 alive. He has painted scenes that show what happened. Many people now visit the museum to learn.