What is bou meng?

Bou Meng is a Cambodian artist and survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime. He was born in 1943 in Kandal province, Cambodia. After the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975, he and his wife were forcibly moved to the Tuol Sleng prison, which was a notorious interrogation center and prison. Bou Meng was selected to be a painter for the Khmer Rouge regime and was forced to paint portraits of Khmer Rouge leaders.

Bou Meng was one of only seven prisoners to survive the Tuol Sleng prison, which had held around 20,000 people during the Khmer Rouge regime. Despite suffering from torture and starvation, Bou Meng was able to escape execution due to his artistic skills. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, Bou Meng was reunited with his wife.

Today, Bou Meng is known for his artwork, which often depicts Khmer Rouge atrocities. He has also been a vocal advocate for justice for victims of the Khmer Rouge regime and has testified at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, which was set up to try the regime's top leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.