July 2, 2009

By Laura MacDonald, Member of the New York Bar and Consultant to the Center for International Human Rights, Northwestern University School of Law

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Today, the Trial Chamber heard testimony from 39 year old Norng Chan Phal, the fourth Tuol Sleng prison (S-21) survivor to testify in the trial of prison chief Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch). The Chamber had scheduled two witnesses for today anticipating Chan Phal’s testimony would be brief since he was so young during his time at S-21. However, evidentiary matters and an unexpected denial from Duch complicated his testimony leaving no time for another witness to...

July 1, 2009

By Laura MacDonald, Member of the New York Bar and Consultant to the Center for International Human Rights, Northwestern University School of Law

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Today, the Trial Chamber heard the testimony of 68 year old civil party Bou Meng, the third Tuol Sleng prison (S-21) survivor to testify in the trial of prison chief Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch). Like his fellow S-21 inmates Vann Nath and Chum Mey who testified earlier this week, Bou Meng’s life was spared because he possessed a skill Duch wanted to exploit – he could paint excellent black and white portraits of Pol Pot.

Bou Meng’s Story

After the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) came to power on April 17, 1975, Bou Meng was ordered by the regime to work at a technical school drawing sketches of machines for...