ra’s blog

The former chief photographer at Tuol Sleng, known as S-21 which is one of the main torture centers of the Khmer Rouge, announced Tuesday his plan to open a Khmer Rouge photo museum, reported online news.

The project would be his “ opportunity to apologize to all the victims who have suffered during that era,” he said, wrote The Associated Press (AP) January 23. Three other goals of setting up the museum include reconciliation, education and revelation of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.

“He said he hoped the museum would contribute to reconciliation and education, wrote Deutsche Presse-Agentur, “so the atrocities of the past would not be forgotten and could be better understood by the younger generation.”

Ngem En, 47, plans to set up a museum at Anlong Veng, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold in northern Cambodia where he now serves as a deputy district chief, AP continued. It was Pol Pot’s last home before he died in April 1998.

As many as 1,000 photos, including those of all the regime leaders he took for the regime between 1975 and 1995 would be displayed, Ngem En told AP and Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

‘I have more than 1,000 photographs in my possession from between 1975 and 1995,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur quoted the man as saying.

The US ambassador in Cambodia, Joseph Mussomeli, thought of the man’s initiative as “an important contribution to preserving records of Khmer Rouge atrocities,” reported Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Chhang Youk of Document Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), an independent center for research into the Khmer Rouge regime, praised Ngem En’s readiness to apologize publicly through his museum project as a good example for the rest of other Khmer Rouge leaders and as a good way of promoting national reconciliation, according to AP.

Sources:

Munthit, K. (2007, Jan 23). Ex-Khmer Rouge photographer plans museum. The Associated Press. Retrieved January 26, 2007 from Guardian Unlimited.

(2007, Jan 25). Former Khmer Rouge photographer to open museum of his works. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Retrieved January 26, 2007 from M&G website.