Chum Mey

Chum Mey (Khmer: ជុំ ម៉ី, born c. 1930) is one of only seven known adult survivors[1] of the Khmer Rouge imprisonment in the S-21 Tuol Sleng camp, where 20,000 Cambodians were sent for execution.[2] Formerly a motor mechanic working in Phnomh Penh, he was taken to the prison on 28 October 1978, accused of being a spy.[3] His life was only spared because of his ability to repair sewing machines for Pol Pot's soldiers.[4][5] In 2004, he described the killing of his wife and son:

"First they shot my wife, who was marching in front with the other women," he said. "She screamed to me, 'Please run, they are killing me now'. I heard my son crying and then they fired again, killing him. When I sleep, I still see their faces, and every day I still think of them".[6]

Chum Mey
ជុំ ម៉ី
Born1930 (age 90–91)
Kingdom of Cambodia, French Indochina
NationalityCambodian
OccupationMotor mechanic, writer
Known forSurvivor of the Tuol Sleng prison camp
Children7 (4 killed)

Chum Mey later remarried and had six children; three sons and three daughters.

Mey's cell at S-21

In 2003 he appeared in the Rithy Panh documentary S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine along with Cambodian artist Vann Nath where they were reunited and revisited the former prison, now known as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. They met their former captors – guards, interrogators, a doctor and a photographer – many of whom were barely teenagers during the Khmer Rouge era from 1975 to 1979. Their appearances are in stark contrast to the two former prisoners, who were older during imprisonment and by the time of filming were both elderly men. Vann Nath, who was made to paint portraits of prisoners, had a full head of white hair. The guards and interrogators gave a tour of the museum, re-enacting their treatment of the prisoners and daily regimens. They looked over the prison's detailed records, including photographs, to refresh their memories.

Chum Mey giving evidence at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, 30 June 2009

In 2009, he gave evidence at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, the trial of surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime. At the trial, he stated that "I cry every night. Every time I hear people talk about the Khmer Rouge it reminds me of my wife and children".[3] He also expressed a desire for former leader Kang Kek Iew to receive life imprisonment,[4] which he did in 2012.[7]

On 9 November 2014, Mey appeared on BBC's The Mekong River with Sue Perkins.[8]

Chum Mey signing his book Survivor for visitors to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh (March 2015)

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2015-03-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "BBC - History - Into the Heart of Darkness: Extracts from a Film Diary". Archived from the original on 2008-05-06. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  3. "Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | Chum Mey". Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  4. Doherty, Ben (2010-07-24). "Comrade Duch, the Khmer Rouge executioner who killed thousands for Pol Pot, faces his day of justice". the Guardian. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  5. "Survivor rises to bear witness from the killing fields". The Age. Melbourne. 2004-01-07. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  6. "Pol Pot survivor prepares to tell horrific tale". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2004-01-07. Archived from the original on 2016-07-24. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  7. Vlasic, Mark (2012-03-13). "Life for Comrade Duch, a milestone for international justice | Mark Vlasic". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  8. Robinson, Jennifer (29 September 2017). "MEKONG RIVER WITH SUE PERKINS". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
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