At the time when Cambodia was bidding farewells to the old king Norodom Sihanouk, I have been lucky enough to be immersed in this atmosphere of national mourning.
In the seventies, Beijing’s call to support the Khmer Rouge made of the king one of the principal actors of their victory, he then acquired an extremely specific and active role in the history of the country.
During these national commemorations, it seemed relevant to me to catch, along my random peregrinations, the “visions” of those who HAD SEEN. From one side or another, it didn’t really matter to me: they remain forever the witnesses of one of the most atrocious moments of inhumanity committed by the “human kind”.
Thus, I think it is crucial that, within this set of portraits, appear the last two survivors of the S21 camp – the biggest Khmer Rouge torture center, led by the terrible commander Dutch.
The picture 18 was taken in the Memorial located inside of the execution camp of Choeung Ek, in order not to forget those who had seen from too close.
Daniel Roblin