Bou Meng: key obituary facts
Is Bou Meng dead? Yes. Bou Meng died on August 14, 2026, at age 85.
Cause of death: Bou Meng's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Bou Meng known for?
He was a Survivor of the Tuol Sleng prison camp.
More about Bou Meng
Born: 1941.
Place of birth: Kampong Cham Province.
Gender: male.
Occupation: writer.
Bou Meng, a Cambodian artist and survivor of the Tuol Sleng prison camp, died on August 14, 2026, aged 85.
Born in 1941 in Kampong Cham Province, he was among the few adult survivors of the Khmer Rouge’s S-21 prison, where thousands of Cambodians were tortured and killed. Arrested with his wife, Ma Yoeun, in 1976, he was taken to the camp and never saw her again.
Bou Meng later recounted being tortured for weeks and said he was spared because of his skill as a painter. He became known as one of the most prominent living witnesses to the atrocities committed at Tuol Sleng.