Survivors of Tuol Sleng, History of tuong sleng Phnom penh, History of tuong sleng cambodia, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Phnom Penh, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum guide"

Out of an estimated 17,000 people imprisoned at Tuol Sleng, there were only twelve known survivors.Only four of them are thought to be still alive Vann Nath, Chum Mey, Bou Meng and Chim Math, the only woman among the survivors. All three of the men were kept alive because they had skills their captors judged to be useful.

Vann Nath had trained as an artist and was put to work painting pictures of Pol Pot. Many of his paintings depicting events he witnessed in Tuol Sleng are on display in the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum today. Bou Meng, whose wife was killed in the prison, is also an artist. Chum Mey was kept alive because of his skills in repairing machinery. Chim Math was held in S-21 for 2 weeks and transferred to the nearby Prey Sar prison. She may have been spared because she was from Stoeung district in Kampong Thom where Comrade Duch was born. She was also distinguished by her provincial accent during her interrogations