Amazing Story of Transformation, Chief Torturer in the Khmer Rouge Now Preaches the Gospel—the Regime's Only Major Leader to Fully Confess His Crimes
"I have done very bad things in my life. Now is the time to bear the consequences of my actions. Then I thought God was very bad. I did not serve God, I served communism. I feel sorry about the killings and the past." –Khang Khek Ieu
EDITOR'S NOTE: This incredible account of God's extreme forgiveness is written by Dean Smith, who has given us permission to reprint his article from "OpentheWord.org." The story below has been edited; to read Mr. Smith's full work, follow the link provided. –Aimee Herd, BCN.
(Cambodia)—A while back I was reading an article, in the Globe and Mail about the upcoming trials in Cambodia of former members of the Khmer Rouge.
The Khmer Rouge was one of the most evil regimes of the past century. It started off as a Maoist, guerilla group in the Cambodian jungles run by a despot named Pol Pot. They overthrew the Cambodian government in 1975 and though they only reigned four years—falling in 1979 to the Vietnamese—their reign of terror was marked by the brutal massacre of nearly 2 million people. (Photo: A commemorative stupa filled with the skulls of the victims—Wikipedia)
After their overthrow, the Khmer Rouge returned to the jungles and fought the Vietnamese occupiers until they withdrew in 1989. The Khmer then disbanded and its members moved back into Cambodian society as if nothing had happened.
Though Pol Pot died in 1998 under mysterious circumstances, many leaders of the Khmer Rouge still walk free in the country.
The International community has made repeated attempts to have Cambodia come to terms with this dark period in its history. Finally after nearly 30 years of prodding, the government said it will hold trials in 2008 bringing to justice those responsible. Most believe Cambodian governments resisted dealing with the issue because many politicians, senior bureaucrats and even military personnel are former members of the Khmer Rouge who would be exposed if others are forced to testify.
The chief torturer and executioner
As I read through the Globe and Mail article, I was struck by a reference to Khang Khek Ieu (Duch was his revolutionary name) who is expected to face justice. The article stated he was a born again Christian.
Duch (pronounced dook) was leader of the Khmer Rouge's secret police and oversaw the country's notorious prison camp system used primarily to torture and execute individuals (men, women and children) considered enemies of the state. It was said if you entered one of the camps you never came out alive.
Before his rise to power, Duch was commander of the highest security prison in the regime—S-21—otherwise known as Tuol Seng where an estimated 12,000 people were imprisoned and executed. Most sent there were actually members of the Khmer Rouge, as Nuon Chea routinely used S-21 to purge the party of dissidents real or imagined. Using extreme measures of torture, S-21 routinely gained confessions for all crimes charged and then executed them.
Pol Pot's torturer comes to Christ
Christopher LaPel—a Cambodian-born pastor living in Los Angeles—regularly travels to Cambodia to preach the Gospel and hold leadership training seminars. In 1995, he was involved in a two-day leadership seminar in Chamkar Samrong a village in Battambang province. There he met a man, 54, by the name of Hang Pin. Christopher said Hang had been encouraged to attend the meetings at the urging of a friend. LaPel described him as withdrawn and gaunt.
After listening to LaPel's sermons, Hang made a commitment to Christ and asked to be baptized. LaPel said this resulted in a remarkable transformation in Hang's life. He went from being withdrawn to open and laughing and concerned about how he looked. At this point, LaPel had no idea that Hang Pin was the notorious leader of the Khmer Rouge secret police—Duch.
Looking back, LaPel said the only hint he had of Hang Pin's past was a comment he made about having done a lot of bad things. "Pastor Christopher," Hang Pin told LaPel, "I'm a sinner. I don't think my brothers and sisters can forgive me because my sins are so deep." After his conversion, Hang Pin returned to his village and started a church. He eventually went to work for a non government agency called the American Refugee Committee (ARC) in 1997— all the while, maintaining his connection with LaPel and preaching the Gospel.
In search of Duch
As the Holy Spirit drew Hang Pin to salvation, on the other side of Cambodia British photographer and Journalist Nic Dunlop, who had taken a keen interest in Cambodia's brutal history, was photographing and reporting on its Khmer Rouge past. He first arrived in 1989 and came back a number of times exploring different regions of the country. Dunlop said he was drawn to S-21, which by this time had been turned into a museum of the genocide.
The Khmer Rouge had taken photos of all the people incarcerated there and these thousands of images now covered the walls. He was mesmerized by the photos of desperation and death. It was during one of his visits to the museum that he saw a picture of the camp commander—Duch. He obtained a copy of the black and white photo and kept it in his wallet thinking it might prove useful in identifying Duch if he ever came across him.
In his article, "On the trail of Pol Pot's chief executioner," Nic Dunlop tells his story of how he tracked down Duch. In 1999, while on another one of his tours, he met Hang Pin in a village near the city of Samlot in Western Cambodia. Based on the photo taken at S-21, Dunlop was convinced he had just found Duch. He arranged to take a group photo of people in the village, making sure he had a clear shot of Hang Pin. Later Dunlop compared the two photos. There was no doubt in his mind he had found Duch.
Dunlop contacted another reporter, Nate Thayer, and a week later the two returned to the village to confront Hang Pin as to his secret identity. When they arrived, they found Hang Pin and struck up a conversation with him. He told the journalists of his conversion to Christ and his desire to start a school and a church in the community.
Thayer then asked him if he ever worked for the Khmer Rouge secret police. Dunlop said Hang Pin deflected the question stating he currently worked with ARC and was translating school text books. Thayer asked the question two more times and finally Hang Pin paused and then said, "It is God's will you are here."
"I have done very bad things in my life," he told them. "Now is the time to bear the consequences of my actions." Referring to his Khmer Rouge days he added, "Then I thought God was very bad. I did not serve God, I served communism. I feel sorry about the killings and the past."
Dunlop said Duch confessed fully to his involvement with the secret police and S-21. The last thing Dunlop saw—as they pulled out of the compound—was Duch entering a hut pulling off his ARC t-shirt. After Dunlop and Thayer broke the news they had found the infamous commander of S-21, Duch went into hiding for a couple days before finally turning himself in to the police. Dunlop has no doubt that Duch's commitment to Christ played a big part in his confession and arrest. To date, Duch is the only major leader of the Khmer Rouge to confess to his crimes.
In a later interview with Thayer, Duch said he was willing to testify against the other perpetuators and in fact fears for his life because of his willingness to do so. "It is OK, they can have my body," he said, "Jesus has my soul. It is important that this history is understood. I want to tell you everything."
Duch has been in prison since 1999 and I wondered how he was doing. So this past June, I contacted Christopher LaPel and received an encouraging report about Duch who sits in a military prison in Phnom Penh just a few block away from S-21.
"Yes, I would like to answer your questions regarding Khang Khek Ieu or Hang Pin or Duch, one of my disciples and one of our leaders serving our Lord Jesus Christ in Northwest Cambodia before he came forward.... Yes, he is in jail in Phom Penh and he [is] still preaching and sharing God's word with people around him."
