Vann Nath facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vann Nath វ៉ាន់ណាត
Vann Nath after receiving a copy of the Duch verdict on 12 August 2010
Born	1946 Battambang, Cambodia, French Indochina
Died	5 September 2011(2011-09-05) (aged 64–65) Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Nationality	Cambodian
Education	Self-taught Painting at a Pagoda
Occupation	Painter, writer

Vann Nath (Khmer: វ៉ាន់ណាត; 1946 – 5 September 2011) was a Cambodian painter, artist, writer, and human rights activist. He was known for his art and for speaking out about human rights. He was one of only seven adults who survived the terrible S-21 camp. This camp was a prison where many Cambodians were held during the Khmer Rouge government. Vann Nath won an award called the Lillian Hellman/Hammett Award for his bravery.

Vann Nath's Early Life

Vann Nath was born in a village called Phum Sophy in Battambang Province, Cambodia. No one knows his exact birth date. This was common for poor people born in rural areas of Cambodia. His parents were separated, and he had two brothers and an older sister.

His family made a living by selling a type of Cambodian rice noodles called num banhchok. They were very poor, so Vann Nath could not go to a regular school. By the time he was 14 or 15, he worked in factories. He earned very little money, less than 25 US cents a month.

Becoming a Painter

Vann Nath became interested in painting while studying at Wat Sopee pagoda. He saw people painting pictures on the temple walls. He felt very drawn to it. Instead of painting right away, he became a monk from age 17 to 21. In Cambodia, it was a tradition for one son in a family to become a monk.

When his sister died, Vann Nath left the monkhood. He needed to work and help his family. In 1965, he joined a private painting school. The school was far from his home, and he could not afford a bicycle. His mother was the only one working to support the family.

Later, the school let Vann Nath work there instead of paying tuition. After two years, he started earning money from his own paintings.

Surviving the Khmer Rouge

On January 7, 1978, Vann Nath was arrested. He was working in a rice field in his home province of Battambang. The Khmer Rouge took him to Wat Kandal, a Buddhist temple used as a prison. They told him he had broken the rules of their organization, called Angkar. He did not understand what this meant.

A week later, he was moved to a security prison in Phnom Penh. This prison was known as S-21 by the Khmer Rouge. It used to be a high school. Many people were questioned, harmed, and killed there every day.

After the Vietnamese army entered Cambodia in 1979, the Khmer Rouge government ended. Only seven adult prisoners survived S-21. Vann Nath was one of these survivors.

Vann Nath's Important Work

Vann Nath became a famous painter and writer. His memories and paintings of his time in the S-21 prison are very powerful. They show the terrible things that happened under the Khmer Rouge.

Vann Nath spoke out for justice for those harmed by the Khmer Rouge. His 1998 book, A Cambodian Prison Portrait: One Year in the Khmer Rouge's S-21 Prison, was the only book written by a survivor of S-21 at that time. It has been translated into French and Swedish.

Vann Nath was one of Cambodia's most important artists. His life was saved by his captor, Comrade Duch. Duch wanted Vann Nath to paint and sculpt pictures of Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge. Vann Nath played a big part in helping art come back to Cambodia after many years of war.

Documentary Film

In 2001 and 2002, Vann Nath worked with Cambodian film director Rithy Panh. They made a documentary film called S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine. Vann Nath was interviewed in the film. In the movie, he met and questioned some of his former captors from the S-21 prison.

To honor their work, Vann Nath and Rithy Panh received special awards. The University of Paris VIII gave them the title of Dr honoris causa on May 24, 2011.

Awards and Recognition

Vann Nath received the Lillian Hellman/Hammett Award. This award is given to people who show courage when facing political unfairness. Vann Nath showed great courage during the time of the Khmer Rouge.

Later Life and Passing

Vann Nath had health problems for a long time, including kidney disease. But he kept painting and writing about his experiences under the Pol Pot government. He had a heart attack and went into a coma. He passed away on September 5, 2011, at Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh. He was about 65 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Vann Nath para niños