Three prison victims whose photos are altered by Matt Loughrey to show them smiling. (Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/)
These original images, which were taken between 1975-1979, now form a centralpart of the sombre display at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh.
The new images, restored by the Irish photographer, Matt Loughrey, not onlyhave had colour added to them but also, in a horrific twist, have beendigitally altered so that some of the victims appear to be smiling.
The ministry argues that Loughrey's action is unacceptable, affects the realityof Cambodian history and violates rights of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum asthe legal owner of the original photos.
Apart from asking Loughrey to remove the photos from the website, the Cambodianministry also asked researchers, artists and the public not to changehistorical documents as this shows disrespect for victims. The ministry said itwould consider taking legal actions both domestically and through internationalchannels if Loughrey did not comply with Cambodia's request./.
VNA
