Lost as an executioner, found as Christ's soldier

As I was browsing through the library books, my eyes were caught by a book “The Lost Executioner”, a story of Pol Pot’s chief torturer known as Duch. He was responsible for the murder of more than 20,000 among the 1.7 million deaths during the Khmer Rouge. Twenty years later not one of the Khmer Rouge member had been held accountable and Duch has disappeared, nowhere to be found leaving the survivors in anger, pain, and hopelessness. A photographer was obsessed in finding Duch in search for answers to the secret and brutal mass killing. Indeed, he didn’t fail. By chance, he came face to face with him. Yet he found him not as a Khmer soldier, an executioner but as Christ’s soldier- a changed man who is a zealot of his faith.

Duch was imprisoned since 1999 and now at the age of 66 he is facing a trial with some others in court. Recently, his story was on the newspaper. It so amazing that during the time that he was nowhere to be found he met the Lord Jesus. May he be like Paul who met the Lord on the way to Damascus and changed his life that made an impact in the lives of so many people.

This is such an incredible evidence of God working in the lives of the Cambodians. When the trial started there are a lot of reactions from the Khmer people especially the Khmer Rouge survivors, some reacted in rage, pain and at the same time relief that at last they will have justice. My Khmer teacher said, “What good will it bring to us now? We lost our families, land and everything, the damage has been done!” Still others said that Duch becoming a Christian is just a political move.

I just pray that this trial will start to bring healing and restoration, that as Duch's has confessed to God his sin, he will also be willing to confess his sin to the Khmer people and willing to accept the consequences and that faith will impact in people's lives and God's glory will be revealed.

This is another story about God's amazing grace!

Duch on his first trial recently

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
I John 1:9