Thet Sambath

Thet Sambath is a Cambodian journalist and filmmaker recognised as one of the country’s leading investigative reporters. His work has been featured in Cambodia’s main English-language newspapers and widely syndicated internationally. As a child, Sambath endured the loss of his parents and brother during the Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot—a trauma that shaped his lifelong pursuit of truth and justice.

Driven by a need to understand the scale of the Cambodian genocide, Sambath spent more than ten years investigating the inner workings of the Khmer Rouge. Through patience and persistence, he gained the trust of Nuon Chea, Pol Pot’s former deputy and the regime’s “Brother Number Two”, who was living freely near the Thai border. This extraordinary access resulted in a series of unprecedented interviews in which Chea and other former officials spoke openly about their roles in the mass killings.

Together with British director Rob Lemkin, Sambath transformed this decade-long investigation into the award-winning documentary *Enemies of the People*. The film received international acclaim, winning over thirty prizes, including the Special Jury Prize for World Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.

Before becoming a filmmaker, Sambath worked for major media outlets such as The Cambodia Daily and The Phnom Penh Post. His professional background also includes roles with the American Refugee Committee, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), and the human rights organisation LICADHO. Since 1994, he has collaborated with international broadcasters including the BBC, Frontline (WGBH), NHK and NBC. In 2002, he was awarded a prestigious Jefferson Fellowship in the United States.