Former Slave

Ru is a former Cambodian fisherman. Originally from a small town near the Thai border, he ventured into Thailand looking for work and was eventually trafficking onto a fishing boat. Once on the boat he was forced to work for over six years a slave. He has a number of tattoos, many of which he doesn’t full understand their meaning. The tattoo on his chest is inspired by a similar design that one of his captors, the ship captain, had which he liked. Tattooing is an ancient part of Khmer culture. Some tattos are believed to protect the wearer from anything from bad luck to physical harm.