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Letter from the jungle by Dr. Zoltán Márián
Khieu Samphan
1931-
President of the State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea
/Head of State of Cambodia/
1976-1979
I remember how the Communist Hungary sympathized with the Communist Cambodia when I was a university student in the seventies. The Hungarian newspapers were writing articles about the success of the Democratic Kampuchea, and the Hungarian political leaders were sending some telegrams to Pol Pot the red communist leader and head of Khmer Rouge and President Khieu Samphan wishing all the best for their hard work. Our papers published a picture of President Khieu Samphan in 1976. I made a photocopy of the picture and have been saving it for about 30 years, waiting for the suitable time for signing. I had no doubt about how difficult it was to get his signature. It was well-known he was living in the jungle close to the village Pailin by the Thai border.
In 2004 I was lucky to contact a Thai person who was so kind to help me. He lived close to the Thai-Cambodian border. I sent to my contact the letter addressed to Khieu Samphan with the old photo. He brought my letter through the border and forwarded it to Samphan. In my letter I used the title to Khieu Samphan: „President and head of Khmer Rouge. „
Khieu Samphan signed – unusually twice, in the above left corner and below the picture – and dated the photo and also sent a handwritten letter.
The answer was given to my contact, who mailed it to me. 
In 2007 Khieu Samphan was arrested by the Cambodia Tribunal and charged with crimes against humanity and different war crimes. 
The first woman Prime Minister of Africa
Elisabeth Domitien
1925-2005
Prime Minister of the Central African Empire
1975-1976 
Although she served as Prime Minister only for 2 years, but she was a prominent political figure of Africa. She was not only the first female Prime Minister of the Central African Empire, but also of the African Continent. She had a good relationship with the self-made Emperor Bokassa – from whom I could get a personal signed photo in the seventies. With the overthrow of the „Emperor”, Elisabeth Domitien was arrested and brought to trial in 1980. She was prohibited from returning to politics. Since 1980 I have not heard anything about her. Once I read she was already dead.
In 2003 I established a good contact with the daughter of a former President of Central Africa. She is Isabelle. We were corresponding by mail as well by email. Once I asked her about Elisabeth Domitien, and I was surprised of her news: Domitien is still alive and she is her aunt! Isabelle told me Madame Domitien was living in a village where there was no train, no post office, nothing. She was living in her own house which was like a farm, but never left it as she was old and sick.
My contact promised she would help me in relation to her aunt’s signature. 
I sent two photos to Isabelle’s mother – a former First Lady – who used to live in Paris that time. Isabelle suggested me sending the letter and photos to her mother because the post service in Central Africa was not safe, so she would probaply never receive them. The mother brought with herself the photos from Paris to Bangui some months later. After that Isabelle visited her aunt, and Madame Domitien signed both photos on back side. I was very happy when the signed photographs finally arrived to me via Paris. 
Next year Elisabeth Domitien passed away. I think I was very lucky to get her uncommon signature.
Some years ago somebody asked me about the most important thing how to obtain important signatures. Patience and good contact – I replied.
Dr. Zoltán Márián
Hungary
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Autograph Article 
