Next to Chiang Mai, Phnom Penh was the place I most looked forward to visiting. In particular, I was excited (though I'm not sure if that is quite the right word) about visiting the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields.
Though the Cambodian genocide is fairly recent (it ended in 1979), I was unaware that it even happened until I was in college. Long story short, they took communism to the extreme and attempted to turn the country into an agrarian society where the people would be "made to work as labourers in one huge federation of collective farms" (here). To do this, the Khmer Rouge evacuated cities, separated families, and killed and tortured anyone who they felt may be a threat to the end goal, including teachers, doctors, and many other educated Cambodians. In total, as many as 2 million people - approximately one quarter of the population - were killed.
"To spare you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss"
- One of the slogans of the Khmer Rouge
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Today, the high school turned prison/torture center located in Phnom Penh has once again been converted, this time into a museum. It has not, however, been altered, except to add signs and photographs so the visitors can gain a better understanding of the horrors that occured here:
Welcome to Hell.
One of several interrogation/torture rooms.
This building contained cells where the prisoners were kept. The barbed wire is meant to keep the prisoners from committing suicide by jumping off the building.
Some of the cells.The Killing Fields
Though there were many killing fields throughout the country, this is the one that is frequented by tourists.
A memorial. It is filled to the top with skulls of the victims.
Skulls and clothing of the victims.
No comments:
Post a Comment