Phnom Penh Killing Fields & S - 21

I am a fan of action and war movies. However, there are only a few that I really, really like -- Bourne Trilogy, Kill Bill Vol. I & II, Saving Private Ryan, The Pianist, The Killing Fields, Black Hawk Down, to name a few.

When I booked my trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, and having seen the movie “The Killing Fields” quite few times, I realized the trip was my opportunity to see the real “killing fields” in Phom Penh and know a bit more about Khmer Rouge regime.

A day after arrival in Phom Penh from Siem Reap, we hired a tuktuk for US$15 to take us to Choeung Ek Genocidal Center and to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

 

Choeung Ek Genocidal Center

Choeung Ek is a memorial park located about 15 kilometers south of Phnom Penh. Entrance fee is US$5, inclusive of an excellent audio guide. This is said to be the site where the Khmer Rouge executed/murdered more than 20,000 out of the over 1 million innocent victims between the years 1975-1979. While there are several ‘killing fields’ all over Phnom Penh, this site is the most popular one. Mass graves containing almost 9,000 bodies were discovered after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime.

 

Upon entering Choeung Ek, I noticed a tall structure, which I later came to know to be a stupa, a Buddhist religious monument. The commemorative glass stupa is said to contain more than 5,000 human skulls, neatly arranged in layers, and segregated according to age brackets, many of which were shattered or smashed.

To commemorate the victims of the massacre, a memorial park was built within Choeuk Ek. The audio guide explains what happened in a particular spot.

Shallow mass graves:

What depressed me the most is finding out that in this Chankiri Tree or Killing Tree, children and infants were smashed against it so they wouldn't grow up and take revenge for the death of the members of their family, who supposedly committed crimes against the Khmer Rouge. As I looked at this tree, I thought about my niece and nephews and every children I know. Just the thought of banging their heads on this tree until they die makes me want to throw up. It was really heart-breaking.

Bones, teeth and clothing of victims were found in several excavated mass graves. These were neatly placed in glass receptacles.

Here are some more photos around the site.

The audio guide says that innocent people were beaten to death to save bullets. Women were beaten until they passed out, raped then killed. Entire families were murdered so that no one would be left to seek revenge. 

After hearing all the sad stories, we left Choeung Ek for Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. It is located in the city proper, near the Russian Market.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

The site was formerly the Chao Ponhea Yat High School and was renamed “Security Prison 21 (S-21)” by the Khmer Rouge and became a torture and detention center.

When the Khmer Rouge was in power, the classrooms were converted into tiny prison cells and torture chambers, and all windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire to prevent escapes.

Upon arrival at the S-21, the prisoners were photographed and were held for about 2-3 months. These were the Rules that every prisoner must know.

 

During their captivity, the innocent victims were interrogated, beaten, tortured and coerced to admit whatever crimes the Khmer Rouge wanted them to admit, and then killed. These were the places where the interrogations and tortures happened:

 

 

It was said that medical experiments were performed on certain prisoners. Inmates were sliced open and had organs removed with no anaesthetic. Others were attached to intravenous pumps and every drop of blood was drained from their bodies to see how long they could survive. The most difficult prisoners were skinned alive. (Andrew Malone, 2009-09-10, Daily Mail London).

Some of the tortured prisoners in S-21 were taken to Choeung Ek to be killed with the use of iron bars, pickaxes, machetes and many other makeshift weapons. They were thereafter buried in mass graves.

  

Out of an estimated 17,000 people imprisoned at S-21, there were only seven known survivors. It was said that these people were spared by the Khmer Rouge because they possess skills that might be helpful to them.

I literally got teary eyed when I saw these photos of the innocent victims of the Khmer Rouge. There are more photos of the victims but I will no longer be posting them.

 But these two photos moved me the most. They looked so helpless...

There's a corner in Building B where several arts about peace were exhibited. It eases the feelings.

Visiting these two places were very informative but was absolutely heart-breaking... Not an enjoyable place to visit, although it is one that should be done. However, this sad place is not suitable for the faint-hearted and children below 13 years of age.

It was an experience that will remain with me for a long time. If what happened here does not move you, I do not know what would.