Killing Fields (21st March 2011)

The Buddhist Stupa at the Killing Fields

So this morning I’m visiting two areas where atrocities took place under the regime of Pol Pot in the 70’s. Since my last trip to Cambodia just over 5 years ago I’ve wanted to visit Phnom Penh and understand more about what went on at a time when I was just starting out in the world. And I can honestly say it was harrowing.

First though before any visiting I had to move rooms again, grab some breakfast and find my little tuk tuk man! On my way out to find a bite for brekkie literally loads of tuk tuk drivers asked me if I wanted a tour. I mean I did, but I had already decided on my driver.......I just needed to find him!

On the note of tuk tuk drivers though, it’s quite funny here cause there’s a saying that’s made it on to tourist t-shirts that says ‘Same Same’ on the front and ‘But Different’ on the back cause that’s all you here with regard to comparing different services, well since arriving in Phnom Penh all I’ve heard is ‘Tuk Tuk Lady, Tuk Tuk’ I reckon in a couple of years that’s going to make it on to the tourist t-shirt as well .....actually maybe that’s a business opportunity in the making! ;-)

Anyway I digress, so after a hundred and one people asking me if I wanted a tuk tuk I still hadn’t found the little guy from last night or even someone who actually wanted some business, then all of sudden there he came out of the blue, and between his English and my Cambodian we managed to strike a bargain and we were on our way.

That was until about 5 minutes into the journey when we had to stop to put water in the radiator, then another 10 minutes and we had to stop to put fuel in the bike (both of which were stored under my feet in water bottles) then after another 10 minutes or so we had to stop again to fix the machine! I was beginning to think this wasn’t such a great idea after all, but he was so friendly and happy how could I refuse? His answer (and I think only English he had) was ‘No problem Lady’. Mmmm I’ll be the judge of that! At least his English was better than my Cambodian.

After an hour we arrived at the Killing Fields, it’s only 14km from the city, it was definitely an adventure.

So this is where the majority of the people who were tortured at the old high school, S-21 Prison, were then taken to be executed. Evidence and eye witness reports say that young children and babies were held by their feet and their skulls smashed against a tree whereas older children and adults were forced to kneel down in front of a mass grave, were blindfolded and tied together while they were struck on the back of the head, they then had their throats cut just to be sure.

Today the area has been turned into a Buddhist memorial, in remembrance of the terror that took place there. There is a 17 storey Stupa that has been constructed in the grounds which houses on the ground floor all the clothes that have so far been discovered from the victims, the next 17 floors contain the skulls of victims and the upper floors contain all other bones that have been found. It is a really shocking sight. But what affects me more is that all around the mass grave areas every time the area floods more clothing and more bones come to the surface, the powers that be just haven’t been able to excavate the entire area yet and probably wont ever now. As I walked around the area I could see for myself clothing and bones in the ground. At first you think it’s just rubbish on the floor but it’s actually embedded into the earth and on closer inspection it’s clear what it is.

I was in two minds whether to take pictures while I was there but then everyone else was and then again I was in two minds about putting the pictures on the blog – but as they say ‘Lest We Forget’, it’s history and as such should be remembered and not forgotten.

Inside the Stupa

Mass graves at the Killing Fields

Next on today’s agenda was Tuol Sleng Museum, otherwise known as S-21 which was the High School in Phnomn Penh that was taken over by Pol Pots security forces and turned into a security prison. This is where the Khmer Rouge held, tortured and interrogated up to 20,000 people. When the Khmer Rouge took over they banned any kind of education, religion or academia so all schools and religious areas were turned over for other uses. The class rooms at the High School were turned into torture chambers and were equipped with various instruments to inflict pain, suffering and death.









S-21 Prison




























The cells at S-21

In some classrooms primitive makeshift cells were built which would house people in a space barely larger than they were. Each of the prisoners were chained in leg irons and then chained to rings cemented into the floor, in other classrooms 30 or more prisoners were all in leg irons and all restrained to each other not being able to move or sit up or speak to each other.

Each person that passed through the prison was photographed and documented and exact records were kept. When the Vietnamese liberated Phnom Penh in 1979 only 7 people were still alive all of whom had survived due to their ‘usefulness’ to the regime in areas such as painting and photography.

In the three years, eight months and twenty days of the Khmer Rouge rule it is estimated that around 2 million people died, approximately a third of the population at the time.

It was a very moving day and one in which my tuk tuk driver, I think, thought I spent too much time on. We were also supposed to go to the Russian Market as well but even I wasn’t really up for it after the days activities, so really wasn’t that worried when he decided he was hungry and tired and that we were heading back!

I think bed and an early night for me.