The Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

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There are no words. We're a few days late in publishing this blog entry because, frankly, we didn't know what to write. Before I get into it, I'll just warn any readers about the rather disturbing pictures you're about to see and horrifying things you're about to read. If you're not ready for it, don't read any further.

From 1975-1975, the Khmer Rouge regime, led by dictator extraordinaire Pol Pot, undertook one of the world's worst mass genocides. It's estimated that 2-3 million people (nearly a quarter of Cambodia's population) were exterminated for reasons that are beyond our comprehension. In a nutshell, all educated and intellectuals (doctors, lawyers, teachers, business people, etc) and their families, including babies, as well as dissidents and anyone else the Khmer Rouge felt like killing were rounded up and systematically murdered at the Killing Fields. "Murdered" is putting it mildly. It would be more accurate to say tortured, dehumanized and executed. Most were first held prisoner at s.21, a former high school converted into a prison which now houses the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Many were tortured here for 2-3 months in decrepit cells until they were beaten into giving false confessions in hopes of stopping the pain. From there, if they survived, they were sent to the Killing Fields where mass graves are still visible. They look like big bomb craters today. People were blindfolded, bludgeoned to death (to apparently save bullets), women were raped then killed, babies were beaten against trees...you cannot even imagine. The Killing Fields has a memorial for the dead, holding over 8000 skulls. We were speechless. The skulls are labeled with the ages and sexes of the people, as well as the manner of death (gun, hammer, hoe, etc). Walking between the sites, Nathan and I were mortified to realize that we were actually walking directly over bones and bits of clothing; they're still embedded in the ground and there's nothing directing you off the path. Our guide pointed them out to us: "Teeth. Collarbone. Leg bone." If you pick up a handful of soil, you're likely to find teeth or other bits of bone. Today, there are still 43 (of 129) mass graves that have yet to be excavated.

At Tuol Sleng, there was an average of 100 victims per day. Like the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge were diligent about documenting each and every victim. Each prisoner had to provide a biography from birth until arrest and were photographed. The museum is full of room after room of 8x10 black and white mugshots staring out at us, each victim reduced to nothing more than a number. They looked so scared, so empty, so lost in the photos. They knew it was over. There were also several stories published on the walls from family members of victims, detailing how their loved ones vanished without a trace, or how they knew they were going to die once the Khmer Rouge came for them. Even more chilling were the stories about people who actually voluntarily joined the Khmer Rouge revolution, only to later be killed by their own comrades.

Needless to say, it was an emotionally exhausting day for us. So few people know about the Khmer Rouge genocide and it's evident that the local people want it to be known. Here, it's considered on par with the Holocaust and other world genocides in the hopes of the world realizing that genocide, no matter where or who, is by definition humanity at its worst. Part of what has made our time in Cambodia so amazing (similar to what I experienced in Vietnam) is the utter humility of the Khmer people and their way of embracing life. The genocide was very recent, only 30 years ago, so most of the local people we've met have had direct experience or lost loved ones. You'd think that such a horrific recent event would harden the people, make them hostile or bitter; nothing could be further from the truth. There is a resilience here in southeast Asia, a love for life, a philosophy of making the best of what you have, unlike anything I have ever experienced and something much of the west could learn from.

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Photos

Skulls at the Killing Fields
This glass tower has about ten levels full of skulls, about 8000 total

Up close, you can see the manner of death
Most of these skulls had gaping holes from being bludgeoned, stabbed, or hacked to death

Comments

[Ron]

It is certainly beyond words. many who read this blog may have no idea about this time or this place and what happened, but i work with people who lost their entire family and more in this place. ITs hard to believe this happened and the world stood by doing nothing. It took the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia to finally end it. Today there are many war criminals still at large in Cambodia, who are responsible. This execution of men women, children and the aged , wiped out almost a 3rd of the population. The worst of sins.

[Last Train to Transcentral]

I went there two days ago and was as horrified as you. Well done for documenting your experiences so well.