Cambodia

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Hey,

I left you last time arriving into Cambodia. We are now at our last stop in Cambodia in place called Battenbang, where we will bw staying for 2 nights and then getting the bus on the 3rd to Bangkok, everything being well we will stay in Bangkok for a day and then move to Co Toa.

Getting back to where I left off. We arrived in Phnon Penh and visited the horrific S21 site and the killing fields. Both of these places were in more disturbing then the war renmants museum in Ho Chi Minh. The story behind the tragedy was born after the loss of the government in Cambodia during the American bombardment. A new government was formed known as the Khmer Rouge with the prime minister being Poll Pot. They drove people out of Phnom Penh to hid from the carpet bombings and the Kymer Rouges objective was to have one class where everyone would be the same and to increase rice production above what the country could yeild. To make the one class system the Khmer Rouge kidnapped and killed anyone with education or was forign they destoyed all the temples, churches, hospitals and schools and concentrated on the rice production. The people who were detained went to concentration camps like the one we visited called the S21 it usd to be a school and they turned it into a place for torture and forced confesions out of people. Their theory was that they would rather kill 10 people and have one guilty in person in the group rather than let that one person escape, showing the worthlessness of life. The guilty ones were the people who conversed with the Vietnamese and helped them to invade.

Once found guilty they would be taken to the killing fields by the truck load and pushd into the pits. 1.7 million people were killed in the 3 year reign of the Khmer Rouge a quater of the population which is absolutley crazy it only ended when the Vietnamese invaded and pushed the Khmer Rouge north. Poll Pot finally died in 1997 and some of the leaders are still alive today but are all guilty of crime brutatliites. The most distrubing fact is how recent this had been taking place as it started in 1975 only 35 years ago, and it makes you think if this goes on today.

After that distrubing image of how the Cambodians suffered we headed to a thai bping match which was a little way out of town we climbed through barbed wire and got in for free. It was really good, we watched 6 fight all having 5 rounds unless knocked out and our tuk tuk driver was really getting into it and so were we. When we got back we brought him a meal at his friends cafe and he brought us some cockroaches not sure if that evens out! The cockroaches were ok until you chewed on the legs!! The driver explained how he doesn't like the current government and how much corruption there is in Cambodia, it was refreshing to here the thoughts and feelings of a local person about the government as we have before travelled the China and Vietnam who would not say a word good or bad about there current governement. We knew Cambodia was corrupt but the guy explained how corrupt mainly selling villagers fields to big money spenders, which a current case was in the paper on that day showing the frequency of it. He also commented on the rising tensions with Thailand about some land ownership and how he could see a war very soon.

Talking and eating away we consumed 4 jugs if beer including the driver and he drove us home. quite slowly luckily.

I'll continue the blog again soon,

Mark

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Comments

[Heather]

I really enjoyed your post about some of Cambodia's history. It was really interesting to hear from someone at the source. My blog is looking for travel photos, tips, etc, to share (or even of interesting historical info, etc!?). If you have the time, check it out at dirty-hippies.blogspot.com, or email us at [e-mail]. Continued fun on your travels! Heather :)