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Published: August 6th 2007
Skulls.
Yesterday I visited the Killing Fields and the S21 Prison, as stated in the previous blog.
I will try to stay away from a history lesson (if you are interested a good book is "first they killed my father"). Basically the Pot Pot regime overthrew the government in 1975, and evacuated the ENTIRE city of PP to the country side. Pol Pot's plan was return Cambodia to the time of farming, and working in the fields. People that were "city" people, i.e. if you had a government job, educated, wore glasses, or even lacked the rough hands of a field working peasant, you were to be killed. Obviously in the early days of the fleeing of PP, no one really knew exactly what Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge had in store for them.
We arrived at the Killing Fields - the largest of some 250 throughout Cambodia, I believe. They also have a memorial on site. We hired a guide, who was very intelligent, young, and engaging. As he is giving us the initial history lesson, this fat white man in his 40's with a wife beater tank top wanders over to get some of the tour for free, which is a bit tacky. What really got me was that he was drinking a beer. It was appalling, to say the least. You're at a site of mass execution and you are sipping a beer. All I could think (and hope) was that this fuckin piece of trash was an exception, and that he wasn't an American. The guide said that it was rare that people did that, and by the sound of the asshole's voice, he was an Aussie.
The actually memorial site is the home to about 9,000 skulls (estimated that almost 2 mil people died in those 4 years - 1/3 off the population). To stare at a shelf that reaches probably 30 feet in the air, layered with human skulls, is a bit of a shocker on many levels. As I snapped photos I felt a bit disgusted with the fact that I was photographing this. There is nothing that prevents you from doing, but inside, something just felt wrong, and a bit off. I got what I needed, and carried on.
Our guide explained that the Khmer Rouge soldiers would never use bullets to kill - why waste them, right? Instead, victims would be shackled together, hands bound, while the solder went down the line, one by one with a shovel to the backs of their heads. Almost makes the Nazis seem some what civilized. The bodies would be pushed into the ditch, 100s of them, some still alive, only to be suffocated by the next bus load. Days later they'd use DDT over the site, to cut the smell, and kill off any last survivors.
You could see the point of impact on each skull - some worse then others. They were also arranged by age. Babies all the way to old men and women staked the shelves. It was probably one of the most horrific and gruesome signs of how UNCIVILIZED we really are.
From there we walked to the killing fields, which are just basically fields at this point. You'd see bits and pieces of teeth, or clothing from the victims still on the ground. You then walk past a tree that was called the MAGIC TREE. The Khmer Rouge would put a loud speaker up there, so that people that were arriving weren't able to hear the screams and cries in the distant; screams and cries that would soon be their own.
I could go on about how horrific the signs and methods were. I could but I won't, its emotionally draining. I think you get my point. Plus I still need to write about the S21 prison, which is pretty dark as well.
We arrived at the S21 prison, the most notorious prison of the Khmer Rouge days. Originally, it was a school on the outskirts of PP, but Pol Pot decided that it would be better to kill and torture then to educate. Once again, we were able to get a great guide. The Prison was used for political figures, ex soldiers, and any of the people that raised any sort of suspicion. Even Khmer Rouge soldiers were sent there out of paranoia from top officials. It was a grim place to say the least, a place that only had 7 survivors when the Vietnamese finally drove the Khmer Rouge out in 1979. It was more of an old school Gitmo, then prison; A place for torture and interrogation. If you complied, you'd get a quick death. If not, you'd have you nails pulled, stretched on the gallows, and electrocuted. They had signs and rules that forbid the torturee COULD NOT CRY, at all (I have pics to prove it).
There was one technique that did catch my eye. It was the water boarding technique. Basically you put someone backwards at a 45 degree angle, and continue to pour water over their face, while the face is covered with a soaked rag, giving a drowning sensation. Some of you may know this, as it is one of the popular methods at Gitmo - I bet Dick Cheney and Pol Pot would make good friends.
The Jail also hold thousands and thousands of the mug shot photos of everyone that entered the prison. It's safe to safe to say that they all end up in the ditch, covered with DDT (that would be the "lucky" ones). The photos ranged from small children to teenagers to older people, and even a section that was young, soon to be executed Khmer soldiers.
Once again, it was more gruesome and horrific then my words can do justice.
I did tell our guide about the water boarding technique, and how we (US Gov) uses it on "detainees". He asked me, "Who learned from who?"
-dylan
ps. sorry if this blogg seems alittle lack luster...i am still trying to take it all in.....one thing to see in a book, another to see first hand. hope you had a good 4th.
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G
non-member comment
omg how many more places???
Hey Dylan, wazzzzzuuppppp, its G (jaika's partner in crime).........your blogs are crazy...........so when are you coming home???? and how many other places do you still have to hit.........yeah, i totally need a job that lets me take off and venture around the world like you...I must be doing something wrong....lol........hey quick ques......the one pic in your gallery thats in the tomb----- you totally have to tell us if you beat some one up to keep the pic.........details, details please :) take care and enjoy the rest of your vaca.......ciao ;)