Advertisement
Published: August 30th 2008
Edit Blog Post
Phnom Penh bookended our visit to Angkor and provided a marked contrast to the tourist town of Siem Riep. Although we watched "The Killing Fields" before our trip and had done some preparatory reading, we really knew very little about its sorrowful history until we arrived.
In 1975, the Khmer Rouge - in an attempt to "level the playing field" ordered all residents out of the capital and into the country, where they were expected to engage themselves in a rural lifestyle and abandon the capitalist trappings of city life. The Khmer Rouge, evetually led by the infamous Pol Pot, proceeded to kill any person they believed to be a threat to this new, egalitarian society, including monks, educated people, doctors, people with glasses, foreigners, or anyone else who somehow did not fit their mold. The genocide, as well as the general destruction of the country, continued ignored for many years by the international community, who were concerned about the war occurring in Vietnam and that any attempt to oppose the Khmer Rouge would be perceived as assisting the recently victorious North Vietnamese. It was one of the 20th centuries greatest tragedies, and yet another example of the world turning
away from a people that needed it.
Today, Phnom Penh suffers greatly from its past. Many people cannot read or write, given that education was considered evil and eliminated by the Khmer Rouge. Very few people speak much English, and it is amazing to notice the relative ease with which children, who have been allowed an education, speak English, and the relative difficulty doing so that adults have.
The capital was reinhabited only after the defeat of the Khmer Rouge, and it most certainly feels like a city interrupted. Much of its architecture is beautiful but crumbling, and the major temples and sights to see have only been built in the last few decades, because anything that was symbolic or important was destroyed. Unemployment is rife throughout the country, and we were absolutely amazed by the jockeying for our fare that occurred at the bus station or leaving restaurants. While in Phnom Penh, we felt overwhelmed by its history. Unlike any other place we have visited on this trip, we felt compelled to add a few extra dollars to a bill or a fare here or there, feeling the overwhelming weight of a city in need of economic
stimulus. Interestingly, although the riehl is the official currency of Cambodia, were were surprised to find that the US dollar is the de facto currency, with change less than a dollar given in riehl and with ATMs dispensing dollars scattered throughout the country.
During our first overnight in Phnom Penh, we paid a visit to the Foreign Correspondent's Club, a legendary institution that has now become a bit Disney-fied, but a pleasant place to have a drink on balconies above the hustle and bustle of the riverfront. It was filled with Westerners and had a decidedly colonial feel, with large ceiling fans, leather chairs, and a beautiful wooden bar - it took little imagination to see it as a central meeting point for foreigners in the capital in the pre-genocide days. After the FCC, we had dinner nearby while watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.
When we returned to Phnom Penh a few days later from Siem Reap, we decided to visit the genocide museum, housed in Tuol Sleng, a high school that was converted into the jail and torture center known as S-21. Here, countless individuals were murdered, many of them members of the Khmer Rouge who were assumed to be a threat as Pol Pot and his comrades grew more and more paranoid about conflict from within.
S-21 is an impressive and well-organized museum. It is also an awful, terrifying, and unpleasant place, and the exhibits it houses do not shy away from gruesome details and graphic images. It was a place that both of us had some reservations visiting. However, we also felt some responsibility to see it, as our visit is a tiny contribution to raising awareness of the horrors of the Cambodian genocide. We were drained afterwards, but very glad that we went.
After such a somber afternoon, it was with welcome relief that we spent a phenomenal evening with our good friend Ruti, a friend from college who is currently a PhD student conducting reasearch at UNICEF in Phnom Penh this summer. Her time in Cambodia was at an end, as she was leaving the same day we were, and it was wonderful to be able to share our brief experiences in the country with her to see how they compared to the thoughts and opinions. From her, we learned a lot about Cambodia today, including many of the problems Cambodia's children are facing and issues society is dealing with given that so many killers and victims are living together, trying to move on. We also were able to catch up on each others lives, which was fabulous and unique, given that it took a trip halfway around the world to hear what was happening in the life of such a good friend.
After tuk-tuking it to our hotel, we said goodbye to Ruti and woke up the next morning the explore a bit more of the city before we left, seeing the National Palace, a famous wat on a hill, and a lively and engaging market. We then picked up our bags and headed back to the airport for our flight to Bangkok, leaving behind a country that is fascinating and complicated, and very much struggling to revive itself.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.076s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 8; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0451s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb