A Sobering Day in Phenom Penh

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Heads were possibly a little hazy in the morn perhaps due to the one, or possibly eight or so local brews the night before. But this was quickly shaken off because it would be a day of serious contemplation. First up, the Genocide Museum and then the killing fields. Not exactly a day at Disneyland but a lesson in history which should never be forgotten.

The Genocide Museum was a highschool which had been converted into a prison during the Pol Pot regime. Without going into too much detail, Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge enforcing an extreme Maoist Regime. During the 4 years of power, 1 in 4 Cambodians died (about 3 to 4 million) either from poor health, chronic overworking or execution by Khmer Rouge soldiers. Over 20,000 people were processed in the prison, commonly involving horrific torture before being trucked off to be killed in the killing fields. Women, children and babies were not spared and were often the most cruely treated.

The Genocide Museum doesn't hold back. It tells it how it is, abominable! What was really brought home was how recent the events took place. Our tour guide's father was one of the prisoners and one of the seven survivors of the prison was in the courtyard signing books. Some pictures of the faces had been scratched off perhaps by relatives not wanting a family member to be recognised. Other pictures have been tagged with insults such as "dog", perhaps written by someone who knew the soldier personally. With bitterness hardly concealed, our tour guide also reminded us that there were still leaders of the old regime that had not been brought to justice despite the authorities knowing their location. Some, it seems are still part of the current government.

The horror then continued as we ventured to one of the hundreds of killing fields across the country. The killing fields we visited were the location where over 20,000 people were mercilessly killed and thrown into mass graves. At certain times of year, the heavy rains still float up bits of clothing and bone fragment from the graves. In the centre of the killing fields is a Buddist Monument containing over 9000 skulls of the people who perished in the fields. The monument is a homage of respect for those who were lost as well as a representation of the peace which Cambodia now stands for.

That night we sat there looking over the river frontage of Phnom Penh. With locals getting involved with a nightly outdoor Zumba class and others just enjoying the balmy night, it's hard to put into perspective what many of these people went through less than 34 years ago.

Tommorow, it would be an early rise for a river boat to Siem Reap.

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Photos

Skulls at the Genocide Monument
Some of the thousands of skulls uncovered at just one of hundreds of killing fields across Cambodia. A chilling place