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Published: March 10th 2011
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"I raised my head. The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky--seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness."
- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, Part 3
The sky was an azure blue and there seemed to be thousands of birds chirping in the trees. A cluster of pink blossoms caught my eye as I walked around.
I was walking amongst the Dead.
For those who have watched the 1984 movie, "The Killing Fields", a farming area 15 km from the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, lies an area where thousands upon thousands of people were executed.
I teach in an elementary school.
I live in a city of approximately 3 million people.
I cannot ever imagine my school and its' playground being used as a centre for detention and torture of men, women and children.
I cannot ever imagine that two-thirds of my city, approximately two million people, would be murdered in a short, four-year period.
And that is what exactly happened in this country during the years
1975-1979, under the regime of the infamous "Khmer Rouge" under the direction of their leader, "Pol Pot".
I have never seen tour groups act in such a reverential and silent manner as we were guided through the grounds of "S-21"...the elementary school that was used as a detention centre in the city in Phnom Penh.
In order to understand this atrocity, one has to understand the political thinking behind the massacre.
"In power, the Khmer Rouge carried out a radical program that included isolating the country from foreign influence, closing schools, factories, hospitals, abolishing banking, finance and currency, outlawing all religions, confiscating all private property and relocating people from urban areas to collective farms where forced labour was widespead."
Under this regime, a "cleansing" of the population was also put into full force. Anyone, who was deemed to be a threat to the regime was imprisoned, and eventually executed. This included artists, teachers, writers, outspoken politicians...even people who wore GLASSES were targeted (as it was felt that this reflected an intellectual capacity). Young children were taken from their families. They were either executed or trained to be soldiers. It was not uncommon for them to kill
their own family members. And once these children had served their purpose, they too faced imminent execution lest they too become threats to the regime. When the Khmer Rouge came to power they literally abolished the calendar and began their brainswashing tactics referring to it as "Year One".
The photographs I have provided here (some being actual photos of photos in the exhibits) are my attempt to let you experience the magnitude of these two places. I apologize because I know they are the most disturbing I have posted thus far. I cannot ever describe to you what it is like to be walking around the "Killing Fields" where thousands upon thousands of skeletons have yet to be exhumed. Our guide informed us that every time it rains, more bones and teeth rise to the surface of the ground. You could see some of them protruding from the earth as you walked around this massive gravesite. So when I say I walked amongst the Dead...I mean it in the literal sense.
It only took four years for nearly two million people to be tortured and put to death. The total population of Cambodia at that time was nearly
seven million in total.
I cannot fathom all of the figures and statistics.
I cannot fathom that this happened at all.
I am certain that somewhere today, more atrocities occur...how many more "Killing Fields" are out there?
As my journey continues this year, I keep finding more and more places that I feel all people on this planet must visit...the Peace Museum in Hiroshima, Japan, Vad Vashem in Israel, being two of them, and as I left Cheong Ek this morning, I realized that I am starting to find too many to suggest. While the genocide took place, Phnom Penh was completely emptied of its population. It became known as the "City of the Dead" and the "City of Ghosts". Yet, the population today, though scarred and broken, still continues to give a warm smile and a true sense of genuine love and exude genuine affection towards visitors from all over the world. I don't think I could ever have the strength or the forgiveness that seems to generate from these beautiful people.
I will never understand the concept of karma. Why was I born in Canada and not the limbless beggar who waited
outside the "Killing Fields" site? Perhaps we can never truly comprehend the concept of genocide until it strikes us "closer to home" but perhaps that is an irrational thought. Perhaps the international community needs to be more vigilant in its protection of the global community and not the "gated" ones in which we are so privileged to live.
I don't have answers and as I continue to visit such places I find I have more and more questions. Sometimes I know I am afraid to take off my own set of "blinders" but I know that with this experience, I hope to help you with yours.
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Jude
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Requiem: The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
I feel very Reverent as well. So much to think about, how many more "Killing Fields" so true We don't realize do we? I could feel your Spirit, at a loss for words. We need to be educated on what has happened.