Th Killing Fields

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Having read the book "First they killed my father" just before I arrived in Cambodia, I thought I had a good background knowledge on the recent history of Cambodia and the atrocities that took place. Visiting the Killing fields, where people were killed because they wore glasses, worked for the previous government, has fairer skin etc, was a shocker. The fields were presented tastefully, with everyone given a headset to listen to and walk around the site at their own pace and reflect on what they were listening to. There were clothes and bones still being found to this day in the mass graves that I passed. The skulls of the dead, have been collected and placed in a glass memorial, so people can pay their respects. The atmosphere was very solemn but I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would.

Prison S21 - This is where prisoners were kept by the Khmer Rouge before being taken to the Killing fields. Each prisoner had their own biography and photos taken. This is where is all became so real, photos of men, women and children were displayed. All had been captured tortured and killed. It was hard to believe that this only happened 37 years ago. So many lives cut short and for what? A poxy communist Khmer Rouge, who rallied together uneducated pheasants, supposedly for the "good of the Cambodian people". Killing most of the population either through murder or starvation. Most adults were killed. So when I passed any elderly Cambodian on my visit, a few questions crossed my mind, " What did you do to survive? Were you part of the Khmer Rouge army? Or were you just lucky enough to not have died?

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Comments

[sarah toone]

Woah :( ta 4 sharing radgy :) xx

[Shanta Halai]

Raj I've only just managed to find your blog - so will follow intently. Yes the killing fields visit was very sad but if we can turn it into a positive ie highlight what went on so that future generations will not let this type of genocide to happen ever again. XX