Phnom Penh; The Killing Fields
The Choeng Ek killing fields are situated 15 kilometres outside of Phnom Penh and are so named because it is basically a field where the Khmer Rouge brought people, including prisoners from S21, to slaughter them. It was an execution ground. I begin my visit in a small museum where I read about the atrocity of the Khmer Rouge and watch a short informative video. The rest of the site is navigated with the narration of an audio guide. It takes me through the green field which is shaded by beautiful flowering trees and bordered by an orchard. Its hard to imagine at first the bloodshed that occurred in this pretty setting but the audio guide gives a moving and graphically descriptive portrait of events, including stories from survivors of the regime who lost dearly loved ones to it's whim.
There are hollows in the ground where mass graves have been excavated. One contained 450 bodies, one 160 headless corpses, one only women and children. Most victims were killed as soon as they arrived at Choeng Ek but some were detained overnight. Nearly all were bludgeoned to death and had their throats slit before their bleeding bodies were pushed into the dug pits. A mournful tree stands next to one of the excavated graves; the children's grave. The tree was used to smash the innocents heads against, breaking their skulls before they were tossed into the heap of bodies. A vivid description is given by the man who discovered the tree after the fall of Phnom Penh. He tells how he saw the trunk of the tree was covered in blood, hair and brains and soon deduced what might have happened.
It's a tear-inducing walk around the site where clothing and bones still rise from the disturbed earth. I see rags in the dirt alongside a partially uncovered jaw bone. The bones from the excavated graves were cleaned and are now housed in a memorial stupa in the centre of the site. It's a rather morbid sight and I'm not sure it isn't a bit disrespectful to the families of the victims to display them in this way. I only hope it's been done to emphasize the cruelty and atrocity that was the Khmer Rouge and not simply to attract tourists. Cambodians believe that the souls of people who don't receive a proper burial will not be able to pass on and will be left wandering in the ether of this world. I hope the souls from this land have been able to find peace and pass on to their afterlife.
There are hollows in the ground where mass graves have been excavated. One contained 450 bodies, one 160 headless corpses, one only women and children. Most victims were killed as soon as they arrived at Choeng Ek but some were detained overnight. Nearly all were bludgeoned to death and had their throats slit before their bleeding bodies were pushed into the dug pits. A mournful tree stands next to one of the excavated graves; the children's grave. The tree was used to smash the innocents heads against, breaking their skulls before they were tossed into the heap of bodies. A vivid description is given by the man who discovered the tree after the fall of Phnom Penh. He tells how he saw the trunk of the tree was covered in blood, hair and brains and soon deduced what might have happened.
It's a tear-inducing walk around the site where clothing and bones still rise from the disturbed earth. I see rags in the dirt alongside a partially uncovered jaw bone. The bones from the excavated graves were cleaned and are now housed in a memorial stupa in the centre of the site. It's a rather morbid sight and I'm not sure it isn't a bit disrespectful to the families of the victims to display them in this way. I only hope it's been done to emphasize the cruelty and atrocity that was the Khmer Rouge and not simply to attract tourists. Cambodians believe that the souls of people who don't receive a proper burial will not be able to pass on and will be left wandering in the ether of this world. I hope the souls from this land have been able to find peace and pass on to their afterlife.
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