Phnom Phen Mar 22-23

For me, Phnom Penh was a chance to see the changes that have taken place over time. My last visit was in 1997 to see some friends Darryl and Jan who were living in Phnom Penh at the time. What a difference 13 years makes. The city has grown and prospered in that time (definitely not everyone, but in general a positive growth).

For Karen and Tim, it was a first visit and a chance to see and learn about some of the more difficult and tragic history of Cambodia. Prior to visiting, we watched the movie The Killing Fields.

Our first day started off with a visit to Tuol Sleng or S-21 as it was known. This is a school that was turned into a prison/torture chamber by the Khmer Rouge after they took over the country in April 1975. At that time, the soldiers made all the inhabitants of cities move into the country to become farmers. They also began a program to eliminate the educated and the elite. During this time, no one was safe. Anyone they suspected of disagreeing with the new government or anyone that was learned would be taken to a prison like S-21 and tortured until they confessed to their crimes and implicated others. Usually the crimes they confessed to were untrue and the others they implicated hadn’t done anything. S-21 has been left as it was found in 1978 when the Vietnamese defeated the Khmer Rouge and pushed them out of Phnom Penh. Like other sites of crimes against humanity it has been preserved for people to view, so that they do not forget what has happened. For us, it is difficult to see but is important to witness. I find myself wondering how people can do such things to each other and why we don’t learn from history. Somehow these things continue to repeat themselves. The prison has photos of the many people who entered the prison (only a seven left alive). It is estimated that 6,000 – 20,000 men, women and children passed through this prison to the killing fields located outside of town.

Our next stop was the killing fields themselves. The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek is an area just outside of town where prisoners were executed and buried in mass graves. A number of the graves have been excavated, many others have not. It also is a very somber location. The center piece of the site is a memorial Stupa to the victims. It is a tower built to house some of the skulls found in the mass graves. It is difficult to look at and we do not stay long, but long enough to understand what people in this country have seen and endured. I have the utmost respect for anyone who can face such terrible times and endure to carry on their lives and build a new future.

The rest of our time in Phnom Penh was spent shopping in the various markets, eating at the stalls in the night market and exploring the city.

~Jeff~

I must add just a side note to say how much I really detest war and the atrocities that occur in war time. I came away from our time visiting the memorials in Phnom Penh feeling sad and terribly angry. Why do we not accept people for who they are and what they are and live in Peace?

~Karen~