A contender for the most horrible sight at Cheung Ek, "The Killing Tree" has got its name because it was used as a means to kill small children and babies. They were held around the ankles and then smashed head-first into the tree while their mothers watched in horror. Apparently it was a farmer who found the tree while digging for potatoes. He felt an odd stench, and realized the tree was stained with blood and brain matter. The guards knew what they did was horrible, but if they disobeyed, they'd be killed as well. One of the slogans of Pol Pot was "In order to remove grass, you need to pull up the roots", and killing the children was a means of removing any threat of revenge in the future.