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S: We decided to do the two most powerful places to visit in Phomn Penh in one day. We went to Toul Sel museum (known as S21). This is where Cambodians who didn't fit into Pol Pots criteria were brought, which were mostly educated and poor people. They lived in the prison being tortured (sometimes to death) before being taken to Choeng Ek (the killing fields). It was amazing to meet two of the survivors, and listen to their accounts putting it all into perspective.
J: I found the sheer violence and lack of humanity in S21 horrific.
After S21 we went to the killing fields just on the outskirts of the city, here the prisoners were brought in the hope of getting a new home with their family, since they were separated from their own families as part of the Pol Pot regime this was the only hope they had and went along willingly. Once there they would be killed and put in mass graves, but as bullets were expensive they didn't "waste" these and instead brutally killed people with basic clubs or tools, even babies weren't spared and where smashed against a tree! Walking around the place listening to the audio tour was very powerful, especially seeing human bones, teeth and clothes coming to the surface after the rain over night.
It's amazing to consider how Pol Pots simple plan for a "pure" communist country can lead to such places and methods.... What was amazing was how he managed to shelter this rather well from the world at the time even though it was only in the 70's. Dictators should never be left in place.
S: After a rather somber day, we decided to go for a meal and ended up in a local Indian. It truly was local because we sat in their living room eating the most amazing food whilst they were putting their children to sleep.
J: We walked ourselves around Phomn Pehn for miles, we took in the huge local market, went to the royal palace which was still in residence, and one of the temples there had a floor with 9000 solid silver tiles weighing over 1kg each, now that's an expensive floor.
S: On the way back to the room we visited the Wat Phomn there, it was beautiful being lit up at night, and very quiet too, as there was nobody else around except the bats.
S: Cambodia has been an amazing country, it's hard to contemplate that only 40 years ago this country was fighting for its life against one man. I really didn't have much of an idea before I visited the country, what had happened. Today you can still see the physical scars and try to understand the mental scars left behind. The people are amazing, they have picked themselves up from the gutter literally and to be able witness that through visiting their country has been a privilege.
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Steve Powell Great blog guys. I felt the legacy of the Khmer Rouge still plagues the Cambodian people. They finally prosecuted just two of the leaders after more than forty years.
Victoria Veness what a moving experience that must have been.......it makes you think how lucky we are!!x