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We have been in Phnom Penh for two days and the main reason for coming here was to visit the killing fields at Choeung Ek.
Let us start by saying that we have never witnessed such recent genocide history. More than 10,000 people were murdered here, including women and children.
When Pol Pot ordered every citizen from this city into the countryside, his intention was to put everyone to work in the fields. All their money and possessions were taken from them. Anyone who was remotely educated were executed, hence, all teachers, lawyers, doctors and the like were put to death. Likewise, any person who wore glasses, spoke another language or had smooth hands were also executed.
The borders with Thailand and Vietnam were closed and to this day, more than 2 million land mines are still out there. More than 3 million Cambodians were killed by the Khmer Rouge.
If one member of a family was executed, they killed the whole family so as to avoid future revenge.
The audio guide detailed personal experiences of survivors and you could hear a pin drop as all the tourists tried to take in what they were listening to and looking at.
We have been to Auschwitz but this place was more emotional. Maybe, because it is so recent. The barbarity was staggering! Bullets were too expensive, so victims were battered to death or bayoneted and put into mass graves. In the wet season, bone fragments and clothe samples still rise to the surface. The whole experience was emotional to say the least, especially what they did to babies and to us, it is important that as many people as possible should be made aware of what happened to these wonderful people. Everyone over the age of 45 will have their own vivid memories of 17th April 1975 and onwards.
Leading members of Khmer Rouge were still facing trial as recently as 2008. Pol Pot died aged 82 and never faced trial! His senior advisor confessed his crimes and is serving 35 years.
We left flowers at the shrine erected in memory of the victims. There are more than 1000 killing fields throughout this country.
We decided not to post pictures.
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