About 10 miles outside of Phnom Penh is one of the over 300 mass graves that were used by the Khmer Rouge to exterminate doctors, lawyers, teachers, and pretty much any kind of intellectual or dissenter. Between 1975 and 1979 Cambodia's population was cut in half from 6 million to 3 million. 1 million escaped to neighboring countries another 2 million died in Cambodia's social cleansing with most disposed of in the killing fields.
Below is the mausoleum erected to remember those who were killed by the Khmer Rouge. Our tour guide began by telling us Pol Pot and his cronies "were very bad men. They killed my parents." Ouch!
The Magic Tree. The sign below says that loud speakers were hung from this tree and music was played to drown out the screams of those being executed.
It's not very clear in the picture, but the white "stones" in the ground are actually bones that have worn into the walkway.
You may be able to save this picture and expand it to get a little more history from the Killing Fields.
Just as notorious as the Killing Fields is the Toul Sleng prison. Originally, it was a government school, but the Khmer Rouge used it as jail/ torture chamber to "handle" those that they considered traitors. I didn't take a picture, but one of the most vivid memories is the wall of portraits taken to document those who were killed here - men, women, and children.
In case you're a psychopath - no smiling or laughing allowed.
The regulations of incarceration.
#3 Don't be fool for you are a chap who dare to thwart the revolution
#6 While getting lashes or electrification you must not cry at all
#10 If you disobey any point of my regulation you shall get either 10 lashes or 5 shocks of electric discharge
1 comment:
cool pictures
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