Retired Nomads - Part 3: Killing Fields & S-21 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Mekong Princess

March 26 - A.M.

Today we took a scenic 45-minute drive to visit Choeung Ek, the killing fields depicted in the movie of the same name, and the center of the darkest days of Cambodian history. On the way we stopped at Tuol Sleng (known as S-21), which was converted by the Khmer Rouge from a large school to a prison and torture headquarters.

Today was made extra special as Nin shared his heart-breaking story of his personal experience of loss. He was around 10 when he saw his sister killed in front of him. Another sister died from illness relating to starvation, and his parents were “missing”. He was recruited to fight for the Khmer Rouge. It was still fresh and raw for him as he teared up showing us the Killing Fields and Tuoi Sleng. His wife asked him why he puts himself through guiding the site, (she stopped coming with him as it was too hard for her) and he said it was to keep the history alive. The younger generation is barely learning about it in school. His personal story really helped us to understand what happened to the country.

sites along the way

arrival at Tuol Sleng (known as S-21)

the gallows

there were several rooms with photos of the prisoners

Nin showing us that the grey area was the size of a cell

the actual cells

the small hole at the bottom was added to hose out the human waste

We stopped to chat with Chum Mey. He survived gunfights and rocket attacks during the civil war, losing his wife and 4 children. He was dragged and blindfolded into Tuol Sleng prison where more than 12,000 people were chained and tortured before being sent to the Killing Field. It was his skill as a mechanic that saved him, when after 12 days and nights of beatings and repeat electrocution, he was taken and put to work repairing typewriters that his torturers used to record their forced confessions.

Of his torturers he said " I consider them victims like me, because they had to follow other people's orders. How can I say I would have behaved differently? Would I have had the strength to refuse to kill, if the penalty was my own death?"

Nin introducing Chum Mey

he spoke of his experience and had his book for sale

We then continued the drive to Choeung Ek.

We walked through the fields and visited the small museum and the Memorial Stupa. Nin continued to tell his personal stories and it was very hard not to cry with him.

Seeing the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot was very sobering. Between 1975 and 1978, about 20,000 men, women, children, and infants who had been detained and tortured at S-21 prison were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. The remains of 8,985 people, many of whom were bound and blindfolded, were exhumed in 1980 from mass graves in this one-time longan orchard; 43 of the 129 communal graves here have been left untouched. Fragments of human bone and bits of cloth are scattered around the disinterred pits. More than 8,000 skulls, arranged by sex and age, are visible behind the clear glass panels of the Memorial Stupa, which was erected in 1988.

Choeung EK Genocidal Center - Killing Fields

Memorial Stupa - houses skulls

where the trucks transporting prisoners to be exterminated from S-21

executions increased to over 300 per day and that caused some prisoners to be detained here until the next day

where executioners stationed here permanently worked

Where killing tools such as shackles, leg irons, hatchets, knives, hoes, shovels, and iron ox-cart axles were stored

mass grave held about 450 victims

mass graves

you could see bits of clothing or bones poking out of the ground

mass grave of 166 victims without heads

piece of bone

after the mass graves were exhumed in 1980, after a hard rain clothing came up & collected

more bones

mass grave for more than 100 women and children, many were naked

tree where executioners smashed the children's heads against

more mass graves

display of bone fragments

former Chinese grave, pre 1975

tree was used to hang a loudspeaker to play sound louder to not hear the screams of victims being executed

display of bones of a small child and artifacts

On the ride back to the boat our driver was pulled over for illegibly running a red light. To get out of the ticket, he paid the officer $20.00. Nin explained that it's a scam the police do to earn extra money. So, essentially a bribe to not get a ticket written. He also told us that the money would come out of the driver's own pocket and not his employer. All of us in the van said we would all chip in a dollar or two and it was quickly collected and given to our driver.

The cop shook his finger at Greg to stop taking photos. (from the van window)