Posted on by garyandlinda

Sunday January 27, 2019

Killing Fields & S-21 Tuol Sieng

Phnom Penh Cambodia

The Killing Fields

 and

 Tuol Sieng Genocide Museum 

 

Fuel for our Taxi, LPG!
Sandy the driver of our 13 year old Toyota SUV
First view at the entrance of the Killing Fields, The Stupa monument at Choeung Ek is the site of a former orchard and mass grave of victims of the Khmer Rouge - killed between 1975 and 1979 - about 17 kilometres South of Phnom Penh
Pond at Choeung Ek aka The Killing Fields
Pond containing Lotus Flowers
Loudspeakers were hung from the tree to play sounds to mask the screaming , torture and killing from the detainees that were still alive in custody.
The sign at Killing fields near the tree below.
Blood and flesh were found embedded in this tree where babies and children were beaten to death. Children were killed so that they would never grow old to come back against the Khmer Rouge in retaliation.
Mass grave of 166 victims that were found with our heads.
Mass grave of 100 women and children, their corpses were found naked.
The natural terrain surrounding the killing fields
Human bone remains
Stupa Memorial

Up until now you have seen some disturbing pictures and heard horrid tales of killing.  The purpose of the Killing Fields, also known as the  Choeung Ek Genocide Centre is to record this for the history books so it will never be repeated.  Sadly there have been mass killing not far from Cambodia in the former country of Burma now known as Myanmar.  The 2017–present Rohingya genocide in Myanmar began on 25 August 2017 when the Myanmar military forces and local Buddhist extremists started attacking.

Human skulls, on display in the Stupa at the Killing Fields.
Human skulls are categorized by sex, age and type of killing instrument that broke their skull
Mass burial pits that are still giving up pieces of clothing and bones. The active excavation has ended, they only pick up what floats to the surface over time with rain. Many grave sites are being left untouched in this compound.
Names of those deceased at S-21
No way to escape!
No way to escape especially if you were strapped to the floor in these leg irons. The U-shaped bars that resemble a farm implement clevis were placed on both ankles, the victims were flat on their back in rows side by side.
The buildings that prisoned the captives were barb wired shut
One of the rooms where prisoners were held, pictures of the victims when they were found documents the reality.
S-21 prison cells
S-21 prison cells
S-21 prison cells
Back to the hotel after a short stop at the market during the hottest part of the day. We ate a few peanuts, cashews and drank our social beers with our names on the bottle! Thanks Heineken!
After a beer and a short rest, we went down the street to the Indian Restaurant. It was very good!

We walked along the river promenade down the street to the Night Market. Linda. bought two new shirts and Gary bought one, total price $11 USD. We has a fun visit with the lady selling the clothing. She asked how to pronounce (and pointed at a feather on a T-shirt) We tried for several minutes to teach her to say “th” sound as in “the”, “feathers”. Something we take for granted, but it was very difficult for her to place her tongue in the correct position. We all had a good laugh! Her little baby was 2 years, 2 months old and sleeping in the rack of clothing on a hammock. Just totally out of it, in all the noise!

We left the market and were offered a tux tux for $2 back to the hotel, we couldn't resist.

The video below is the partial trip by tuk tuk to the FCC Hotel in Phnom Penh.  Everyone drives in random madness !  Sometimes its enough to drive you nuts.  There is no road rage here!  

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