August 18th, 2019
Today we hired a tuk tuk to take us to “The Killing Fields” and S-21 detention center. We learned a lot of history of the genocide that happened in Cambodia in the late 1970’s. It was a shocking and eye- opening experience. To give a little background for those that don’t know, between 1975 and 1979 the communist regime Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot took control of Cambodia. During the three years and eight months this regime ruled, an estimated 2-3 million Cambodians lost their lives. A quarter of the countries’ entire population was either brutally tortured, worked to death, starved to death, or executed. It is unfathomable to think of 1 in 4 people in your home county dying in less than a 4-year period.
The radical communist leader Pol Pot wanted to wipe out all Western influence in Cambodia and set up an agrarian society. He was completely evil in the way he brutally tortured and killed millions. I’ve done a little research because I just couldn’t help but wonder where was the rest of the world during this? Did people even know this genocide was going on? Khmer Rouge was brutally killing hundreds a day with things like gardening tools because bullets were too expensive. In the end they were overthrow by the Vietnamese troops who were still in the aftermath of their own country being destroyed by war. It’s just insane that the Pol Pot regime got away with the brutality and enslavement of their own Cambodian people for almost 4 years. I know horrific genocide has happened all over the world during different times, but it is shocking to see and hear the history on it. We did an audio tour at both the killing fields and S-21 prison. It was a hard day, but an important part of history we cannot ignore. It is crazy to think how all the local Cambodians who are our parents’ age or older lived through this incredible time of suffering. They each probably have a story of how it affected their life even to this day with such unimaginable loss of family and community.
After our tours we walked around downtown and the riverfront area. We had dinner and it was a beautiful change to see the locals gathered together in parks, families having picnics, children playing etc. I was actually impressed with how nice and clean Phnom Penh felt. These people are moving forward from this atrocious event in the best way they can. Their opportunities and resources are more extremely limited than we know. It’s actually quite remarkable they have come this far in Phnom Penh. I was very impressed with the city and we had a nice evening exploring.
I had read about Pol Pot before but only because I was doing a google search on people responsible for the highest number of deaths in history. He came up in the top ten if I remember correctly. It’s crazy that I have no remembrance of ever learning about this in school and don’t even remember hearing much if anything about it while it was going on.
I realized why this was the case by reading an article at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/press-coverage-of-the-cam_b_1469187. The article starts out by saying: “1975 and 1979, 1.67 million Cambodians died as a result of Communist reform and American bombing. However, this genocide is considered to be one of the most under reported global crises of the twentieth century. The lack of reporting contributed greatly to the lack of action against the perpetrators.”
The article is worth reading to understand the events that led up to the genocide. It talks about how Pol Pot sealed off the country so no foreign reporters (journalists) were allowed in, making it very difficult for the necessary coverage which may have mobilized more intervention from other countries.
I agree with you that it is very heartening to see Phnom Penh, the beautiful city and vibrant people, carrying on and improving quality of life in the relative nearness of such history! Really incredible. I commend you for taking the tour and for wanting to know and learn about the people and the history of such places. This makes your journey invaluable. These are experiences that will change you, shape your understanding and broaden your empathy. An excellent education and experience for all your future endeavors.