The Khmer Rouge were the ruling political party between 1975 and 1979. Under it's regime, an estimated 1.5 million people, or 1/5th of the Cambodian population, were killed. The Khmer Rouge, under the leadership of Pol Pot, was trying to turn Cambodia into a classless society by forcing everyone into agricultural work, slaving away on farms in labour camps. They targeted, tortured and then eventually executed people in the following categories: intellectuals and professionals (really anyone with an education or who wore glasses), anyone with connections to the former government, Christians, Muslims, Buddhist monks and homosexuals. All of these people were eventually brought to the S-21 prison and then to The Killing Fields to be killed and buried in mass graves.
After being photographed the prisoners were taken to their cells and shackled to the walls and floors. The rules were very strict and anyone who disobeyed were beaten. Prisoners wer tortured by various techniques until they confessed their crimes. Most confessions included imaginary stories to satisfy the interrogator and end the torture. For a while, prisoners were killed at S-21, but once the burial spaces were taken up the prisoners were then taken to The Killing Fields.
We spent a couple hours making our way through all of the rooms of the museum. We just barely missed the S-21 documentary, which would have been interesting to see. All-in-all it was a pretty intense day.
On our second day in Phnom Penh we decided to take a morning trip to Choeung Ek, the most well known Killing Field site. The site is a memorial now, marked by a Buddhist stupa filled with more than 5,000 human skulls. Many of the mass graves have been excavated, but some still remain untouched. We spent about an hour at the site and then decided that we had enough time to visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum to learn some more before we had to catch our bus out of the city.
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a former High School that was turned into Security Prison-21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge. To transform the High School, electrified barbed wire was put up to enclose all of the buldings, classrooms were converted into tiny prison and torture chambers and all the windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire.
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a former High School that was turned into Security Prison-21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge. To transform the High School, electrified barbed wire was put up to enclose all of the buldings, classrooms were converted into tiny prison and torture chambers and all the windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire.
The buildings at Tuol Sleng are preserved as they were left in 1979 when 
the Khmer Rouge were driven out. Some of the most eerie rooms were the ones with black and white photographs of prisoners from floor to ceiling. As soon as a prisoner arrived they were photographed and questioned. When looking at the photographs you can see the range of emotions that were going through these peoples' minds and bodies. Some had eyes wide, frightened for what lay ahead, while others looked tough and mean, maybe trying to intimidate the interrogators.
the Khmer Rouge were driven out. Some of the most eerie rooms were the ones with black and white photographs of prisoners from floor to ceiling. As soon as a prisoner arrived they were photographed and questioned. When looking at the photographs you can see the range of emotions that were going through these peoples' minds and bodies. Some had eyes wide, frightened for what lay ahead, while others looked tough and mean, maybe trying to intimidate the interrogators. After being photographed the prisoners were taken to their cells and shackled to the walls and floors. The rules were very strict and anyone who disobeyed were beaten. Prisoners wer tortured by various techniques until they confessed their crimes. Most confessions included imaginary stories to satisfy the interrogator and end the torture. For a while, prisoners were killed at S-21, but once the burial spaces were taken up the prisoners were then taken to The Killing Fields.We spent a couple hours making our way through all of the rooms of the museum. We just barely missed the S-21 documentary, which would have been interesting to see. All-in-all it was a pretty intense day.
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