Day 45 (Apr 19 2013): Phnom Penh

The Quick Facts:

* Spent ~1.5 days in Phnom Penh after arriving successfully from our exciting bus trip from Saigon
* Toured two main sites made infamous during the Khmer Rouge regime: the Tol Seng Genocide Center (“S21 Prison”) and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (the "Killing Fields")
* Also toured the National Museum, the Royal Palace, and the Russian Market
* Stayed at the One Up Banana Hotel, which is easily one of the nicest hotels we’ve stayed at in Asia (and for under $30/night!)

The Good:

* The S21 Prison and Killing Fields are powerful and moving, if not difficult to learn about and see
* Phnom Penh has beautiful architecture, and the people are for the most part very friendly (and their English is very good)

The Bad:

* People trying to sell you something or a tuk-tuk ride can be relentless – it is their way of making a living which I understand but sometimes it can be a bit frustrating


Unfortunately no trip to Phnom Penh can escape the stories and impact of the Khmer Rouge. During their brief reign from 1975-1979, in an effort to form a "utopian" agrarian collective state, the Khmer Rouge killed an estimated 2-3 million of their own citizens, which was approximately 25% of the population. The crimes worthy of death? Being educated (doctor, lawyer, professor, etc), living in a city, not supporting the Khmer Rouge in the "right" way, knowing the wrong people, etc. You get the idea. And it wasn’t enough to kill the men, entire families of condemned men (including children) were put to death in the most brutal and horrifying manners. The two sites dedicated to this period are the Tol Seng Genocide Museum (known as S21 back in the day) and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, known as the Killing Fields. Together they memorialize the brutal actions of some of history's truly evil men, while also act to preserve and honor the memories of all the victims.

 

Once arrested, prisoners were brought to S21 to be processed, interrogated, tortured, and detained. This is one of hundreds of similar prisons established throughout Cambodia. The structure is an old school, built before the rise of the Khmer Rouge and quickly outlawed as schools had no value in their extremist regime. Here are some pictures of the detention rooms...

 

As part of the exhibit, there are 30 or so of these types of boards, with the mug shots of each prisoner of S21.  Their faces are something I’ll never forget.

 

 

Once the prisoners were marked for death at the prison, they would be transferred to by bus to what is now known as the ‘killing fields’. There are some 300 known killing fields used by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. This particular site, some 15 km from the S21 prison, typically had a truck of 30 prisoners arrive every 2-3 weeks. Toward the end of the Khmer Rouge reign, trucks with 100 passengers would arrive every day. At this site alone, an estimated 20,000 people died--men, women, and children.

 

Here is the fence around a mass grave that has been exhumed and made into an exhibit.  Note all of the bracelets left by mourners.

 

 

And in the middle of the center stands a stupa, containing the skulls and bones of the victims recovered in these fields.

 

 

 

 

Apart from these sites devoted to the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, Phnom Penh is a beautiful city-- the architecture is beautiful, the streets are wide with a wonderful city center along the Tonle Sap river, and there aren't as many people as in the other Asian cities we’ve been to so it feels a little less crazy. Around town we went to the National Museum, which primarily houses very old Hindu statues:

 

And the royal palace--people are not allowed to enter the palace itself, but access to some of the buildings on the grounds is permitted.

 

As part of the palace, people are allowed into the silver pagoda, named because the floor is made of silver (which is of course all covered to protect it so you don't really get to enjoy it). Also, you are prohibited from taking pictures inside.

 

And, no trip to Phnom Penh would be complete without a walk along the river at sunset...

 

 

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