Went and saw the killing fields and S-21 today. Pol Pot had a dictatorship over the country from 75-79 and was responsible for the deaths of over 3 million Cambodians.
S-21 was awful. It use to be a school converted to a prison after Pol Pot came to power. Pol Pot was his regime name, short for Political Potential. The prison was used as a torture chamber and for 17,000 Cambodians, it was the last place they ever saw.
The place was eerie and they had photos of victims up. Noone was ever released, and only 7 people survived the prision, one of which I met today. The torturing was inhumane, and they use to use a false sense of friendship to lure people in. Pol Pot use to throw money out in villages to the people so they naturally loved him and thought he was a great leader.
After that we went to the killing fields, where there were over 129 mass graves. Each grave had anywhere from 10-2000 people in them. When it rains, they find more debris from the graves. Clothing and bones keep rising to the surface and you can see them on the paths you walk on. Quite an uncomfortable feeling.
People here have very little, and most display outside their houses which politcal party they support. They cling to politics here in much the same way the western world clings to their materialistic possessions. The locals will tell you all about the people in power, as long as no other locals are about. Some people from the Pol Pot era (Khmer Rouge) were granted amnesty after their great attrocities and are now in Government today. It makes me feel even worse to think that even after 79, New Zealand along with many other western countries still backed this government, as we were too scared about the spread of communism. Odd to think, where everyone here is so happy and every Cambodian is your friend.
On a lighter note, off to Sihanoukville tomorrow where it will be beaches and snorkelling galore! Can't wait.
S-21 was awful. It use to be a school converted to a prison after Pol Pot came to power. Pol Pot was his regime name, short for Political Potential. The prison was used as a torture chamber and for 17,000 Cambodians, it was the last place they ever saw.
The place was eerie and they had photos of victims up. Noone was ever released, and only 7 people survived the prision, one of which I met today. The torturing was inhumane, and they use to use a false sense of friendship to lure people in. Pol Pot use to throw money out in villages to the people so they naturally loved him and thought he was a great leader.
After that we went to the killing fields, where there were over 129 mass graves. Each grave had anywhere from 10-2000 people in them. When it rains, they find more debris from the graves. Clothing and bones keep rising to the surface and you can see them on the paths you walk on. Quite an uncomfortable feeling.
People here have very little, and most display outside their houses which politcal party they support. They cling to politics here in much the same way the western world clings to their materialistic possessions. The locals will tell you all about the people in power, as long as no other locals are about. Some people from the Pol Pot era (Khmer Rouge) were granted amnesty after their great attrocities and are now in Government today. It makes me feel even worse to think that even after 79, New Zealand along with many other western countries still backed this government, as we were too scared about the spread of communism. Odd to think, where everyone here is so happy and every Cambodian is your friend.
On a lighter note, off to Sihanoukville tomorrow where it will be beaches and snorkelling galore! Can't wait.
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