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trunktravel · 2 years

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All About Tuol Sleng & The Killing Fields

Cambodia has a history unlike any other country in South East Asia, one that is filled with atrocities, pain, and genocide. However, this is often forgotten about or overlooked, and whilst being so fascinating, so many people have not heard about what took place only 40 years ago. So why is that?

In 1975 the Khmer Rouge swept across the country, declaring their opposition towards Cambodia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, destroying much of what was in their wake. The Khmer Rouge, led by the now infamous Pol Pot, was essentially a communist regime, one that spread nothing but terror and chaos throughout Cambodia for four years, from their rise to power in April 1975 until they were overthrown in January 1979. It is estimated that during this time one third of the Cambodian population was wiped out by their own people, whether it was from exhaustion and malnourishment as they worked in the fields, killed in interrogations, or simply murdered for baring any kind of intelligence beyond what was deemed acceptable, such as wearing glasses, being a teacher or doctor, or speaking a foreign language.

Declaring that the nation would start again at "Year Zero", Pol Pot isolated his people from the rest of the world and set about emptying the cities, abolishing money, private property and religion, and setting up rural collectives.

In Phnom Penh stands two main monuments that proudly showcase the memory of what happened in Cambodia and those who’s lives were lost. Cambodia has not only been able to recover but has grown and developed since those years, but that development came at the price of the peaceful way of life that used to reign in Cambodia. Whilst this may be the case, and the rate of Cambodia’s growth has been exponential since the Khmer Rouge was overthrown by invading Vietnamese troupes, the memory of the atrocities that took place here are still fresh in the minds of many of the people that still live here.

Hundreds of thousands of the educated middle-classes were tortured and executed in special centers. The most notorious of these centers was Tuol Sleng in the capital city of Phnom Penh, often nicknamed S21 Prison, was once a school, but during the Khmer Rouge Regime this school was turned into a prison where ‘enemies’ of the Khmer Rouge were kept, tortured, interrogated and killed. It is estimated that over the four years of the Khmer Rouge Regime as many as 17,000 men, women, and children were kept imprisoned here.

To this day Tuol Sleng still stands, now no longer a prison, but a monument and dedication to those who lost their lives there, including a small amount of foreigners who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is rumored that during their stay at Tuol Sleng many prisoners were forced into confessing to crimes that they had not committed, including being international spies or selling information to governments outside of Cambodia, pushed to this point through torture and threats. The faces of those that were imprisoned at S21, some only children themselves, still hang on the walls, framed for guests and visitors to see, haunting the halls of the building that once kept them captive.

Due to a policy of guilt-by-association, at times whole families were detained at the center. Very few inmates were released out of the prison between the years of 1975 and 1979. Only 12 former inmates survived the opening of S-21 when Phnom Penh was liberated. Four of them were children. These are often referred to as ‘the lucky ones’.

Probably the most heartbreaking monument to the Khmer Rouge Regime stands in the form of the Killing Fields, located just outside of Phnom Penh Capital. Whilst only one of hundreds of Killing Fields across the country, Choeung Ek, which sits on the outskirts of the city, was by far the largest and most terrifying of them all. Today it serves as a memory to those that lost their lives there - and those that survived - and is used as an educational tool to ensure that history never repeats itself again.

Those sent to Choeung Ek made the 17km journey crammed into the back of trucks. Once there, many were blindfolded and, not wanting to waste bullets, soldiers smashed spades into their heads before pushing them into pits containing the dead bodies of thousands. It is thought that about 17,000 men, women, and children were executed at the site.

In 1980, the remains of almost 9,000 people were exhumed from the mass graves that litter the former orchard. Many of these skulls now sit in a memorial stupa that was created in 1988 and forms the centerpiece of the site, serving as a reminder of the bitter past and helping to ensure the lives lost are never forgotten.

Today, it’s hard to imagine the former orchard is a place that harbors such horror. Birdsong rises from the trees, the gentle breeze wafts through manicured fields, flowers bloom, shimmering paddies surround the site and life goes on. Threaded bracelets litter the site, from being hung on plants and posts that surround the locations that once marked mass-graves, to being strung through the trees where children were once killed - a small offering of remembrance and solidarity from visitors and guests who pass through to pay their respects.

It seems almost immoral that such suffering has been almost completely forgotten by the rest of the world. But in Cambodia life goes on, improving day by day, with the unspoken promise that such horrors and atrocities will never happen again in the Kingdom of Wonder.

#Cambodia #CambodiaHistory #CambodianHistory #KhmerRouge #KhmerRougeRegime #TuolSleng #S21Prison #TheKillingFields #TrunkTravel

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akhnatenmallya · 4 years

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The Killing Fields Kaing Guek Eav, infamously known as Comrade Duch, died today at around 00:52am. As a former senior member of the Khmer Rouge, he was in charge of Tuol Sleng prison, also known as S-21, and was responsible for the torture and murder of thousands of Cambodians and a few foreigners during the brief period that the Khmer Rouge ruled, from 1976 to 1979. The Killing Fields are actually a number of sites spread across Cambodia. However, the best known of them lies a mere 17 odd kilometers from the capital city - Choeung Ek. It is thought that more than 17,000 men, women and children made their one-way journey in trucks, to be summarily executed over the years. Most were executed the very night they were brought in. Today, remains of about 9,000 have been exhumed. Many of these skulls along with bone fragments, teeth and bloodied clothes are stacked in glass cases within the Memorial Stupa – especially created to be the main centerpiece of this site. The monument is also a homage to those who lost their lives to a useless cause, and the very few who survived. It is also a reminder of what transpired on these grounds for close to four bloody years. In fact, on the 9th of May each year, there is a memorial ceremony that is held here. There is a lake a little ahead of this site. However, the views are no consolation as you pause to catch your thoughts. ________________________________________ @nofixedaddrs #nofixedaddrs www.nofixedaddress.in _________________________________________ Kingdom of wonder 🇰🇭 #KingdomofWonder @visitcambodiaofficial #visitcambodiaofficial #visitcambodia _________________________________________ @shutterstock #shutterstock @shutterstockcontributor #shutterstockcontributor @shutterstocknow #shutterstocknow One small contribution at a time. _________________________________________ ………. ……... …….. ……. …… ….. …. … .. . #cambodia #phnompenh #s21 #genocide #history #prison #khmerrouge #killingfields #genocidemuseum #s21prison #khmer #polpot #museum #tuolsleng #s21genocidemuseum #torture #ComradeDuch #kampuchea #tragic #khmer (at Choeung Ek Killing Fields Memorial) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEoR0KKsQug/?igshid=17ahq02x602wb

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ramblinmanandwife-blog · 6 years

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“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness” ~Elie Wiesel Today was a heavy one—we toured the killing fields of Choeung Ek and the S-21 prison at Tuol Sleng. Located near Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh, these sites were used by Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime to exterminate tens of thousands of Cambodian people during the late 1970’s. Similar to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, these stand as chilling reminders of the atrocities humans are capable of and, God-willing, impedances to any future genocides . . . #ramblinmanandwife #cheoungek #cheoungekgenocidalcenter #cheoungekkillingfields #khmerrouge #cambodia #phnompenh #tuolslenggenocidemuseum #tuolslengprison #s21prison #tuolsleng #travel #genocide #nomoregenocide #makepeacenotwar #traveltheworld #seetheworld #aroundtheworld #travelphotography #photography #realphotography #nomad #wanderlust #canon #canonphotography #nofilter (at Choeung Ek)

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aliinaa22 · 7 years

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Still shocked about the horrible things which occurred during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia... #s21prison #phnompenh (at S21)

#s21prison #phnompenh

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nofixedaddrs · 4 years

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S-21

"We want information, information, information

Who are you?

The new number 2

Who is number 1?

You are number 6

I am not a number, I am a free man!"

------------------------------- Iron Maiden

If you didn’t know what you were seeing, you would think Chao Ponhea Yat High School is just another regular school. Once you enter the gates, it is like any other school, with five buildings overlooking the well-maintained lawns.

However, between 1976 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge, who had overrun Phnom Penh had named it S-21, or Security Prison 21.

They immediately set about converting it into a prison to hold their inmates, an estimated 20,000 of them including men, women, children and infants. The adults and children were photographed and then interrogated and tortured until they ‘confessed’.

Though that number is disputable, it is worthwhile to say that there are only twelve accounted former prisoners who survived. As for the rest, once their interrogators had done with them, they were trucked to Choeung Ek, the most famous of the killing fields, to be finally executed.

It is now called Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and serves as a memorial for the thousands who passed through its door, never to see freedom again. While the Khmer Rouge regime lasted just four short years, its legacy continues to haunt a generation of Cambodians.

_________________________________________

@nofixedaddrs

#nofixedaddrs

www.nofixedaddress.in

_________________________________________

Kingdom of wonder 🇰🇭

#KingdomofWonder

@visitcambodiaofficial

#visitcambodiaofficial

#visitcambodia

_________________________________________

@ironmaiden

#ironmaiden

Thank you for the music. My very first album, and a song that still resonates even today. 🙏

_________________________________________

@shutterstock

#shutterstock

@shutterstockcontributor

#shutterstockcontributor

@shutterstocknow

#shutterstocknow

One small contribution at a time.

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#cambodia #phnompenh #s21 #genocide #history #prison #khmerrouge #killingfields #genocidemuseum #s21prison #khmer #polpot #museum #tuolsleng #s21genocidemuseum #torture #ComradeDuch #kampuchea

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abdelmegeed-blog1 · 6 years

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Assignment 6 Reflection

At the moment I knew we were assigned with this assignment, I was quite panicked to be honest. I didn’t know where to start, so I had to research, and this time it was time to use a book. The last time I opened a book was a few years back and I opened it by mistake. Actually, this time, the photobook turned out to be helpful, as I stated earlier in my preliminary research (for choosing the topic). In a nutshell, I adopted the topic of the kids who were imprisoned in the S21prison during the Cambodian Genocide. My aim was to reshoot it in a relatively similar way, to raise awareness and at the same time take a road I’ve never took before (vintage photography and deteriorating-form editing).

Taking pictures of the kids was hard, but what was even harder was controlling their wild human instinct. They were running around like animals during the photo-shoot, and at some point I wished it was a hunting shoot instead. But when they got in the proper apparel, and stood in the shooting spot it felt like all the wait was over and trust me, it felt so good. On average, I took 7 or 8 photos before I reached the million dollar shot. Although the environment was fairly urban, it didn’t bother me much because I knew the editing would make it much more industrial and authentic. The lighting was another obstacle in my way, because it was so revealing of the participants’ faces and that wasn’t what I demanded. So, I bought some tracing paper, as advised by Ronnie, and stuck it to the top of the light stand, and voila! All of a sudden the faces became more dim and the facial features were very close to those of the kids in the S21 prison. I also tried adding Vaseline to my camera lens, but it didn’t work as anticipated.

Overall, Id say that this was a well-rounded project because the execution was surely one that taught me a lot, let alone the editing that I’ve never witnessed on this scale before. The message was quite deliberate throughout, and I believe the audience will comprehend it on an intellectual notion. These kids who were deprived of their innocent childhood deserved my tribute, and even if I end up with a bad grade, I’m still proud of my self for adopting a long unspoken cause that the world knew very little off.

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almost-a-doc-blog · 8 years

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New Heaven and Earth

You said You would help Us make a new

Heaven and earth.

We listened and were anxious with anticipation –

True to your word – we had a new

Heaven and earth.

You showed Us how to water the seeds with

Blood

And how to fertilize the fields with

Flesh.

Recently I visited the S-21 prison and the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was disturbing and gruesome and gut wrenching to see all of the destruction that humankind can do to each other. The problem is that we often don’t seem to learn from our mistakes, no matter how grievous they be. Here’s to hope for a better future and to never repeat the same mistakes.

#tuolsleng #s21 #s21prison #genocide #massmurder #hope #future #cambodia #phnompenh #killing fields

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emayabang · 9 years

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia (City Capital) June 16, 2015

#cambodia #phnompenh #mekongriver #grandpalace #s21prison

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akhnatenmallya · 4 years

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S-21 "We want information, information, information Who are you? The new number 2 Who is number 1? You are number 6 I am not a number, I am a free man!" ------------------------------- Iron Maiden If you didn’t know what you were seeing, you would think Chao Ponhea Yat High School is just another regular school. Once you enter the gates, it is like any other school, with five buildings overlooking the well-maintained lawns. However, between 1976 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge, who had overrun Phnom Penh had named it S-21, or Security Prison 21. They immediately set about converting it into a prison to hold their inmates, an estimated 20,000 of them including men, women, children and infants. The adults and children were photographed and then interrogated and tortured until they ‘confessed’. Though that number is disputable, it is worthwhile to say that there are only twelve accounted former prisoners who survived. As for the rest, once their interrogators had done with them, they were trucked to Choeung Ek, the most famous of the killing fields, to be finally executed. It is now called Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and serves as a memorial for the thousands who passed through its door, never to see freedom again. While the Khmer Rouge regime lasted just four short years, its legacy continues to haunt a generation of Cambodians. _________________________________________ @nofixedaddrs #nofixedaddrs _________________________________________ Kingdom of wonder 🇰🇭 #KingdomofWonder @visitcambodiaofficial #visitcambodiaofficial #visitcambodia _________________________________________ @ironmaiden #ironmaiden Thank you for the music. My very first album, and a song that still resonates even today. 🙏 _________________________________________ @shutterstock #shutterstock @shutterstockcontributor #shutterstockcontributor @shutterstocknow #shutterstocknow One small contribution at a time. _________________________________________ ………. ……... …….. ……. …… ….. …. … .. . #cambodia #phnompenh #s21 #genocide #history #prison #khmerrouge #killingfields #genocidemuseum #s21prison #khmer #polpot #museum #tuolsleng #s21genocidemuseum #torture #ComradeDuch #kampuchea (at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5p4VEqA1Ot/?igshid=u304t3q2mcbq

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