of what that many bodies must look like. You stand in front of a glass panel that goes right to the top of the monument and it is full of human bones - mainly skulls (see the picture on the left). Some of the skulls show clearly where they were bludgeoned because the Khmer Rouge needed to save bullets. It's incredibly difficult to stand in front and look because it looks like thousands of people are looking at you in the most haunting way.
Wandering around the fields is less traumatic, until you see clothes and bones lying in or around the mass graves (some of them still haven't been disinterred). Most of the guesthouses show the film 'The Killing Fields' each day so that the tourists can get a feel for what it was like in those times. We also went to see a production by a University group that pieced together some archive footage and accounts of what went on at that time. It's fascinating and of course soul wrenchingly sad to hear accounts of Cambodians killing Cambodians all for the political dreams of a mad man.
This is a picture of a once high school that was used by the Khmer Rouge to extract confessions. It was known at the time as S21. To visit this is in many ways was worse than the killing fields. This is where innocent people were tortured into giving a false confession which then justified the regime to execute them. No one was spared: men, women and even children! Some of the rooms were a little bit to much to take in, especially if you can imagine, the floors and cells haven't been washed so, without going into detail, there are still obvious reminders on the floor and walls that some grotesque torture had taken place.Sorry for the sombre theme of this blog but it is a visit that you really have to make when you're here (we did think about not going!).
On that note, we'll finish this blog and pick up again at one of the most incredible places on planet Earth! No, not Penshaw Monument, we're talking about Angkor Wat in a little place called Siem Reap.
5 comments:
The history books (well, Google) say that Pol Pot was overthrown and placed under house arrest, later dying in 1998.
Well I've done some digging (not literally, and certainly not in the paces K&S have just visited (urgh)) and decided his death must have been faked. Pol Pot entered Britain's Got Talent last year and actually won. Of course his accent has changed somewhat, and he used a false name, but it didn't take me long to suss him out.
Authorities, you can thank me later for unravelling this 10 year conspiracy. Interestingly, you'll actually find on tour in the far east - Korea to be precise - probably surprising some relatives who thought he was long gone like the rest of us.
well done my lovely daughter and very handsome son in law for being there and reporting ,least we forget. also well done to paul billy for his great abilty to ferret out unknown info and report it with great humour.love mam elves.
bloody hell dave and i get cakked for showing an intrest in hitler he was a missionary compared to that bugger
bon jower
can i have a stab at the film in the last blog was it by chance jaws
ps a little bird tells me youve got a bad case of the ertha kits carefull on the wait loss dinnit be showing up the bull
une big one
Didge says..back to the Phonm Penh blog..our cleansing lads can't keep the Broadway clean so the chances of keeping the back streets of nom pen clean are zero...ps.How sad is Paul Sandersfield watching Britains Got Talent
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