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Home » Travelogues » Asia » Cambodia » Genocide in Cambodia - Choeung Ek Genocidal Center and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

March 15, 2015 Asia

Genocide in Cambodia – Choeung Ek Genocidal Center and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Read the first post on Cambodia here, on Phnom Penh City.

Entrance to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center
Entrance to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center

Between 1975 and 1979, a genocide was carried out by the Khmer Rouge regime, led by Pol Pot. It was estimated that between 1.5 to 3 million people were killed, which is almost a whole generation of people in Cambodia. Up to 20,000 mass graves, known as Killing Fields, were uncovered throughout Cambodia. We decided to visit one of the Killing Fields, Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum – it seemed wrong to list them as popular, but I have to say that one should visit these 2 places to learn about the history of Cambodia and the atrocities inflicted to the people of Cambodia.

(Some of the images below may be a little disturbing, so… be prepared.)

We took a tuk tuk, an auto rickshaw, a few distance away from our hotel and negotiated with him to bring us to these 2 places. I think it costed us about US$15 to US$20 for the day trip. We first head to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, which is located about 15 kilometres South-West of Phnom Penh. Before we were out of the city, our driver stopped at a convenience store and bought for us and himself some face masks – as the road ahead are mainly dirt roads, with sand and dust kicking up like a storm by the vehicles.

45 minutes later, we arrived at the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center.

Stupa
Memorial Stupa, housing 8,000 skulls exhumed from the mass graves

For US$6, the admission included an audio guide. It was an excellent audio tour, perhaps too excellent, as it describes who and how they were killed. It also included recounts by people who survived the Khmer Rouge and a Choeung Ek guard and executioner.

I remembered the place was very quiet… and eerie. It was horrifying, learning what the Khmer Rouge had done to these people – their own people.

Mass grave

In order to save bullets, which were deemed too expensive and precious by the Khmer Rougue, the Khmer Rouge used different ways to kill the prisoners – adults were killed by a blow to their heads after which their throats were slit. Babies were killed by bashing their heads against a tree. They killed children and babies too because the Khmer Rouge were afraid that these children would grow up and seek revenge against them.

Killing tree
Killing Tree – children were hit against this tree to kill them. Offerings are being hung on the tree.
Radio tree
Magic Tree (Radio Tree) – a loudspeaker was hung on this tree to cover the screams / moans of victims when they were executed

It was hard to describe how we felt after the audio tour – it was painful, depressing, and heart-breaking, and we left the Center with a heavy heart. I strongly encourage tourists to visit the Center to learn more about the Khmer Rouge and the genocide. This blog post has an excellent narration of the audio tour.

Skulls
Skulls of those exhumed from the mass graves

Choeung Ek Genocidal Center

Getting there:
45-minute tuk tuk ride
(US$15 to US$20 for a day trip, usually includes a ride to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum as well)
Opening hours:
Daily 0730 to 1730
Price:
US$6, includes an audio guide
Note:
Go early in the morning to avoid the heat and the crowd
High school
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

It was another 45-minute tuk tuk ride back to Phnom Penh city, and we headed to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The museum was originally a high school, which was taken over by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. They converted the high school into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21), which became the largest centre of detention and torture in Cambodia. According to records, more than 17,000 people had been held, interrogated and tortured in S-21, before they were taken to be executed in Choeung Ek Killing Fields.

High school
A section of the high school, which was converted into a prison during the Khmer Rogue.

We walked through the museum without a guide, visiting each classroom one by one. Most of the classrooms were prison cells, some were torture rooms, while some have been converted to display pictures, photos and the tools used to torture the prisoners. Wikipedia has covered quite extensively the living conditions of the prisoners – it was horrid.

Corridor
Iron bars were installed on every window in the high school
Captive
Prisoners were chained to the bed for interrogation and torture
No escape
What the prisoners see from their cells.

The prison cells were tiny, the prisoners were not allowed to talk to each other and they were fed a meagre amount of food and water everyday.

Classroom
Prison cells set up in one of the classrooms.
Barbed wire
Barbed wire

To prevent the prisoners from taking their own life, the prisoners were inspected frequently to ensure they don’t have items that can aid their suicide. Electrified barbed wires enclosed the high school to ensure the prisoners don’t jump to their death. All the barbed wire were removed from the museum except from one section of the high school.

Torture
The Gallows

Prisoners were tied and lifted upside down to be interrogated. Once they lose consciousness, the interrogators would dip the prisoners’ heads into the jar below them, which was filled with filthy water, to wake them up. The interrogation would then continue…

Shackles and chains
Shackles

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Address:
Street 113, Boeng Keng Kang 3 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
(A tuk tuk ride will get you there easily)
Opening hours:
Daily 0800 to 1700
Price:
US$3

To be perfectly honest, I knew nothing about the genocide in Cambodia until I visited the country – I knew more about the genocide in Germany than the genocide that happened closer to home, even though it happened only a few decades ago. I was glad I visited Cambodia and learned more about the genocide, and I strongly urge visitors to do so to.

Next travel post will be something lighter, about the beautiful Angkor Wat, stay tuned!

To see our itinerary for the whole trip and our budget, click here!



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Categories: Asia Tags: cambodia

Previous Post: « Luxurious Budae-Kimchi Jjigae (Army-Kimchi Stew)
Next Post: Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia – Day 1 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kaboom says

    April 28, 2015 at 8:42 am

    i went to prison s21 3 years ago. looking at those pic still send chills down my spine right now.
    btw love your post about simple cooking. can u include some “easier recipe”, like “simple cooking with induction cooker”, “recipe for 1 in 5mins”?

    Reply
    • Jasline N. says

      April 28, 2015 at 8:50 am

      Hi Kaboom, it was a really saddening place to visit. I will never forget that haunting visit.

      Thank you for your kind compliments about my blog. I don’t have an induction cooker, but I believe a lot of recipes can be made as it’s pretty similar to using a fire hob / stovetop – instead of adjusting the fire, you’ll just have to adjust the temperature.

      Your request for recipes for 1 in 5 minutes really stumped me, as I have none! The only way I think one can cook in 5 minutes is to use a microwave, which I am not inclined to do so. Why don’t you give some 30-minute recipes a try?

      Reply
      • kaboom says

        April 28, 2015 at 5:06 pm

        i was able to make some macaroni (HK style) in less than 10 mins. i am a lazy person, starting to learn to cook for myself, plus i m a fast eater. just hope i can find some easier recipe, otherwise it really doesnt make much sense by spending 30 mins to prepare for 5 mins meal.

        Reply
        • Jasline N. says

          April 28, 2015 at 8:45 pm

          Ooh I love the HK style macaroni soup, yummy! I’m afraid I don’t have any recipes this quick at the moment, will blog about it when I do! 🙂

          Reply
        • Jasline N. says

          April 28, 2015 at 8:47 pm

          Oh the only one I can think of now is a salad dressing, which I blogged about recently, hope you like salads!

          Reply
  2. Zoe (@bake4happykids) says

    March 31, 2015 at 3:13 am

    Hi Jasline,

    It must be an eye-opener to visit this place. It is so sad to see how the people in the past can be so physically and mentally tortured.

    Zoe

    Reply
  3. Choc Chip Uru says

    March 18, 2015 at 3:21 am

    Thanks for the historical place, a haunting tour for sure.

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
    • Jasline N. says

      March 19, 2015 at 9:12 am

      You are welcome, I hope you get the chance to visit there in the future!

      Reply
  4. Raymund says

    March 16, 2015 at 8:50 pm

    Wow this is depressing, so sad to have this happened. I think I will cry if I went into that audio tour 🙁

    Reply
    • Jasline N. says

      March 19, 2015 at 9:14 am

      It was really quite unbearable, especially at the Genocidal Centre, but definitely a meaningful visit.

      Reply
  5. Bam's Kitchen says

    March 15, 2015 at 10:01 am

    It is amazing how close the architecture styles are to Thailand. I know they are neighbouring countries but they are really similar. Very spooky and eery was your tour of the prison. Something a little off the beaten track to visit.

    Reply
    • Jasline N. says

      March 19, 2015 at 9:15 am

      I agree! When we went Cambodia, we couldn’t help but keep being reminded of Thailand. I hope you have the chance to visit there in the future, it’s a very meaningful visit.

      Reply

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Hi there! I am Foodie Baker - the baker, the cook, the author, the part-time photographer (my husband X takes most of the travel photos), and pretty much the slave behind Foodie Baker. Welcome and I hope you managed to find something you like. :)

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