The Killing Fields

Trip Start Jul 13, 2006
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Trip End Jul 06, 2007


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Flag of Cambodia  ,
Friday, January 26, 2007

A friend who had visited Cambodia told me to be prepared for a dark place and be warned that this is a dark entry.

They have one of the most tragic histories on the planet going back to the late 70's when an estimated 1 million to 3 million people were killed with many of them tortured. We went to S-21 which was a high school that was converted to hold and force confessions. Hundreds of pictures document some of the 21,000 that were held here. A video we watched interviewed one of the torturers who kept on repeating "I did what they told me to do." We also went to the Killing Fields where 21,000 of the prisoners were executed for their 'crimes' of being teachers, professionals and doctors and placed in mas graves. Many children were killed also, in an effort to save bullets the kids were grabbed by the feet and swung so that their heads were smashed on a tree.

Their sad past is still very much in evidence today as there are many land mine victims on the streets due to the millions of land mines still active and exploding in this country.

There is a lively restaurant scene and we had a great meal at the Foreign Correspondence Club.
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