The Killing Fields were a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Communist regime Khmer Rouge, which had ruled the country since 1975. The massacres ended in 1979, when Communist Vietnam invaded the country, which at that time was officially called Democratic Kampuchea , and toppled the Khmer Rouge regime. Estimates of the number of dead range from 1.7 to 2.3 million out of a population of around 7 million.
(I did not steal that from Wikipedia)
The 25 min we spent there was quite chilling as the guide explained to us where and how everything on the site unfolded. The pits where the bodies were buried are still visible as is the lake where many more uncovered bodies still lay. The have built this shrine in the center of the site which houses 100's of skulls they have dug up. The majority of these contain cracks from being struck with blunt objects or axes. They used this method as they did not want to waste bullets.Many say the regime of Pol Pot was more worse than that of Adolf Hitler as he use more torture. I say they were both silly.
We went from here to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The site is a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21)
(again - no Wikipedia)
When we were in Lithuania for the second best wedding of the year we went to see the KGB prison that is there and this has a very similar feel to it. Many torture chambers, horrendous living conditions, no cable and a horrible atmosphere.
Walking through there you can hear a pin drop, and everyones mind is working overtime as they read the testimonies of the guards and other people that survived the atrocities.There was prisoner during this time that did not get executed and he has painted what he witnessed of the atrocities. These pictures are hanging throughout the cells and are extremely gruesome.
I could not wait to get out of there and meet up with old friends (a whole 3 days now) and have a cold cold beer. What a day!!
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