Phnom Penh Day 2: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 Prison) And Choeung Ek Killing Field

Previously:
Phnom Penh Day 1: Mekong Express Limousine Bus And Angkor International Hotel

We grab one of Tuk Tuk parking in front of our hotel.  With $20 for a half day trip to Toul Sleng, Choeung Ek and Central Market, it was totally alright with us.  And luckily, we got a great guy as well.

So many dust in Cambodia, we well prepared

OK, roughly a brief story about why do we need to visit this Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum or more known as S21 prison?  Not so long ago, around 1978, there is this cruel guy called Pol Pot.  He established a group called Khmer Rouge, which then he used to accomplish his dream and goal, to conquer this country.  He killed (I mean he leads his organisation to kill) more than 2 millions people in Cambodia.  All doctors, professors, and all those innocent people as long as you look smart, wear glasses, or be able to speak two languages are in their list.  Not only that, their whole family including newborn babies and women in their family root are also been captured.  Because Pol Pot has a motto (as I heard from the audio guide while I was in Choeung Ek),  " It is better to kill innocent people as a mistake rather than keeping an enemy as a mistake."  This sentence is still lingering in my mind.  How could a person be so cruel and heartless.

This place is originally a normal school.  On the day they raid the country, this Khmer Rouge took over this place and used it as a prison.  Once they captured those innocent people, they forcefully interrogated then sent them to the next place, which was Choeung Ek or Killing Field.  The people had been blindfold transported to Killing Field area by the truck.  The worst part was they thought they were going to be released.  As the area was too dark and they turned on a loud happy music to made them confused.  It was actually become their last place to be alive.  The purpose of turning on those loud happy music, is because they don't want to hear and let the neighbors hear those screaming or crying sounds.  What an evil things!

I do not want to spoil much of the story.  It is a really good experience, if you guys could actually see it by your own eyes.  By the way, to get the whole story about this history, you need to visit S21 Prison first, then followed by Choeung Ek or Killing Field.  I kinda understand like 90% of the story but once we watched the Killing Field movie in the hotel after we got back from this tour, we were fully understood everything.

Previously, it was a normal school

Torturing room

Choeung Ek or Killing Field

Here is The Killing Field, where it brought the tears in my eyes.  Most of everyone use the audio guide on their ears and slowly moving from one spot to another.  Very Quite and gloomy, no one smiling, some even crying.  There is also sign saying that we need to be careful when walking on the ground as some human bones are still scattered there, as it was too much and they still has not finished collecting them all.

This hole is used to pile up the body (died and half alive) of thousand of women and kids

This huge tree, in here where I couldn't stand my tears.  They used to smash the kids (below 3 years old) by the tree and throw them away.  Most of the killing are done by using any equipment beside guns.  You could see from the head fractured and for the babies and kids, they are pretty tiny and light so they just grabbed them by the leg and bang them with this spiky big tree for an easy killing.  Gun is so expensive therefore they use whatever tools in there, as so much people they need to kill.

After visiting those sorrowful places, that I have learned so much after today.  The tuk tuk driver took us to one of the restaurant, called tuk Tuk Cafe to have our lunch there.  Another great yummy Cambodian meal we had.  This time we had been recommended to try this local soup dish, Khmer Samlor Machu Krueng.  It is a savoury sour soup with slightly spicy.  You could choose fish or beef to be served with kangkung (morning glory).  Very refreshing, we could smell a strong turmeric spice in the soup and a thick texture from coconut milk.  It is another menu to be added on my favorite food lists.

Grilled Pork Rib with steamed rice $3.75

Grilled Pork with steamed rice $3.75

Khmer Samlor Machu Krueng Soup $6

Central Market

Tuk Tuk Café
38A Street 350, Phnom Penh
Tel: 012687285


Stay tuned for the next blog in Siem Reap:
Siem Reap Day 1: Golden Butterfly Villa, Siem Reap