I did not take any photos as I will never need them to remember what I saw. The experience of walking over fragments of clothing and human bone that had risen to the surface of the ground in the heavy rains, in what was an otherwise peaceful field, combined with the audio tour giving an account of what happened at each spot, and the pile of human skulls the size of a house, is not something that anyone could forget. I visited but one of the hundreds of Killing Fields that are located all around Cambodia that were established by the Pol Pot Regime. It was impossible not to shed a few tears while walking around the site.
I did take two photos while at camp S21 while I was there. I was fortunate enough to meet Bo Meng, one of only 7 people who survived S21, and we took a photo together. I bought his published autobiography from him (all proceeds to charity), which he signed for me, and I was able to ask him a few questions through a translator.
He explained he survived by being useful, which in his case, was being able to reproduce life like paintings. I observed that it must have been very difficult for him to return to S21 after all he had been through to sell books. He explained that he wanted to tell the world what had happened in Cambodia, so that it could never again happen in Cambodia, or anywhere else.
I did take one other photo while visiting S21. Pol Pot's head in a box for all eternity, the head itself created by Pol Pot, presumably as he tried to emulate some of the grandeur of the Khmer Kings of the Angkor Period.
Some statistics about Cambodia
14.5 Population of Cambodia today in millions
21 The median age
76.3% The adult literacy rate
290,000 to 430,000 The annual fresh water fish catch in tonnes
539,000 Bombs dropped on Cambodia in tonnes
21% The percentage of population killed during the Khmer Rouge rule (1975-1979)
26 The number of psychiatrists in Cambodia
More information about the Cambodian Genocide is available at http://www.yale.edu/cgp/
Putting the genocide in context with the rest of Cambodian history
Pol Pots head (several copies) on display
Bo Meng: A survivor of S21, one of 7 survivors out of the thousands who perished there
2 comments:
Sorry for not photos. The internet cafes I've been using haven't had the facility to transfer photos.
When I get the chance I'll include them.
You're certainly experiencing a lot of variety on your trip John. Amazing that so many people were killed in Cambodia. Half way through your time now. It's hard to believe!
Well done on the method of keeping the young boys engaged. It's hard to stay vigilant
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