The Killing Fields - Choeung Ek

Cheoung Ek Genocidal Center is a unique and special place which reflects the most barbarous cruel crimes committed by the Ultra Communist Khmer Rouge Regime during 1975 - 1979. Here, at these killing fields about 20 000 people were executed and murdered. 129 mass graves and about 8000 human skulls found at the site bear testimony to this unspeakable crime. 

The truck stop where prisoners were brought to be executed. 

During the Khmer Rouge Regime approximately 3 million out of 8 million Cambodians were executed or died due to starvation or disease. That means more than a quarter of their population died in 4 years...This is the worst Genocide recorded. 

Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge Regime had anyone murdered who was an academic, anyone who spoke a foreign language, Monks and Nuns and anyone that might challenge his ways. He even went as far as to kill people who worked for the government beforehand as they were seen as traitors. 

Everything was documented. All prisoners were accounted for and signed off - signed off as in murdered. Sometimes they even made the prisoners sign their own death documents. 

This is the Charnel built in remembrance of the people who died during the war. 

Pol Pot followed the principles of Maoism...same same as General Mao in China. I am convinced that Pol Pot was the worst dictator in the world thus far. Hitler was pretty bad, and yes he did terrible things...however, he didn't murder more than a quarter of his own people...

Because ammunition was expensive, prisoners sometimes had their throats slit with the palm leaves. 

These leaves have razor sharp things on the side. 

Here is a picture of the excavations of the mass graves...Its not too clear because its a picture of a picture. 

The picture shows the mass grave of 450 victims...apparently these graves were about 5m deep and piled high with bodies and became big mounds that were lightly covered in soil.  

Some of the graves are covered because during heavy rains, bones and teeth and clothing wash up to the surface...no matter how much the excavate, remains still keep reappearing. 

Some of the holes from the mass graves. 

Some of the surfaced bones. 

Bits lying at the bottom of the graves. 

Some clothing that has come up to the surface. Its pretty traumatic walking around the site. They give you head phones with an audio tape that takes you through the whole place and its really harrowing and sad. 

Bone and Teeth Fragments. 

The Charnel in the background. 

The Genocide Museum. 

 The Killing Fields are about 15km outside of Phnom Pehn. They are situated in what used to be an orchard and old Chinese grave yard. There is a rice paddy along the one side, orchard along the other and a lake at the back. 

This is a mass grave of 166 victims...all were buried their heads.  

Clothing that has come to the surface...there are tiny children's clothing in there as well.  

Bones and teeth...

Close up of the teeth. About 5% of all the skulls found had some type of head trauma / skull damage. 

 Although everything seems terrible and awful, this is the most awful...this is a mass grave of over 100 children...some children even under the age of 2. 

People have left their bracelets along the fencing...

Isn't it just the saddest, cruelest thing you've ever seen. Some of these children watched their parents get murdered and some of the parent had to watch their children get murdered. Some of the Khmer Soldiers are responsible for than 10 thousand deaths each.

The worst thing of all, is that children were taken by their feet and smashed against this tree and then dumped into the grave...this is just barbaric, what kind of person does this or could do it. 

The Killing Fields.

Bones...remains...some people lost entire families, there are generations missing from families and families have been ripped apart never to have seen each other again and not knowing what happened to them. 

More bones...

This tree was were the Khmer Rouge hung loud speakers playing music - very loudly, combined with a diesel generator to over power the screams of the terrified victims. 

No words... 

The Charnel, built in remembrance...houses hundreds if not thousands of skulls of victims from Cheoung Ek. 

You ca buy flowers and light incense and pay your respects to the poor souls who suffered for no reason. 

Hundreds of skulls.

They are all separated into age groups.

The go the entire way up to the ceiling...

Cheoung Ek is one of 300 killing fields throughout Cambodia. In 1997, Cambodia approached the UN and asked them to please assist in putting together laws in order to try the Khmer Leaders. Some have just recently been jailed for life. Just goes to show how long this country suffered. 

Cambodia...Its such a beautiful place, with such an awful history...