Pol Pot grave (Photo: AP)03/28/2009
AP
ANLONG VENG, Cambodia — He was one of the greatest mass killers of the 20th century, but that doesn't stop the hopeful from praying at Pol Pot's hillside grave for lucky lottery numbers, job promotions and beautiful brides.
Nor does it stop tourists from picking clean the bones and ashes from the Khmer Rouge leader's burial ground in this remote town in northwestern Cambodia.
The grave is among a slew of Khmer Rouge landmarks in Anlong Veng, where the movement's guerrillas made their last stand in 1998 just as Pol Pot lay dying. A $1 million tourism master plan is being finalized to preserve and protect 15 of the sites, and charge admission.
Included on the tour will be the houses and hideouts of the Khmer Rouge leaders, an execution site and places associated with Ta Mok, a brutal commander and Anlong Veng's last boss.
"People want to see the last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge and places where they committed atrocities," says Seang Sokheng, who heads the district tourism office and himself an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier.
Anlong Veng, he says, now receives about 2,000 Cambodian and 60 foreign tourists each month — a number that should jump when a casino is built by tycoons from nearby Thailand. A museum is also in the works, spearheaded by Nhem En, the chief photographer of the Khmer Rouge's S-21 torture center in Phnom Penh, a major tourist attraction for years.
"There are museums about World War II in Europe and people are still interested in Hitler. Why not about one of the world's most infamous leaders?" says Nhem En, now the deputy chief of Anlong Veng district. The museum will include his extensive photo collection and even a rice field to show visitors how people slaved under Khmer Rouge guns during their mid-1970s reign of terror.
Like virtually everyone here, he says he took no part in the atrocities but blames the top leaders.
"Pol Pot was cremated here. Please help to preserve this historical site," reads a sign next to a mound demarcated by bottles stuck into the ground and protected by a rusting, corrugated iron roof. A few wilting flowers sprout around the unguarded grave site, which officials complain has been virtually stripped of Pol Pot's cremated remains by foreign tourists.
"People come here, especially on holy days, because they believe Pol Pot's spirit is powerful," says Tith Ponlok, who served as the leader's bodyguard and lives near the burial ground.
Cambodians in the area, he says, have won an unusual number of lotteries, prompting Thais to come across the border and beseech Pol Pot to reveal winning numbers in their dreams. Government officials from Phnom Penh and others also make the pilgrimage, asking his spirit to make assorted wishes come true.
Nor does it stop tourists from picking clean the bones and ashes from the Khmer Rouge leader's burial ground in this remote town in northwestern Cambodia.
The grave is among a slew of Khmer Rouge landmarks in Anlong Veng, where the movement's guerrillas made their last stand in 1998 just as Pol Pot lay dying. A $1 million tourism master plan is being finalized to preserve and protect 15 of the sites, and charge admission.
Included on the tour will be the houses and hideouts of the Khmer Rouge leaders, an execution site and places associated with Ta Mok, a brutal commander and Anlong Veng's last boss.
"People want to see the last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge and places where they committed atrocities," says Seang Sokheng, who heads the district tourism office and himself an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier.
Anlong Veng, he says, now receives about 2,000 Cambodian and 60 foreign tourists each month — a number that should jump when a casino is built by tycoons from nearby Thailand. A museum is also in the works, spearheaded by Nhem En, the chief photographer of the Khmer Rouge's S-21 torture center in Phnom Penh, a major tourist attraction for years.
"There are museums about World War II in Europe and people are still interested in Hitler. Why not about one of the world's most infamous leaders?" says Nhem En, now the deputy chief of Anlong Veng district. The museum will include his extensive photo collection and even a rice field to show visitors how people slaved under Khmer Rouge guns during their mid-1970s reign of terror.
Like virtually everyone here, he says he took no part in the atrocities but blames the top leaders.
"Pol Pot was cremated here. Please help to preserve this historical site," reads a sign next to a mound demarcated by bottles stuck into the ground and protected by a rusting, corrugated iron roof. A few wilting flowers sprout around the unguarded grave site, which officials complain has been virtually stripped of Pol Pot's cremated remains by foreign tourists.
"People come here, especially on holy days, because they believe Pol Pot's spirit is powerful," says Tith Ponlok, who served as the leader's bodyguard and lives near the burial ground.
Cambodians in the area, he says, have won an unusual number of lotteries, prompting Thais to come across the border and beseech Pol Pot to reveal winning numbers in their dreams. Government officials from Phnom Penh and others also make the pilgrimage, asking his spirit to make assorted wishes come true.
13 comments:
Vietnam/China are the real killer of Khmer people...
www.khmer-heroes.blogspot.com/
I am aline, I am living in france,,,,,,,,, it is nice to read all khmer idea in this blog. I have my blog hope you read it
Bong jong rob aan aline ban te? aline saat nass! sros nass! som rob aan phong srey sros mease bong!
siwathakuch@yahoo.com
I would love to visit Pol Pot's grave. So, I can shit and pee on it. Murderer bastard!!!
I might dig up his damn bones and throw them in one of Phnom Penh sewages.
Whoever takes care of his grave or worship to his grave should be burned in hell with him.
Khmer/NY
957am. No bone left, his body was cremated ordered from Hanoi and Washington. Cremated, get it?
A lot of Scientists wanted to study his fossel, but the top ordered to creamate.
I wanted to do the same but now I am suspecious why they cremated his body? Something is so fishy.
Pol Pot was interviewed by BBC and he told the world that Vietnamese spies were in Cambodia. Later he was poisoned by the closest person to him. It had to be cremated to clean up the evidence.
Once the body of Pol Pot was cremated all the evidence of possible crimes destroyed.
That's during Clinton administration, US became friend with Vietnam.
A lot of things we didn't know about. We only bark at each others.
9:26
Why do you continue to post the same thing again and again?
Your comment is in English and most of the people who have voted for the Hun Sen or CPP probably cannot read anything in English so you are wasting your time. Besides it is their democratic rights to vote for whoever or whatever party they like.
It probably works better if you go to Cambodia and try to convince them that the Hun Sen's government or the CPP is not good or better still get into a debate with those who voted for the CPP and try to convince them to vote for whoever or whatever party you think is the best for Cambodia.
Most of the people who come to KI media to get news probably won't vote for Hun Sen anyway so why are you wasting time and energy preaching to them?
Sihanuk and Ah Hun Xen are too the Khmer'skiller!!!!
Sihanuk is he crazy kinghe helped youn Hanoi to kill khmers people.
Hun Xen continue to kill khmer from 07.01.1979 untill now.
Sihanuk and Ah Hun Xen are too the Khmer'skiller!!!!
Sihanuk is he crazy kinghe helped youn Hanoi to kill khmers people.
Hun Xen continue to kill khmer from 07.01.1979 untill now.
To the same poster 1:40 PM & 1:41 PM,
If you can write something a little intelligence, your comment may be considered by reader, but your Pnong languages chilled people's ass spines. You made reader think you're the real former Khmer Rouge yourself.
Do you know people this day are smarter than your dumb generation?
They can dig up thousand sources somewhere else besides reading your Pnong languages.
1100pm,
We won't consider the radical extremists like this 1:40 PM & 1:41 PM, as a positive voice for Cambodia. This person either one of the killers in the past or at least a group of Khmer dumbest going backward.
Guys read this wild dog siwathakuch@yahoo.com
wrote to the Lady named Aline.
siwathakuch seems to be a smart dog how to hunt women online.
'n Aline seems to be cleaver how to hunt the wild dogs onine, she picked the popular Blog to attrack men.
Have a happy times. Bullshit!!!
it goes to say people believe whatever they want to believe. it's a free world, you know!
Post a Comment