For a project exploring the "origins of evil," what could be more evil than the genocidal regime of Pol Pot in Cambodia? My talented, adventurous intern at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Sarah Collman, recently visited the Cambodian killing fields. I invited her to contribute a guest blog post:
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
By Sarah Collma
Foreign Policy
Perpetrators of genocide use different methods to kill and maim. In Bosnia, Serb forces lined up Muslim men and boys at mass execution sites, and shot them through the head. In Rwanda, Hutu gangs hunted down their Tutsi neighbors with knives and machetes. In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge tortured their fellow Cambodians with farming tools and bamboo sticks in prisons, before dumping their bodies in mass graves in the countryside. .
It is an eerie feeling to follow in the footsteps of the executioners and their victims, and stand in places that have witnessed so much pain, horror, and death.
I began my tour of the Cambodian "killing fields" by visiting Tuol Sleng, the death prison known as S-21, in Phnom Penh. I walked through each of the tiny rooms and cells in buildings A, B, C, and D, which were used for extreme torture and interrogation, detention, and extermination from 1975-1979. Guards at S-21 beat prisoners until they were nearly dead, pulled off their fingernails and toenails, forced them to eat human excrement, and poured salt water over their wounds -- in order to force confessions of non-existent crimes.
The half alive prisoners were often taken to Choeung Ek, the most notorious ‘Killing Field' just seventeen kilometers south of Phnom Penh. Here you can still see some fifty pits marking the mass graves where more than 8,000 bodies were found. There is a Buddhist stupa filled with 5,000 skulls. One mass grave is marked with a sign that reads "MASS GRAVE of 166 VICTIMS WITHOUT HEADS." The most disturbing spot is the "Killing Tree," used by executioners as a stump to batter babies.
Despite the different methods used in Cambodia, Bosnia, and Rwanda, the outcome was the same. Mass graves filled with thousands of skeletons. The extinction of an entire generation. A gaping hole in the lives of millions of people. There is no need to determine which genocide was worst. All were horrific, and all left dark stains on the history of mankind.
1 comment:
Ah coward Decho Hun Sen, Mr Sam Rainsy asks you to sue him at France court about you murdered Khmer people. Why don't you dare to do it as you have done at Cambodia court?
Being a strong man as well as Prime Minister of one country, you should not be coward to face the real justice at France court or International court. Unless, you are the real murderer in Cambodia that is the reason why you fear of Mr Sam Rainsy at real and fair justice court.
Decho Hun Sen rubbed Cambodian people well being, health care, dignity and sell Cambodia out to Vietnam in cheap price as long as he can stay in power. Isn't true Samdach Decho Hun Sen?
How many Cambodian people lives have you killed in your life so far? Can you being honest telling the true?
As one Prime Minister of one country his job is bully his own people from talking about Paris Peace agreement 1991 and Vietnam take Cambodia area. Why?
Samdach Decho Hun Sen Why does you so scare of the truth? Why do you so scare of Mr Sam Rainsy when he asks you to sue him at France court? You are strong man as you claim in TV screen.
Samdach Decho Hun Sen shouldn't scare of Mr Sam Rainsy because Mr Sam Rainsy has no weapon mass destruction as you do. You are the murderer; you must be strong in facing with Mr Sam Rainsy at France court as Mr Sam Rainsy invited you to do so.
Samdach Decho billion dollars Hun Sen, PLease face Mr Sam Rainsy as Mr Sam Rainsy invited you through the world media. You used to win on Mr Sam Rainsy many times in Cambodia court of justice. There is no reason why you should be worry about...if you have never killed anyone in Cambodia. Isn’t it Decho Sen?
Cambodian people hope to see Samdach Decho Hun Sen will has gut as a leader or a man to sue Mr Sam Rainsy at France court as Mr Sam Rainsy invited Samdach decho many times through Radio and world media.
Be a man Decho Sen! One in your life be a man Decho Sen! Be a man to face Mr Sam Rainsy at France court and international court.
We are personal bodyguards of Samdach Decho would like to see Decho Hun Sen be a man with Mr Sam Rainsy at France Court. Otherwise, Samdach Decho is not worthy to protect because why do we have to die for protecting a traitor, a murderer, a blood sucker. Isn’t it true Samdach Decho Hun Sen? Do you agree with that?
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