The Skulls

Victims skulls in Tousleng Museum

Torture cell The Tuol Sleng Museum is another sobering experience. Such a tragic, desolate place. Some people say that it's not the type of holiday they'd want, but I think that if you visit Phnom Penh, then it is a must do. It is important that people understand what happened here. We cannot pretend that these terrible things never occurred and it helps you to understand why the country is in the situation it is. To me, the visit was a show of respect. When Pol Pot and his men liberated Phnom Penh, celebrations had been going for just 3 hours when he commenced the expulsion of people from the city. It was supposed to be a temporary measure, but they were not permitted to return. People were captured and detained at this high school-come-prison. The educated people were held for the longest time and endured the most torture (up to six months). One of the reasons that for many years afterward, the Cambodian people shunned education. When the Vietnamese troops liberated Cambodia and entered Tuol Sleng, they found 14 last corpses that were left on the beds where they had been tortured. They buried their bodies in the grounds. Only 7 people survived out of the 17,000 that were processed here, including one who was a painter. His name is Vann Nath and he has painted many of his recollections of the time. They are all displayed at the museum. There is also a photographic gallery of ex-guards with a little story of each. It is amazing to see the way they will not accept any responsibility for their actions. The movie Killing Fields screens at the museum several times a day. A guide is available for US$5 and is worth the money. The Museum is open from 8.00am - 11.00am, 2.30pm - 5.00pm
posted by fellowshiptuk2 @ 11:20 PM 1 comments