Khmer Rouge Prison 21 - The Chilling High School In Phnom Pehn Cambodia
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Travel Leisure -> subcategory Destinations.
Khmer Rouge Prison 21: The Chilling High School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Summary:
While most travel stories are filled with joy and adventure, some destinations reveal the darkest aspects of human history. One such place is Khmer Rouge Prison 21, known as Tuol Sleng, a haunting reminder of the atrocities humans can inflict upon one another.
Tuol Sleng: A Grim History
In 1962, Ponhea Yat High School was established in downtown Phnom Penh, featuring three horseshoe-shaped buildings. During the 1970s, it was renamed Tuol Svay Prey High School. In May 1976, this school was transformed into the hub of the Khmer Rouge’s brutal genocide campaign in Cambodia.
The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot (or Brother Number One), ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, and their reign extended years beyond. They are infamous for the genocide that claimed the lives of approximately one-third of Cambodia’s population through murder and starvation, comparable to the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis. Tuol Sleng stands as a testament to their brutality.
Life in Tuol Sleng
Though it occupies roughly a city block, Tuol Sleng is discreetly nestled among the alleys of Phnom Penh. During the Khmer Rouge regime, it was encased in electrified barbed wire. Prisoners inside were routinely tortured until they confessed to alleged crimes. They followed strict regulations, some of which included:
1. Do not hide facts by making excuses. Contestation is strictly prohibited.
2. Do not cry during lashings or electrocution.
3. Disobey and you will receive five lashes with an electric wire.
As in Nazi concentration camps, meticulous records of every prisoner and atrocity were kept. Upon arrival, prisoners were photographed and their biographies documented. They were then confined to cells no larger than closets, chained to iron posts, and endured daily torture. Most prisoners were eventually marched two miles to the killing fields, where they were beaten to death to conserve bullets.
Harrowing Statistics
Between 10,500 and 14,500 adults and 2,000 children were held at Tuol Sleng. Only seven survived. Shockingly, only two Khmer Rouge members have faced prosecution for these crimes.
A Living Museum
Today, Tuol Sleng serves as a genocide museum. Photos of men, women, and even children, some as young as five, line the walls. Bloodstains remain on the floors of interrogation rooms.
Why Visit Tuol Sleng?
Traveling is about discovery, even when that discovery is unsettling. Acknowledging the dark chapters of human history helps prevent us from repeating them. The Nazi camps were in the 1940s, Tuol Sleng in the 1970s, and today similar horrors are happening in places like North Korea and Darfur. Will we ever learn?
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