The Cambodian Genocide

In Phnom Penh, I visited the site of the former prison S-21, now called the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The S-21 was a former high school used to capture anyone thought to be a threat to the regime. Rooms were converted to torture chambers, and barbed wire strung above the balconies to remove the option of suicide. Those seen as intellectuals were executed. Even those who spoke a foreign language, wore glasses and had soft hands were targeted. Most were tortured and forced into confessing fictitious crimes against the Khmer Rouge before being sent off to the Killing Fields. He wanted to ‘purify’ the society. 

Real doctors were eliminated as they were seen as enemies. To teach anatomy, some prisoners were cut open alive. Interrogation was in divided into categories; mild , hot and chewing. In many of the rooms were pictures of the victims. They demanded that each and everyone be measured first before being sent to the picture room. The Khmer Rouge kept detailed records of each prisoner.  They were called “it”; not “he” or “she”. There was a room with torture equipment. Water torture included water boarding . A picture showed a prisoner’s nails being taken off. Centipedes were put in open wounds and private parts   (there was a picture of a lady). The pictures of how they were tortured were graphic.