A couple of years ago I started a ritual of film watching I dubbed Friday Night Classics. On January 22nd 2021 that movie was the The Killing Fields (I log them all on Letterboxd). It opened my eyes to the atrocities committed in Cambodia—events that happened less than two decades before I was born.
While the film gives a great account, I knew I couldn’t leave Phnom Penh without seeing the history firsthand. So, for my final day in the city, I booked a tour on Viator to visit Tuol Sleng (S-21) and the Killing Fields.
Background
The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, seized control of Cambodia in 1975, declaring the start of Year Zero—a radical reset aimed at erasing Cambodia’s history and creating a self-sufficient agrarian society.
They emptied the cities and millions were forced into labour camps. The Khmer Rouge saw intellectuals, professionals (and even those who simply wore glasses) as enemies of the revolution, leading to mass purges. Over the course of four years, an estimated 1.7 to 2 million people—nearly a quarter of the population—died from execution, forced labour, and famine.
Saloth Sar AKA Pol Pot—a shortened form of the French phrase “Politique Potentielle”
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)
After being picked up at the hotel we made our way to Toul Sleng, commonly known as S-21 (Security Office 21). This was originally a school but was transformed into a prison and interrogation center by the Khmer Rouge. Of the estimated 14,000 to 20,000 people imprisoned here, only about 12 are known to have survived. The rest were tortured and sent to their deaths at the Killing Fields.
I was still feeling a bit rough so opted for the audio tour instead of the tour guide, as he was pretty intense (but still good)! Walking through the buildings you see the classrooms converted into cells, torture rooms, and the walls lined with haunting black-and-white photos of the victims.
I definitely recommend the audio tour as there is a lot to take in. There are also some interviews with relatives of those who ended up in S-21 which was a tragic listen.
Classrooms converted into places of torture before becoming the museum
The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
Next we took the short drive from Phnom Penh to Choeung Ek, one of Cambodia’s many Killing Fields. Here, prisoners from S-21 were executed—often with farm tools to save bullets.
Walking through Choeung Ek, you see mass graves, some still with remnants of clothing surfacing from the ground, especially after heavy rains. One of the most disturbing parts is the “Killing Tree”. Honestly, it’s very hard to fathom this level of cruelty—especially against your own people.
While some areas were excavated, most graves remain undisturbed out of respect for the victims and their families.
Choeung Ek. The building in the background has more than 8000 skulls in it
Aftermath
The Khmer Rouge regime collapsed in January 1979, when Vietnamese forces overthrew Pol Pot’s government. However, Khmer Rouge leaders remained active in parts of Cambodia for years.
Kaing Guek Eav, AKA Duch, was the head of S-21 and directly responsible for overseeing the torture and execution of thousands. He was the first Khmer Rouge leader to be tried by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), also known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Arrested in 1999 and tried in 2009, he was convicted in 2010 of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison. He died in 2020 at age 77.
Pol Pot was never brought to justice. He was arrested by his own followers in 1997 but died in 1998 aged 72. Apparently he took his own life to avoid trial.
A very worthwhile visit but very heavy at the same time. Such a juxtaposition to experience the tragic, recent, history of the Khmer Rouge regime after witnessing the grandeur of Angkor Wat just a week beforehand. The ancient temples symbolize Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage and the heights of its civilization, while the Killing Fields represent a period of its deepest suffering. Definitely worth a visit.
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