Our busy afternoon ended with us lounging in plastic chairs overlooking the glorious lights of Phenom Penh from our position atop a boat on the Mekong. The light breeze and peaceful lapping waves were yet another reminder of how truly lucky we are. None of us thought that such a peaceful end could come to such a emotionally taxing day.
It started with a trip to see one of the Killing Fields, where the Khmer Rouge took the former inhabitants of its prisons to execute and bury them in mass graves. Through the personal story of our guide (Mr Lucky) our attention instantly turned from what we were going to buy at the market later that day, to the enormity of his words and of what had occurred in the recent history of this country. His description of his family’s background, ultimately put the brutality and senselessness of the Khmer Rouge into context for all of us. As we wandered on the bridges between the resting sites of the murdered Khmer people, a rain was collecting in small pools of water reminding us how easily their stories could have been washed away. The tree stood alongside one of the graves, covered by an array of colourful bracelets, each signifying a single child’s life lost to the Khmer Rouge soldiers. A large monument stood before the entrance, and its 17 tiers of skulls and bones loomed within it, a thousand empty eyes watching us and reminding us to never forget the acts performed by this cruel regime. The reality of what really happened here 37 years ago really struck home, when we gazed up at this monument.
After further contemplation about Pol Pot and his regime of genocide while on the bus ride to Tuol Sleng Prison, most of us ended up with more questions than we initially started off with before the day had even begun. How can one individual hold so much power? How did an event so significant get buried under only a few years of history? How is it that the world took little notice or action?
With these questions still in mind, we began to explore the grounds of one of the biggest Khmer Rouge prisons. At one point, the sweet fragrance of fresh frangipanis captured our attention and brought it to a place far more serene. It was as if the trees were planted there to mask the atrocities that had occurred in the prison grounds. This sweet smell was quickly replaced however by the musty odour permeating through the prison blocks. Walking among the haunting faces of the tortured Khmer people displayed in the photographs in the museum, the scale of the genocide resonated with us. We were able to meet two of eleven survivors of this prison. They are both in their eighties but they still sit within the prison grounds each day to tell their story to anyone who is willing to listen. We left the prison in shock at what we had seen and at the events that had taken place in the heart of this city.
We finished the day with a market trip, boat ride and casual ‘family’ dinner, all in a pleasant but stark contrast to the days earlier events. Today was a day that none of us will forget, with many of the group vowing to take more action against injustice and to make positive changes for our global future. When we arrived back at the hotel, Billy informed us that tomorrow we will be attending the last day of the Khmer Rouge trials. These trials are being undertaken by the UN to hold members of the Khmer Rouge accountable for their actions and tomorrow, two of the higher ranking Khmer Rouge are due to hear the verdict of their appeals. This was a surprising end to the day, and will make our last day of our Big Experience that much more memorable. It also made going to bed early on our final night of the Big Experience a bit easier to accept!
By Laura and Moira.
