*warning, very gruesome and depressing entry*
Today has been a stomach-churning and solemn day.
We visited Choeng Ek's Killing field's, where Khmer Rouge soldiers barbarically murdered tens of thousands of Cambodians, only a mere 30 years ago; all at the orders of one monster, Pol Pot. The site had a very eerie, unexplainable, feeling to it with a tall "Bone Monument" in the centre, where thousands of skulls and bones of Cambodian victims are displayed to pay respect to those who suffered at the hands of the Khmer Rouge.
There were something like 186 mass graves found, as early as the 1980's I believe, and of those, 80 have been excavated since. Regardless, when it rains, bone and teeth as well as the clothing of those who were killed, rise through the ground to the top of the soil to this day. As we were walking through the site we spotted numerous rags of clothing half in the soil, half out, as well as bone fragments, teeth and even a skull. It's mind-boggling to think of what these monsters did to the people of Cambodia, and even more so, that the World turned a blind eye and allowed it to continue.
We saw a massive tree that the soldiers used to bludgeon babies against before tossing them into mass graves with other bodies, as well as a tree that they hung a loud speaker playing music on to drone out the sounds of people being executed. Words cannot describe the feelings you experience when walking through a place like that where such atrocities have occurred.
We encountered our "first" up-close and personal land mine victims there as well, which was equally hard to take... one man in particular who just kept saying "please, please, my foot, land mine, my foot".... it definitely makes you that much more appreciative for all that we are fortunate enough to have back home in Canada.
After the killing field we travelled by tul-tuk to the Genocide Museum, which was almost worst than the first experience as it was where prisoners were held, tortured and executed. The building itself used to be a school but was converted into a 3 building prison, with small brick and wooden cells, some with original torture devices still in them, many with blood smears on the floor or walls. The Khmer Rouge took photos of all their prisoners before interrogating them so in one of the buildings, we came face to face with the people who suffered in that very place before they were finally executed and brought to the mass graves of the killing fields. Needless to say, the place made us sick to our stomachs, light headed and dizzy.. it was just unreal. I still can't even believe that the World allowed such things to happen, it was during 1975-1979, that's not that long ago at all!! Absolutely disgusting and barbaric. Many of the Khmer high-ups are still detained in prison to this day awaiting trials, and many countries refuse to call these atrocities "genocide" opting instead for the term "mass murders".
So yes, today was quite depressing, but I can't imagine coming to Phnom Penh and not seeing this part of their history. It'shard to believe that just 30 years ago this entire city of 1.8 million people was destroyed and vacant... I know this is alot to hear, but I think it's important to acknowledge what the people of Cambodia have endured and how far they've come since that horrible, horrible time.
It's almost 5pm and we're about to head to the local orphanage to give some rice and play with the kids. Hopefully this will be a bit more of a cheerful experience.
MIss you all <3
Misty & Jesse
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