Paying Our Respects

The most striking part of our time in Phnom Penh was visiting the S-21 prison and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields. We were shocked by the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime who terrorised the country in the 1970's. Words cannot describe the emotions felt and chilling effect of walking through 86 mass graves at the Killing Fields and the torture and holding cells at the S-21 prison. Our guide Sarik told us of the brutal manner in which the Khmer Rouge executed innocent people. It was particularly painful learning about The Killing Tree, where hundreds of babies and children were massacred, keeping in line with the Khmer Rouge maxim: "When you dig up the grass, you must even remove the roots".

We still find it difficult to understand why and how this genocide occurred. It's heartbreaking to hear how the whole country is still plagued by the cruel acts of the Khmer Rouge to this day. However, it is important for us to hear these heartbreaking stories and visit these chilling sites to raise awareness and prevent such horrors from happening again in the future.