a tour of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. In just 4 years, more than 3 million
people were exterminated by the extreme communist group and its legacy has profoundly
day.
was turned into the main center for
interrogation for the Khmer Rouge: over
13, 00o people passed through the doors
here on their way to Choeng Ek ("The
Killing Fields"). Presently, you can
visit the mass grave sites and view a
huge memorial tower filled with the
skulls of the victims. I think perhaps
what made it more horrific and difficult
to understand was that the setting was
beautiful, and neither of us wanted it to
be. Toul Sleng is located in a peaceful,
suburban neighborhood and there are
flowering trees and children who play in
the yard. I wonder what the trees could
tell us, the things they have seen. The
wind blows the doors shut and as a baby
cells filled with pictures of the innocent deceased. My heart is heavy here.
Why do we forget the victims of history? There was a label near one of the photos in
the museum that leaves me with a chilling conclusion about this place and the events
that occurred in Cambodia during these years:
hold in themselves is revealed"
Most of the Khmer Rouge leaders have gone untried
for their crimes, or worse yet, have been pardoned
by the former king. The Cambodian people
desperately need some sort of reconcilation in
order to move on. Yet, there are signs of life even
in the most dire situations: the ghosts of the past
do not interrupt the cows who graze on the killing
fields, nor the children who fly kites surrounded
by butterflies. Cambodians are resilient and though
poor, they are struggling to maintain peace and
progress. Eric and I have found the people here to
be incredibly friendly and sincere. Despite their
pain, they are moving forward; one can only hope
learning from the lessons of the past.
Katrina
fields
