Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, a former security office and school was used under order of Pol Pot on 17th April 1975, and was designated for use of detention, interrogation, inhumane torture and killing after confessions from detainees were recieved and documented.
Courtyard of the museum
4 years later the party and government collected evidence from S-21 (as it was named then) such as photographs, films torture tools, shackles and the 14 corpses, and displayed the evidence of the criminal regime for visitors.
The compound is surrounded by two rows of corrugated iron fence covered with dense barb wire. In addition, the 4 buildings of high school saw classrooms transformed into small 0.8M x 2M caging for individual prisoners, the lower floor prisons made from brick and upper floor wood.
The 0.8m x 2m prison cells
Outside the 3 prison buildings (building B, C & D) a fishnet of barbed wire was over the gaps between floors to prevent suicide in this already morbid place.
Barb wire covers all floors to prevent suicide
Building A of the compound was used for those who were accused of leading the uprising against Pol Pot revolution. At 6 metres by 4 metres, the room was furnished with bed, blanket, cushion and mat. In addition was an iron bucket or plastic water container to dispose of body waste. It’s not for luxury though, is so there was enough room around the bed (which the prioner was chained too) for someone else to torture them.
Inside the torture rooms
*WARNING: Image below is graphic and may disturb some readers*
Research into prison records found 154 prisoners here in 1975, 2250 prisoners in 1976, 2350 in 1977 and that increased to 5765 prisoners in 1978 not including any children. Imprisonment lasted 2 to 4 months for normal prisoners and 6 to 7 months for political prisoners.
It is compulsory to preserve evidence as it is the key to build a new strong and just state and preventing a new Pol Pot taking over the lands of Angkor or anywhere else on Earth.
Victims on display inside museum
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I wanted to go to Phnom Penh and visit the museum when I was in Cambodia this past summer, but I only saw Phnom Penh from the airport!
It was so humbling for me to visit this place and know all that the Cambodians had so recently gone through and yet they withstood it all enough to still give me warm and genuine welcomes into their country – they still kept their spirit, which is amazing.
You summed it up perfectly: “It is compulsory to preserve evidence as it is the key to build a new strong and just state”. This is true for all the museums around the world dedicated to reminding us what’s been before.
.-= Nancy´s last blog – Why You Couldn’t Pay Me To Go On A Cruise =-.
Shannon – It certainly does make us grateful for what we have when we compare to such other lifes we could have been born into.
Nancy – Yes, spreading the message of truth is what a museum should be about.
Wow, powerful stuff. Especially the pics, the courtyard makes the whole place look jolly.
.-= Candice´s last blog – The Internet is watching =-.
First came to your blog, your article is very exciting to welcome a return visit to my blog.in my blog ,you can see more and more pictures about China ,about Beijing.