PART 1: FIELD OF TEARS, CITY OF HOPE

3 July 2013. Day 4 of 17. 

Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (Killing Fields), Phnom Penh (Tuol Sleng S21 Genocide Museum, Russian Markets, Royal Palace, National Museum) CAMBODIA. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh CAMBODIA. 

Phnom Penh (Pop 2.3m and Capital of CAMBODIA) is quite unlike the quiet and orderly Siem Riep. It is busy, sprawling, teaming with motor bikes and looks like a bomb hit it but it is a city of hope rising up out of a past, full of tears. “Phnom” means “mountain” and “Penh” is the name of revered lady who built a Buddhist monastery at the top of this mountain. Despite its population it has NO public transport and only 20 car taxis – everything else is Tuk-Tuks – thousands of them! Today was a great day for our kids, who for the first time faced the horrors of genocide without scaring them or leaving them bewildered. Our private minivan whisked us away at 8am to head out some 14km from the capital to one of 343 what I call “field of tears” or what is more popularly known as “killing fields”.

The formal name of this particular place is “Choeung Ek Genocidal Center” since it is in a village of the same name. It is a quiet 5 hectares grassy area near a river where 20,000 Cambodian’s were executed by the brutal and inhumane Pol Pot regime between 1975 and 1979. In total some 2.5 to 3 million innocent Cambodians, mostly women and children were systematically slaughtered over the same period throughout the country by the same regime. We were literally visiting the Asian equivalent of Auschwitz minus the concentration camp dwellings – here; Cambodians were trucked in and killed immediately with no eating and no housing. Many were shot and many hit on the head or decapitated or buried alive with other dead when too many were trucked in. Babies were picked up by the legs and bashed against trees. Is there no end to what a human is capable of doing. I was ashamed to be a human being when my 7 year old niece pinned her Buddhist good-luck bracelet to one of the trees full of bracelets, used to kill children younger than her… The fields were full of ditches or mass graves that contained the bodies of the dead – some even had bones still in them to preserve the terror of that epoch. In the middle stands a 30m glass temple with 8,985 human skulls from bottom to top with incense burning to the sound of traditional Buddhist chants.

It is a heart breaking place and makes you question the motives of your fellow human beings. Our guide Theany, explained to us the whole Pol Pot story and in summary this madman was so brainwashed by communism that his motive for carrying out these atrocities was to purge Cambodia of the class system as he told his fellow Cambodians that he was getting rid of the rich and corrupt. This could not be further from the truth – he was getting rid of everyone.

He reduced the Cambodian population from 7 to 4 million before the Southern Vietnamese army overthrew him in 1979. Pol Pot was banished to the north of Cambodia where he lived in hiding until his death from natural causes in 1989 – where is justice? The field of tears we saw was purchased by a Japanese commercial company and is maintained by them since the Cambodian government could not afford to keep it. What irony. From this place we returned to the city centre to visit the “Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum”, also known as Office S.21. S21 was originally a high school comprising 4 big buildings. Pol Pot turned it into the worst of his torture chambers for anyone educated in the country. It was one of 167 prisons that are all now museums. The one we visited was responsible for the torture of 17,000 people before they were sent to the killing fields. Pol Pot tortured professional people here, doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers and even trades people to give up the names of all their associates so he could purge the country of classes.

He could then tell the mainly uneducated left behind anything he wanted and forced them to work the fields and re-build the city in fear. Theany took us through the barbed wire buildings showing us actual cells, actual beds, chains and torture tools.

The last building contained photos of people killed, a glass case of children’s and parents clothing much like I saw in Auschwitz. Our kids took it all in – you could see the perplexed look in their faces – who could be capable of this and why? Why? Of the 17,000 tortured here and later killed in the fields only 7 survived when Southern Vietnamese troops marched in to liberate this place. Today, our kids met the last two living survivors here , held their hand and listened with intent as they told their stories – you will see this in the film. One is 83 and the other 72.

From this sad place it was time to see a city rising out of the past, desperate to make its mark in Asia and the world. Despite the traffic chaos, heat, humidity and dirt it is all somehow ordered and entertaining! No one gets run over. You can never see any breakdowns and people seem to go about their business day-in, day-out! The Russian Markets, so-called because of the large number of Russian traders back in the days when Cambodia was called “Kampuchea” by the French during their occupation of 1863 to 1953. Now it is a bargainers paradise with most final offers between 40 and 50% of the starting price! Silk everywhere.

Fake watches , pens and handbags everywhere. Our adult girls and boys went nuts. Even the kids got in on the act doing some haggling of their own. Orlanda was the most promising. No fear. She even said “I’m going” as she walked away from a deal!!! We laughed in silence. The only downside of this bonanza of shopping is the shear humidity and lack of air inside the extremely crowded market. It is covered but is a labyrinth of corridors and stalls. We were relieved to be finally in the outside heat with at least more air as we made our way to the Royal Palace. This is an impressive place, sitting on 23 acres and features several ornate buildings in the new-Khmer style from 1866 when the palace was built a second time from the decrepit original buildings of 1435. Buildings include, the Kings residence, banquet/dance hall (visited by Jacqueline Kennedy), State Reception and the “Silver Pagoda” or Royal Prayer Room.

The King just turned 60 and is not married, preferring to pursue the single status of a Buddhist monk. He was raised in the Czech Republic and is a professional Ballet Dancer! Talk about dancing with the stars! We visited the State Reception and Pagoda in the Royal Grounds. The Pagoda contains pure silver tile flooring at the entrance and a 10m, hollow gold 90kg Buddha with a 25 carat diamond in its forehead!!! No photos were allowed but I managed to sneak in some film under by Root69 Aboriginal baseball hat!!! As we left it started to pour – it always rains for 1-2hrs each afternoon at the start of the wet season (June-July). The rain was very welcome as it cooled everything down and it was well timed since our next and final stop was the bright red “National Museum”. Another museum guide spent 45min explaining mainly to the kids the whole religious evolution of Hinduism and Buddhism. The loved it and even learnt the names of the various deities off by heart. Ask them about Ganesha and Shiva and even Hari Hara next time you bump into them!!! Patsie, Revi and Nick went off with our guide to tour the Artisans of the French Quarter (more shopping in other words) whilst Bundy and myself opted for cheese, olives and wine back at the hotel whilst taking care of the kids (Bundy did most of the work). We were exhausted when we reached the hotel but very satisfied with our day’s learnings. After a long rest and red wine revitalisation we all tuk-tuked it to the riverfront that is very pleasant and Parisian in feel. The Mekong is very prominent and wide here and there are many restaurants fronting it. The Royal Palace and the Wat Ounalom (temple containing one single eyebrow hair from the actual Buddha!) both front the river. It was a minor miracle that our two tuk-tuks met by quite coincidence since the restaurant of our choice was out of business. We eventually found a place to eat and it was not long before Bundy and I went a second round of wine, cheese and olives to celebrate what was a very moving and informative day in Cambodia…