Cambodia: Killing Fields

Seeing the killing fields outside of Phnom Penh has to be one of the most sobering events of my life.  Once the Khmer Rouge gained power of the Cambodian government after the civil war ended in 1970, a strict execution order was completed over the following five years.  The new government started by killing all the leaders of the civil opposition.  They continued by killing all educated and skilled citizens (doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers).  They took 2 million lives.  

It was wild to see this as it is such recent history.  We walked the grounds and saw the mass graves.  These were all excavated in 1980, but as you walk the grounds you, clothes and bones still intertwined with the dirt pathways around the area. 

Miaken in the wooden cells where they held prisoners before execution was completed using only implements (shovels, pipes, hoes, etc.).  They would sometimes kill up to 300 a day without bullets.  Unbelievable. 

Conor by the prison block surrounded in barbed wire.

As this only happened about 30 years ago, the affects still heavily linger.  When you cruise around town and see people over 50, you know they either did the killing or were directly affected by the killings.  Those who were forced to do the executions were threatened with their own lives.  Today they live peacefully together.  We talked to several of these people and they have forgiven one another.  It's an amazing example of the human spirit.