The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields

Posted under: Killing Fields
Author: Kakada
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The Cheung Ek genocide museum is located about 15 km from the centre of Phnom Penh. This is the location where the Khmer Rouges took their prisoners for execution. There were killing fields all over the country, but Cheung Ek was believed to be the largest. The prisoners were made to wait here to wait 24 hours before they were killed by a blow to the head after which their throats were slit. Babies were killed by bashing their heads against a tree. There were separate graves for men, for women and for children. Former friends of Pol Pot who were executed here had separate graves too. Visitors can walk along 86 mass graves from which the remainders of 8985 men, women and children were unearthed after the liberation of the Khmer Rouges. Some of those skulls, bones and pieces of clothing are now kept in the nearby massive stupa. Every year on the 20th of May a ceremony is held around the stupa to bring peace to the spirits of the deceased.

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