By Matthew
Garrett and I have been getting last minute details in order and exploring the city of Phnom Penh. I got to see the killing field and S-21 for the first time. S-21 was a school that was transformer during the Khmer rouge. Thousands wee "interigated" there and forced by the communist Khmer Rouge to confess to crimes against the Khmer Rouge they never committed. The interrogations were essentially torture sessions set to the tormentors shared delusion. Citizens were arrested based on things like needing glasses, having soft hands or being educated. The site is now a museum dedicated to remembering the victims. As you walk through the museum the recovered photos of the victims are displayed. There are enough photos to cover the walls of the entire first floor's walls in each room. The barbed wire was used to keep victims from jumping to their death is still bolted to the balconies off the school.
The killing field outside of phnom penh is 1 of 300 known fields. The field in present day is a beautiful slice of Cambodian countryside. However, a closer look reveals a sickening past. This field was used to execute detainees of s-21. Prisoners were put on trucks after being forced to reveal to location of friends and family to the Khmer Rouge. The trucks then moved to the field. Once there, prisoners were put into small houses and waited execution. The first sounds the prisoners heard were that of loud music. This was music was used as a vale for the sounds of dying people.
Genocide is formulaic and shares a few common themes and characters. The only thing we can do now as privileged citizens of the U.S. Is to pay attention to these patterns and realize how we can play a positive role given our privilege.