The Killing Fields... Cambodia

Phnom Penh / Sihanoukville, Cambodia
November 4 - 23, 2008

I am sure most Westerners have never heard of the the Pol Pot regime and the relatively recent genocide of Cambodia in the years 1975-1979. During the Vietnam War, this neutral country was caught between the beliefs of ‘Communism’ and ‘Democracy’. Cambodia’s rights and borders were ignored by both parties, and eventually their government was ousted and replaced with corrupt (but useful) ‘democratic’ politicians who benefited financially from war. During this time, the Americans dropped 50% more bomb tonnage on Cambodia in a single year than was dropped on all off Japan for the whole of WW2. The stage was set for some Cambodians, formerly neutral, to reluctantly embrace Communism in order to protect themselves from the infringement of the 'democratic' powers. This set the backdrop for a very troubled and devastated country. Out of the turmoil emerged a European-schooled Cambodian, a ruthless individual named Pol Pot who orchestrated genocide against his own people.

Pol Pot’s vision was to turn Cambodia into an agrarian society focussed on the production of rice. He felt his vision would be threatened or hindered by scientists, scholars, western-educated people, Buddhist monks, and the crippled or lame. These people as well as those of other ethnic descents were tortured and killed in staggering numbers. What remains of this shocking genocide is a sobering tourist visit to the S-21 museum (formerly a high school-turned-torture-chamber) and the site of The Killing Fields where the mass executions occurred. I believe the Vietnam War was a catalyst that precipitated this horrendous blight on Cambodian humanity under the guise of honor and valor.

The recent generations of Cambodian people have lived with exceptionally corrupt political regimes and governments operating in their own self-interest and at the expense of their own people (which has also been happening in North America, although with a much more evolved and subtle strategy). Certainly, Phnom Penh remains an interestingly raw and gritty city, where laws and rules mean nothing, and where anything is available for the right price.

The real beauty of Cambodia is out in the green and brown countryside, where the simplicity of life and the smiles on people’s faces are balanced with the daily struggle of life. Cambodia and its beautiful people will remain one of my favorite travel experiences.


Rice Fields, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  Running with the Hash House Harriers, run number 887 in Phnom Penh.


Rice Fields, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  I spontaneously joined the Hash House Harriers, a worldwide and eclectic group of running and social enthusiasts, for run number 887 out of Phnom Penh.


Military Base, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
War disgusts me, but I always like to see things from different perspectives, so I thought I'd try something new. The complete lack of rules in Cambodia gave me the opportunity to shoot a Russian Kalashnikov (AK-47) assault rifle at a target. I opted not to shoot the rocket launcher at a living cow, but the option was available.


Railway Tracks, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Even though this old man didn’t speak a word of English, he insisted that I take his photograph as I walked by his shop on the edge of the abandoned railway track.


This is a small collage of some of the people tortured and killed in S-21


S-21 Torture Chamber, Cambodia
This former classroom served as one of the many torture chambers used by the Khmer Rouge.


These are some enthusiastic children that are playing along the abandoned railway tracks where they live.


Makeshift houses and small communities have sprung up along the old railway lines. These lakefront properties do not have facilities for garbage collection, so they live in their own refuse. Imagine if these people consumed on the scale that we do in our ‘developed nations’, where we are simply better at hiding our garbage from the public eye.