"Today it is compulsory to reserve the Archives, Evidence of the bloody regime and remember the oppression, anguish and suffering caused by 'Kkmer Rouge'." - from Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum brochure.
Information posted on this blog is transcribed directly from the brochure my husband and I received during our somber tour of Cambodia's "The Killing Fields" when we were in Phnom Penh in October 2010, in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
I was unable to scan the brochure, printed in gray with white print, because the image was too difficult to read. Attached are some of our photographs taken during the tour. We were overwhelmed by the emotional content of the tour and the reality it conveyed.
It reminded us that we are fortunate to live in a nation where Democracy prevails.
Nonetheless, the salient message we left with was, inescapably, "This genocide could probably happen anywhere, when evil intended and powerful people are left unchecked".
Transcript from the Genocide Museum Tuol Sleng Former Office S. 21 "Kampuchea Democratic" 1975-1979 - transcribed as typed with capitalization and spelling included as printed.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The former security office 21 in "Democratic Kampuchea" was created on orders of Pol Pot (Sa lut Sor), in April 17, 1975. Office 21 was called S-21 and designed for detention, interrogation, inhuman torture, and killing after confession from the detainees were received and documented.
On January 7, 1979, the Party and the Government collected all the evidence in S-21 such as Photographs, films, the prisoner confession Archives, torture tools, shackles, and the fourteen victim corpses (one of them was female). *(Graves of last 14 victims pictured below - L'Heureux photograph.) Now the evidence of the criminal regime is at display for Cambodian and international visitors.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum was opened on August 19, 1979, when Kampuchea People's Tribunal started the prosecution of "Democratic Kampuchea" leaders Pol Pot, Ieng Saary, Khie Samphorn....the former office S-21, covered the area of 600 x 400 meters. Faces Sihanouk, Blvd., on the North, Mao Zetong Blvd. on the south, Monivong Blvd. on the east and street 163 on the west. The compound is surrounded by two rows of corrugated iron fence covered with dense barbed wire.
Previously, the area hosted Tuol Sleng Primary school and Toul Svay Prey high school, one more fence of double row iron topped with barbed wire was erected circling the larger area stretching from Street 113 on east to street 131 on the west from Street 320 on the North to Street 350 on the south. The enclosure was made after Pol Pot's clique forced city dwellers to leave their homes and live in remote countryside in condition close to slavery which seem as Prison without the Walls.
The four buildings of high school have seen classrooms turned into small cell 0.8 x 2 meters caging individual prisoners. The front of the Buildings was covered in a fishnet of barbed wire preventing prisoners from committing suicide by jumping down.
In 1977-1978 Building "A" was converted into a set of rooms 6x4 meters each, the window were paneled with glass to minimize the sound of prisoners' screams heard outside the facility in times of torture.
Building "A" was used for detaining cadres who were accused of leading the uprising against Pol Pot revolution. Their cages were furnished with a bed, blanket, cushion and mat. An iron bucket or a plastic water conainer was provided to dispose their body waste.
Building "B", "C" and "D" have been reconstructed differently: the ground floor was divided into small cell by brick walls; the first floor and upper floors were used for large cells where many prisoners were crowded together.
The bodies of fourteen victims were discovered by the United Front for the National Salvation of Kampuchea (UFNSK), on January 7, 1979. The corpse were unidentifiable due to bad decomposition. Were carried out and buried in front of Building "A". The fourteen corpses, whom one was female, were the last people to be tortured and killed by S-21 personnel before they fled.
A wooden pole in the yard once used for physical education of students was turned into interrogation and torture machine. The interrogator tied both hands of the prisoner behind their back and lifted the prisoner upside down. This action was repeated a number of times until the prisoner lost consciousness, then the interrogator dipped the prisoner's head into a barrel of filthy water. This shocked the victims back into consciousness, the victim quickly regained consciousness, so that the torturer could continue their questioning.
To maintain security and keep up the work of the facility in office S-21 and its branches 1684 staff were employed in 1976 and divided into 3 parts: office S-21 (Tuol Sleng), office S-21 Kor (located in Ta Khmao) office S-21 Khor (located at Prey Sor, West of Phnom Penh, Dangkor District, Kandal Province) were responsible for producing agriculture supplies for the S-21 complex.
The office and its branches reported directly to the Authority of central Community and Khmer Rouge ministry of defense. A general permanent of central community as an assistant and took the responsibility was Kang Keck Iev (also knows as Duch). Duch was born in Peouveuy village Peambang sub-district, Srok Staung Kampong Thom province, whose job as a mathematics teacher. Duch was a chief of office S-21.
The research into prisoner record of S-21 gave the following number of inmates from 1975 till June 1978:
-1975....... 154 prisoners
-1976........2,250 prisoners
-1977........2,350 prisoners
-1978........5,765 prisoners
These figures do not include children killed by Khmer Rouge, the figure is estimated at 20,000. The imprisonment in S-21 lasted 2-4 months. Political prisoner were held between 6 or 7 months.
Today it is compulsory to preserve the A(r)chives, Evidence of the bloody regime and remember the oppression, anguish and suffering caused by "Khmer Rouge". Keeping the memory of the atrocities committed on Cambodia soil alive is the key to build a new, strong and just state.
Furthermore, making the crimes of the inhuman regime of Khmer rough public plays crucial role in preventing a new Pol Pot from emerging in the lands of Angkor or anywhere on Earth.
Prepared by Toul Sleng Genocide Museum
Address st. 113 Sangkat beoung Keng Kang III, Khan Charmkarmorn
Phnom Penh city, Kingdom of Cambodia E-mail toulslengmuseum@online.com.kh
Tell: (+855) 023 216 045
