The dark Cambodia history: Tuol Sleng Genocide

I’ve never, before now, fully immersed myself in the history of Cambodia. Besides the ‘Dead Kennedys’ song Holiday in Cambodia, which happens to be stuck in my head while holidaying here, I only know a little. Therefore today, it’s time to learn a little more about the country’s history. It has a dark past, as the history of Cambodia hasn’t always been peaceful. It only recently opened for tourists again after being closed to the outside world for a long time.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

On my list is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The museum is located on a former school site, which was used as a security prison by the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. The prison was one of an estimated 150 prisons and torture centres throughout the country. Together with all the other centres, it was responsible for wiping almost a quarter of the Cambodian population. About 20,000 people were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng during this period. However, Imprisoned is probably not the right word, as, from that number, there are only 12 known survivors.

Walking around in a place like this makes you think a lot about your place on this earth. Moreover, on the bus ride back to the hostel, you could feel that atmosphere inside the car. Everybody took the time to process the day inside their heads. Aren’t we all just extremely lucky not to be in the middle of something like this?

How lucky we are:

Back at the hostel, the atmosphere was a bit lighter again. Swimming in the swimming pool and playing guitar made things feel normal again. Other travellers did other things and were happy to be travelling. But it is good to remind yourself sometimes of how lucky we are. We have the chance to travel freely around this world. What a privilege.

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