Today I visited the Genocide Museum for the first since I have been in Cambodia. I have been debating about whether or not to go. I know a little bit about what happened during the time of the Khmer Rouge and have even heard stories from people who lived during that time, but wasn’t sure going to see the museum would be worthwhile. I was wrong.
The museum was originally a school, which was turned into a prison/torture facility by the Khmer Rouge. Thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured and died here. Walking through the halls and classrooms, which had been converted into prison cells and torture rooms was haunting and an emotional experience. Much of the facility is still in the condition it was when the Khmer Rouge abandoned it. The tiny one-person cells still exist, where blood and even handprints, can still be seen on some of the walls. The beds were prisoners were tortured still sit in many of the rooms with torture tools laying on them. In one room, there are cabinets of human skulls of victims of the facility.
I am not the most emotional person in the world, but this experience was emotional. There are thousands of mug shots of Cambodians whim were imprisoned here, including pictures of people being tortured. It was worth a visit if anyone ever visits Cambodia.
My experience in Cambodia continues to be a great experience, both emotionally and career wise. Work is starting to pick-up and I am getting more responsibilities and experiences. The more I learn about using communication strategies for social change, the more I become interested in pursuing this area in my future career.
Here are some photos from the Genocide Museum.
