Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh became the center of world attention during the 70’s when the communist Khmer Rouge guerrillas took control, marching the people out the capital into what would become the darkest period of Cambodia’s history. Families were split apart and the entire population subjected to long days of forced labour under conditions of starvation. Those who had an education, had lived in the cities, or had worked for the overthrown government were instantly killed. Children were punished for missing their families. Other children were given guns and carte blanche to use them. Anything worth living for, the Khmer Rouge prohibited. In four years, they slaughtered a quarter of the population: men, women and children in unbelievably brutal ways. It seems that everyone over the age of 30 has a story to tell of this horrific time. These are people that have still not had the small grace of seeing the perpetrators of these horrors brought to justice. Unfortunately, time is running out and in some cases, as with the leader of this reign of terror Pol Pot, it already has.
We visited Tuol Sleng, a school that had been turned into a torture camp for those that were suspected of being opposed to the regime. The thousands of mug-shots of the victims that were tortured and killed here filled several rooms. The faces staring into the camera betrayed a range of emotions from fear to bewilderment, disgust, incomprehension, and defiance. To see some of these haunting images click here
We also visited the “Killing Fields” monument, one of many sites where 20,000 people were buried in mass graves. The bits of fabric, clothing of the dead, still litter the site serving as a reminder of what recent history this is. Meanwhile, a massive monument filled with the skulls of the victims is an unmistakable reminder of the magnitude of the atrocities.
Somehow, in spite of the horrors of the recent past, the city of Phnom Penh retains a great vibe. Locals flock to the immaculately kept green spaces in the evening to play badminton, soccer, or to flirt with one another. There are numerous markets selling beautiful hand loomed silk and rip offs of every imaginable Western label. There’s the flashy Royal Palace where the official Royal staff uniforms consist of ridiculous puffy trousers in vivid colours, one for each different day of the week (and I thought Dairy Queen polyesters were bad). There’s the Silver Pagoda named for its floors crafted entirely of silver. Oh yes, and of course no visit is complete without at least one round of drinks at the Foreign Correspondence Club which has become legendary on the traveller’s circuit. The FCC isn’t the only place in town to quench one’s thirst though; the large ex-pat population has spawned a plethora of great bars and restaurants. Of course, there is no shortage of hole-in-the-wall spots serving up the national specialty of delicious coconut curry in banana leaf known as Amok.