Cambodia is famous for ancient Angkor temples, traditional cuisine and unique culture. If you are planning for Cambodian tours in order to learn about a part of Cambodia history, Choeung Ek Killing Fields should be on your list of destinations in Cambodia.
Situated 15 kilometers south-west of Phnom Penh, the “killing fields” of Choeung Ek have become a tourist attraction, horrifying and fascinating. The Killing Fields are a number of sites in Cambodia where collectively more than a million people were killed and buried by the Communist Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Cambodian Civil War (1970–1975). The mass killings are widely regarded as part of a broad state sponsored genocide. Tours Indochina
The Killing Fields is part of the legacy left by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. When Pol Pot and his murderous organization took control of the country, he tried to enforce his communist dream through a nightmare of fear and violence. Anyone with the ability to think for themselves was seen as a threat and he set out to eliminate them. Simply having a career as something like a lawyer, doctor, linguist or teacher was enough to mark you for death. That Pol Pot himself was once a teacher and spoke multiple languages was irrelevant in this brazen genocide. Tours in Cambodia
Cambodia became isolated and over the four years the Khmer Rouge ruled the country between 1975 – 1979, it is estimated about 3 million people died. That was almost half the population at the time. At least 20,000 Cambodians were executed here at the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh (the site is also known as Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre). They were brought out in trucks, taken to pits that had been dug in the ground, and then bashed, hacked, mutilated before being thrown into the hole. Body upon body piled up on top of each other in the mess of massacre.
There are many things to see while visiting the Choeung Ek Killing Field in Phnom Penh. The place has been most aptly been named as the Killing Field in Phnom Penh. The place is actually a mass grave where almost 17,000 innocents were slaughtered mercilessly for no fault of theirs. The place is really frightening and sends a shiver down the spine as one recalls how the place had been transformed into a grave. There is actually a stupa which stands in the middle of the area and it is this stupa which has become the place for housing the 8,000 skulls taken out from the mass graves. Choeung Ek Killing Field of Phnom Penh is open daily. All are welcome though it is advised by the authorities that children should be advised and properly guided before they come here.
The Choeung Ek Killing Field at Phnom Penh is one of the most prolific and historic place in Phnom Penh and stands a cruel reminder of the atrocities inflicted upon the masses of Cambodia. There were killing fields all over the country, but Choeung Ek was believed to be the largest. Every year on the 20th of May, a ceremony is held around the stupa to bring peace to the spirits of the deceased. Sightseeing in Phnom Penh gives the tourists ample opportunity to visit the numerous places in and around the city. Choeung Ek Killing Field in Phnom Penh is a very important place in the city as it has a long history attached to it. The place is really fascinating for all those coming to visit the city. The place has a long history behind it and reminds one of the horrifying times that the people of Cambodia have gone through during the reign of Khmer and after.
If you want to learn about Cambodian history, you should spend time on visiting Choeung Ek Killing Fields in your Cambodian tours. Surely, you will have memorable experiences here.
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