Cambodia - a Past Not to be Forgotten

Today's Cambodia is so delightful that, one nearly forgets it's very sobering past. The role the U.S. played in supporting a military coup and then bombing of eastern Cambodia, killing 150-thousand peasants in an attempt to block North Vietnamese, directly led to the rise of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge (Red Cambodians). Subsequenlty 2-million, out of a total of population of 7 died in less than four years.   What's equally unimaginable is this country's ability to look past these events and move on to a life of coexistence. 

Almost immediately upon Pol Pot's rise to power on April 17, 1975,  thousands of people were marched from the cities. Deaths were caused by murder, starvation or disease resulting from Khmer Rouge activity. The victim's crime was presumed attachment to the old regime, having an education, being a monk, simply wearing glasses - considered a sign of intellect -  or being a family member to someone in these categories and thus thought to be "untrainable" for this radical form of agrarian based Marxist communism. Ironically Pol Pot and  his partner, Ieng Sary, the instigators desiring to create this utopian socity among Cambodia's peasants, were themselves extremely well travelled and educated, including qualifying for college  scholarships  in Paris. But the deaths of the intelligencia, and fear created by extensive torture and killing as a means to expedite change, ultimately led to rapid failure, but not before legendary torture and deaths of millions.

                          

A 30 minute drive outside of Phnom Penh brings you to the Killing Fields at Choeung  Ek. The tall memorial houses 15 floors of human bones, grouped by type, all recovered from shallow graves from this area where thousands of deaths occurred. This tree, which today is adorned with string woven bracelets traditionally given as a sign of protection, was the site where babies were unceremoniously killed. The grounds themselves are lovely, with a pond in the center and surrounded by bucolic farmland. The explanatory signs and well done self guided tour remind you of how easily, and quickly, life can dramatically and permanently change.

                      

Nearby, Toul Sleng - S21 Genocide Museum is the preserved memorial to the 20-thousands who were detained and tortured here during Pol Pots reign. Originally a high school, classrooms were divided into individual shower-stall sized cells. Inmate details were recorded with great precision and photographed. Thousands of these photos are displayed as further testament to their time here. Other rooms tell the stories of the guards and leaders of the revolution.There are only 14 known survivors, a few of whom come to Toul Sleng to lead tours and tell their story

 Pol Pot was deposed on January 7, 1979, with the help of the Vitnamese, and moved to Thailand.   Virtually all those who  were instrumental in the punishment and killing of thousands, were spared and allowed to move to other countries in South America and the Western World. Ironically, the UN recognized the Khmer Rouge as the rightful government of Cambodia from 1979-1997. Even though a coalition government was eventually formed, the Khmer Rouge gurillas, with Pol Pots's continued influence, were active for decades and international funds were funneled through their party. 

Today Cambodia finds itself at peace. When asked about the past and how they feel about the many who live among them who were part of the Khmer Rouge, people shrug. They have a constitutional monarchy where king is adored and the Prime Minister is elected in an essentially one party system dominated by the Cambodian People's Party.  People openly practice religion, primarily Budhism. The middle class is rising.  So even though they acknowledge corruption is rampant (160 out of the 177 most corrupt nations in the world), life is better than nearly anyone can remember. 

Cambodian's either lived through or know about this fairly recent time when this part of the world seemed to be going crazy and no one came to help. Unfortunately it is a universal story that seems doomed to repeat itself.