A trip to Southeast Asia is meant to be fun and exciting. It is meant to be full of relaxation on the tropical beaches (cocktail in hand) and visiting exotic temples. But the region has its dark and painful stories to tell, these stories are just as dark as the horrors of World War Two. Spare a day from living the dream and visit the killing fields and detention centers to ensure the world never forgets.

Many countries have had periods of brutal rule by nightmare regimes, but the Khmer Rouge regime - the Communist Party of Kampuchea (aka Cambodia) is about as horrifying as they get. The paranoid Khmer Rouge regime ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 - until it was deposed by the Vietnamese.

The Dark Years of The Khmer Rouge 1975-1979

The Marxist Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot tried to take Cambodia back to the Middle Ages. Pol Pot had been influenced by the hill tribes who were self-sufficient in their communal living and had no use for money.

He declared the country would start over at "Year Zero" with the country going back to the Middle Ages. He then forced millions of people from the cities to work on communal farms in the countryside in pursuit of an agrarian utopia. He abolished money, religion, and private property. Millions would succumb to the ensuing starvation, disease, and overwork.

So paranoid was this regime that in only around 4 years of rule, up to 30% of the country's citizens were no more. Perhaps no other modern regime has so systematically set about destroying their own nation and countrymen.

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Estimate: 1,386,734 Victims Met their Ends At 20,000 Mass Grave Sites around The Country

Total Lost: 1.7 to 2.5 Million (or even 3.42 Million) People Perished During The Regime's Rule (Out of a population of 8 Million)

The regime arrested and almost everyone suspected of connections of the former government as well as professionals and intellectuals. All intellectuals were targets - even just looking educated by wearing glasses or knowing a foreign language was enough to be a target. Very few intellectuals were left in the country after this period. Many of the country's ethnic groups were also targeted.

  • Pol Pot: The Dictator of The Khmer Rouge

One of the darkest chapters in the history of the United States is the Indian Removal Act now remembered in the Trail of Tears. One can also learn about Martin Luther King Jr. who labored to overcome the prejudices within the nation, ultimately giving his life for the cause at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park.

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Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

One of the main places one can learn about what happened during these years is at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in the capital and largest city Phnom Penh. This is where an estimated 20,000 people were imprisoned - the majority of whom would not live to see the end of the regime.

  • Security Prison 21 (S-21): Now A Museum, it Was A Secondary School before The Regime

It is a former secondary school that was repurposed and converted into the infamous Security Prison 21 (S-21). Today it is an emotionally-moving museum where one can see the museum chronicling what happened with exhibits in some parts of the facility. See the pictures of people filled with the hopes and dreams of life, denied life by their own government.

In other parts of the facility, one can see the tiny cells these poor souls were held in. In other rooms, there is just a bed frame on which unspeakable acts were inflicted on the hapless detainees.

Today seeing this facility is heartbreaking and moving. For more information on its hours see its website.

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Visit The Choeung Ek Fields

The Killing Fields of Cambodia are spread all across the nation. They are the sites where over a million people met their untimely ends.

Of the many fields scattered around the country, Choeung Ek was one of the largest and is located just outside of the main city of Phnom Penh. Visiting this site is a solemn activity and one should be mentally prepared.

  • Mass Graves: Over 20,000 Mass Graves Litter The Country
  • Warning: This Site Is Graphic, It May Not Be Family Suitable

Nearly 9,000 bodies have been discovered here (it was a peaceful orchid before the regime). Many of the victims here were political prisoners who had been held at the Tuol Sleng detention center mentioned above.

  • Buddhist Stupa: Has over 5,000 Human Skulls On Display

Today the site is dominated by a Buddhist stupa. The stupa has acrylic glass sides and is filled with over 5,000 human skulls. On some skulls, one can see the hole of the pick-ax blow that ended these people's lives.

The Cambodian government encourages tourists to visit the Choeung Ek field so that the world can learn from their tragic and traumatizing recent past (still within living memory).

There are boardwalks over the pits from which the bodies were exhumed and one can still see fragments of human bones littering the site. Perhaps one of the most heart-stopping sights is the tree that soldiers would swing babies against.

There is a small museum here and audio guides are included with admission.

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