A traumatic past


It is not possible to visit Cambodia without visiting the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum.  This country has been impacted on by wars and unrest over many years since the 1960’s.  We in the west hear about the Khmer Rouge terrors of the 1970’s, however, the effects of war go far beyond that 4 year period.
Civil war raged through the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and even crept into the 90’s.  Some would venture that even today there is still some unrest present.  The end result is a country where a large percentage of the population suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, the base religion of the country is rebuilding, the family unit is being re-defined (or re-discovered), development is EVERYWHERE and the extremes between rich and poor are right there “in your face”.  Contrast and contradiction are 2 words I would use to describe this place.

We “stepped into” the 4 years in the 70’s today by visiting S21 or Tuol Sleng (the genocide museum) and Cheung Ek (the Killing Fields just outside of Phnom Penh).  These places are places of remembrance and reflection.  Each of us took time to learn a little more about the impact these 4 years alone have had on the people of Cambodia.

Over to Josh.........

This day was one of the most emotional days we’ve encountered on this trip. It really put life in perspective for all that participated in the tours of both the genocide museum and the killing fields. Both involved walking through whilst listening to recordings of a tour guide and also people with experiences from these tragic times that Cambodia have endured and what occurred at these places during the disastrous Khmer Rouge regime. We also in the morning were guided through a presentation about the Tabitha Foundation and the work they do in this country in order to assist those living in poverty, this gave us inspiration to complete the day of work building houses to the best of ability after being informed on how we were making a huge difference on peoples lives who needed the assistance the most.
Josh





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