Description of the attraction
Choeng Ek Memorial - a site of a former garden and a mass grave of victims of the Khmer Rouge, is located about 17 kilometers south of Phnom Penh. This is the most famous place among several "Killing Fields".
Between 1975 and 1978, over 17,000 men, women and children who were detained and tortured at S-21 Security Prison were taken to the Choeng Ek death camp. On the territory of the former orchid nursery, several decades ago, events were unfolding monstrous in cruelty and scale. In total, about 1.7 million people were killed on the "Killing Fields" during the four years of Khmer Rouge rule.
After the overthrow of the Pol Pot regime, in 1980, the bodies of 8,985 people were exhumed on the territory of Choeng Ek, many of whom were tied and blindfolded. 43 of the 129 common graves found here remain intact. On the surface around the half-filled pits, parts of human bones, pieces of clothing and shoes, and teeth are visible.
Today Choeng-Ek is a memorial to the victims of the regime. A Buddhist stupa was erected on this territory in 1988. The walls of the stupa are made of acrylic glass and are filled with over 8000 human skulls, ranked by gender and age; many are broken or broken.
The support of the memorial as a tourist destination is carried out at the state level. Special sightseeing buses go here. Audio tours have been developed with the stories of prison survivors about the methods Choeng-Ek executioners used to kill innocent and defenseless prisoners, including women and children. There is also a museum with information on the Khmer Rouge leadership and ongoing litigation.
