I have seen 5 people on a scooter riding happily here in Cambodia. Dad, mom, younger daughter and two babies all riding in harmony. I have seen a guy on a scooter pull a cart with pigs in.
But the other day I heard a train go by behind me. No, there are no trains in Cambodia.
O yes there are.
What have you done with your scooter lately?
Short of writing a history lesson here, or giving blame, the killing caves is one of many places where mass execution and genocide was committed by the Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot’s (Saloth Sar) control when he was in power of Cambodia (April 17, 1975 to late 1978 ( In jan 1979 Vietnam installed a new government))
Although estimates vary from just over 1 million to as high as 4 million deaths at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, the true number will never be known, as also the after effects of this devastation.
The killing caves is an area where over 10K where killed. People where interrogated, then if they where lucky bludgeoned to death before thrown down the cave, where if they where not already dead, hopefully the fall would kill them. As the caves filled up, people began to fall on bodies below, causing them to survive the fall. These people then slowly died from starvation, bleeding, and internal injuries.
Children and babies where thrown into a separate cave system nearby.
A memorial is set up, with some of the remains of the bones found at the bottom of the cave, to pay respect to those that lost their lives here. Following are some pictures of the Killing caves.
Stairs build to allow access to the memorial at the bottom of the cave
Memorial at the bottom of the cave
The cave still goes deeper down
People would be walked along this path, and stand waiting to be executed. Imagine being in this line, and hearing the screams of those going before you, knowing you are about to die
View from the rim where people were thrown down
Cave nearby where children were killed
Two artillery pieces still stand on the hill nearby
A Wat, or place of worship sits on the ground near the caves.
I went for a little ride, just minding my own business and enjoying the countryside. That is until I came up behind a couple of pigs in the road. Man I tell you, they where rude and noisy and smelly.
Oncoming traffic kept me behind them for a while, and when I finally passed then I yelled at them. “Pigs.” They had the audacity to respond back, “oink oink”. I tell you, some road users.
