Khmer Rouge-The genocide you probably haven't heard about

In our parent's generation, a genocide occurred half way around the world. But because of the victimized country's lack of natural resources, it is likely you have not heard of it. I'm speaking of Cambodia. In the 1970's a man by the name of Pol Pot decided it would be beneficial to him to kill off 1/4 of the entire population. Specifically the educated, so that included all religious leaders, doctors, professors, members of other government affiliations, even students. Personally, this seems like a really stupid plan, but Pol Pot wanted a society in which he could have complete control and power. If he were to get rid of the educated class, who then would question him, he would have a country full of subservient, illiterate, fear abiding citizens. Needless to say he formed the Khemer Rouge, the military group that carried out his murderous tirades. The center of the conflict was the capital city, Phnom Phen. Here i visited the killing fields, as well as Tuol Sleng (S-21) the prison, now the genocide museum (which i really don't think they changed much from what it was like, the floors and walls where so grimy you questioned if any diseases where still lurking, waiting for a host). Visiting these places and then the fact that begging children and poverty where around every corner, it was a sobering and quite depressing vacation, but one i'm glad i was able to bear. The killing fields are nothing elaborate. YOu walk in, straight ahead is a large stupa, erected to house all of the excavated skulls of the victims the found in 1980. A monument, that forever entombs the victims in their place of final agony. Perhaps that is too harsh an observation, needless to say, you were faced with a physical pain you cannot describe to any other. As if your body has an automated desensitization to the things you know your heart couldn't handle, you become immune, but by that it is simply numbness. Humanity seems implausible. Life is defined by something else in this moment. And as you walk along the barbed wire fence, you can't help it but break in half again when you find out that only half of what you walked was the actual size, the other half, still to be excavated. Bamboo barricades marked off the perimeter to mass graves of naked women, headless soldiers, and a single grave for over 450 victims. Bones, teeth, and clothing shards still poke their way out of the ground. You crouch down to catch your breath, only to find you are standing on the nameless remains. How can you describe this? How can person fathom, even perceive the idea of beating children to death against a designated tree until their skulls crack? Then Tuol Sleng was the next day. The prison where victims where kept until they were deemed ready for the execution. This prison, was once a high school. The yellow and cream tiled floors are still intact. Barbed wire encases the front so that no hopeless victim could commit suicide from the second or third floor. Single wrought iron beds were left in their empty rooms, sparse save for a single picture of the torture that when on in them. Again, bones of victims, skulls, clothing, torture devices. All was still in place. The Vietnamese (termed as the Youns-derogatory by the khemer rouge) saved the Cambodian race. If you're interested read First they Killed My Father by Uong. And remember, this was only 30 years ago.