Perhaps one of the most disturbing place I’ve been to has been the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. I visited there many years ago.
Tuol Svay Pray High School sits on a dusty road on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In 1976, the Khmer Rouge renamed the high school S-21 and turned it into a torture, interrogation and execution center. Of the 14,000 people known to have entered, only seven survived. Not only did the Khmer Rouge carefully transcribe the prisoners’ interrogations; they also carefully photographed the vast majority of the inmates and created an astonishing photographic archive. Each of the almost 6,000 S-21 portraits that have been recovered tells a story shock, resignation, confusion, defiance and horror. Although the most gruesome images to come out of Cambodia were those of the mass graves, the most haunting were the portraits taken by the Khmer Rouge at S-21.
At least 14,000 victims. I’ve seen other numbers up to 20,000. 20,000 in such a small area, over a period of 3 three years. Yet only 7 survivors.
I was struck at how it was a school before it was converted to a torture camp. Our image of schools are often of children and happiness; yet the fact that this was converted into a torture camp makes it even all the more sinister.
Here’s a short video:
It is one of those places that you can feel the evil.
What blows me away is how recent these atrocities took place. It wasn’t 1940s. It was the late 70s before the dawn of the 80s.
I’m haunted by the thousands of pictures that the perpetrators took of their victims. The expressions are haunting. I’m horrified how many of the victims and prisoners are children. We see their faces, but no names, just numbers, if that. It is disturbing to see how well the atheist communists kept organized photographic records of their torture and evil deeds. It’s like they enjoy it and relish the sickness. They aren’t the only ones who have done evil deeds that document their depravity. Think of the Nazis. Think of USSR. You get the idea that human sinful nature like to have monuments to their evil.
The picture that I spent the longest staring at was this one.
A mother with child. A young baby at that. She probably looks older than she really was. You see cruel instruments and also her prison ID. And you see the ID. I look at that picture and wonder what they labeled her: Capitalist pig, international spy, fascists? I just see an ordinary mother with faceless evil forces taking her picture and who knows her life is going to be short though she has a baby.
I don’t know why, but that picture hit me more than the skulls laying around in the Museum that had bullet holes. For other pictures on Google Image click here.
So much I can say but two thoughts stood out to me.
First it seems my generation idealized socialism and even communism. But we must see communism as the evil that it is. Uncensored, un-sanitized and its fruit. Its tryannical. Its capable of causing some of the greatest evils we have seen on earth. It promises so much but deliver the least than any other ideology and isms. It promises so much because it assumes the state has the power of a god, capable of fixing everything and coercing others to follow one’s social agenda. But that all encompassing power means the ones having it become corrupt or they become paranoid that someone will want their power. Either way through paranoia or intent incredible evil against dissidents (real or imagine) takes place, all under the justification of ensuring a political agenda not be stopped.
Secondly sometimes you hear people say religion causes suffering and evil in this world. But organized secularism has a history of doing the same thing if not at a scale more horrifying than most leftists college in a “safe space” university can imagine. I’m thinking of purposeful mass starvation, genocide and tryanny over the people. The irony of some organized secular humanistic worldview with a political ideology is that historically speaking from the 20th century once they are in charge that are the biggest jihadist in imposing upon others their own blasphemy codes. You have Tuol Sleng become a temple offering sacrifices to the state and Marx is the prophet of their utopia. But their utopia is hell on earth.
Reblogged this on moreinkpleaseblog.
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It’s so sad. It’s so twisted. Thank you also for listening to the podcast and encouragement. Thinking about how evil people are and apologetics makes me realize our time is short and it’s important we evangelized. Grateful you are faithful with witnessing…your reward will be great in light of all that you go through and yet you are faithful.
Thank You. My prayer is that our Lord calls us soon…very soon.
Our time is short to speak God’s Truth into this dark dark world
Have a blessed Lord’s day pastor Jim
Wow! I’ve never heard of this communism and socialism are an evil scourge on the world. We need to wake up.
Thanks.
That was a needed reminder! Thank you, brother. One thing I know for sure, those leaders may not have been brought to justice here, but they will face an even greater Judge. No sin goes unpunished.
I’ve often wondered how on earth our generation could promote these types of political systems. But then I remember that the heart of man is deceitful, and the mind of man is forgetful.
I don’t think I can ever grasp just how wretched man can be to man
From murder scenes in Iraq to the killing fields of Cambodia, I don’t think I ever can grasp nor get use to it…
I don’t think I could go see such— part of me wants to make a trip to Auschwitz, to Poland and other of the death camps but I don’t know if I am ready
Thank you brother for memorializing the suffering of these people. Jews, Armenians and others need to weep also for often forgotten people who mercilessly perish.
The genocide of Armenians is little known compared to other genocide. May we never forget.
The works of satan at their worst! Can’t wait till he is thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where he and his pals will be tormented day and night forever and ever AMEN!
I weep for it is coming again at a larger scale.:*(
Thanks for this heart-wrenching but important information. I have heard of the Khmer Rouge, of course. but didn’t know any of the details. Sickening. I’m familiar with how the Nazis and Soviets divided Poland in 1939 and how both tortured and killed millions. I may have mentioned to you that when my wife and I visited our grandson in Germany we took a 5-day sidetrip to Krakow, Poland and visited nearby Auschwitz. Nauseating. I felt like someone kicked me in the gut. Lord Acton said of the papacy that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but that applies to all authoritarian institutions that have power over people. I agree that granting government more and more control over people’s lives is inviting “problems.”
“Lord Acton said of the papacy that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but that applies to all authoritarian institutions that have power over people. I agree that granting government more and more control over people’s lives is inviting “problems.”
Wow I didn’t know the quote was talking about papacy! I first heard that quote from Ravi Zacharias when I was younger; now that is very V-E-R-Y ironic in light of his theological views, isn’t it?
Lord Acton, although obviously not a bishop, was one of the leaders of the Catholic opposition to the declaration of papal infallibility at the First Vatican Council in 1870. Yes, it’s very inconsistent for Zacharias to use that quote given his full endorsement of the RCC.
The Khmer Rouge’s systematic elimination of innocent people is shocking and numbing. One of the first films to depict the viscousness of the Cambodian Civil War was “The Killing Fields.” Several other films have been produced about this sad era in history. While I haven’t watched any of these films, I have read some.
The Khmer Rouge’s systematic elimination of innocent people is straight up evil. While I was in the country there were people who were still denying that this was done by Pol Pot, kind of like our modern western version of Holocaust but the evidence is all around them. I think you see that has also impacted the people there today. I didn’t know there was a film called “the killing fields” is it a work of fiction or documentary?
I was looking up some details of the film after reading your post. The film came out in 1984, and it is based on the work of two journalists, one Cambodian and one American.
I’ve never heard of this museum and site of horror.
What people can do to one another is horrifying.
[…] Reflection of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum | The Domain for Truth […]
I’ve spent time here. Sobering reminder of the evils of man and the need of Christ.
[…] Last week I wrote a post reflecting on the Marxist killing field in Cambodia. You can read it here: Reflection of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. […]
Woah, really intense and heart breaking stuff, brother. I didn’t realize you had been to the genocide museum in Cambodia. I remember one of my professors in Monterey talking about his visit there, and how it was so eerie and almost like you feel the evil that had occurred there. So tragic. And this kind of evil continues every day. Looking forward to when the Lord comes back and makes everything right again.
[…] via Reflection of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum — The Domain for Truth. […]
So horrific. I couldn’t even bring myself to watch the youtube video.
Every time I visit there I cry. I don’t blame you.
So sad
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[…] via Reflection of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum — The Domain for Truth […]
I can’t imagine what that man went through
Sad
Sobering article
Another genocide by atheistic communists
Every Millennial or Generation Z who think socialism is good need a history lesson of events and places like this to inoculate them from the Marxist propaganda taught in universities today.
US Govt knew what was going on and did nothing. Disgusting. They paved the way for the KR when they bombed the shit out of East Cambodia AS collateral damege in the Vietnam War. Also believe Britain knew and then traded with the KR. Disgraceful. Ironically it was the Vietnamese who eventually invaded and over ran the KR. God Bless all those Millions of innocent people who tragically and violently lost their lives during this time.
Frightening America needs to learn about the ways of Marxism before its too late.
Reminder that Communism is dangerous. Everyone need to read this 2020
Last week the man who ran this evil center died. Did you hear about it? He turned to Christ in the latter part of his life. I hope many hear of Christ through his testimony
[…] the Cambodian Killing Field committed by the Marxist Khmer Rouge. I have written about it here: Reflection of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Relevant to the thesis in this post is my post “Further Reflection of the Marxist […]
This is a memorial of the evils of Communism
This is why I’m against Marxism. Once God is gone, the state always play god; The worst mistake in ungodly ideologies is the removal of God in His throne, where now the state tried to create wealth ex nhilio. Horrible things happen…
A very sobering reminder of the depths of mankind’s depravity.
Sobering indeed; have you heard of the Cambodian killing field before? I honestly don’t know how many in my generation didn’t think Marxism was that bad…
I was a kid when this was going on Jim, news of the “Killing Fields” was a major impact on me growing up. My dad was a keen viewer of the BBC news, hence I saw some terrible things that in reflection as a parent myself I probably should not have seen.