We’ve had a full couple of days in Cambodia.
On Monday, we went to the Killing Fields Memorial and Museum outside of Phnom Penh, visited the infamous Khmer Rouge prison called S-21 and then went on to a full afternoon of meetings with the World Relief Cambodia staff.
Kevin Kubota put some haunting images and descriptions from the day up on his blog. You can see his post here.
If you want to understand Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, just think of the book The Lord of the Flies and what it would be like if violent juveniles had complete control of a whole country. Totally irrational.
Anyway, as much as there’s infighting and stalemate in the US Congress, I’m pretty darn glad we have a two-party system and checks and balances. We so quickly forget what can happen when one group has absolute control and doesn’t allow for dissent.
Below is a short video Marianne took of a man, who lost most of his family during the time of the Khmer Rouge, at the Genocide Memorial talking about the Killing Fields and the atrocities committed there. (He has a heavy accent and talks fast, but if you listen you’ll be able to hear what he’s saying.)