Writing and Photography by Sara Obeidat
The Cambodian Genocide, a legacy under the ruthless Khmer Rouge that systematically took place between 1975-1979, is known as one of the greatest human tragedies in world history. In just four years, 21% of the population( approximately 3 million people) were killed.
Like many repressive regimes all over the world, the Khmeir Rouge party headed by Pol Pot aimed to create a submissive population through force and tyranny; they did this by inducing ethnic animosity between different groups within the population. The result? One of the largest genocides the world has ever seen, as well as a largely displaced Cambodian population. Whole cities were evacuated, and the economy was destroyed.
More than three decades later, I visited Cambodia and was enamored by the beauty embodied in its landscapes and its people. However, lest we forget, the scars of war remain: bullet holes in buildings, a plethora of orphanages, and countless victims facing post conflict trauma. A former security prison was turned into a Genocide Museum in the country’s capital, Phnom Penh, in order to remind the population and the world of the consequences that ensue when governments lose their conscience. I cannot help but wonder if one day there will be a Genocide Museum in Damascus. I genuinely hope I am wrong.
No Smiling.
Beds Used for Torture
Mass Graveyards
The Instruction Board in a Torture Chamber
Wall of a prisoner’s room
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