Prior to taking classes about genocide, I had no idea of what happened in Cambodia in the late 1970’s. I knew about the Holocaust in Europe during the Nazi era and I knew bits and pieces of the history of African genocide, but I didn’t realize what had happened here. After learning about it my heart was stirred even more so to help change the atmosphere in Cambodia, to bring life to the “valleys of dry bones” found in the “Killing Fields” left over from the Khmer Rouge’s reign terror. You see, the victims of the genocide in which 1/3 of the population at the time (between 1.7 and 2 million Cambodians) lost their lives, the genocide. In a way the genocide is still happening because of the impact that it has had in crippling the country.
The generation that is being raised up in Cambodia currently is reaping the effects of what was sown by parents deeply scared by the mass murder and complete destruction of a way of life. This is a generation lost… a generation who does not know its’ own identity. We learned much in the last week about the effects of the genocide by visiting Tuol Sleng S-21 Prison right in Phnom Penh and also visiting one of the Killing Fields outside of the city. My eyes were opened even more, and these visits have allowed me to better understand the people of Cambodia and our work here. Although it has been difficult I am thankful for the experience.
