As we head to the Killing Fields, I will share the story of the Khmer Rouge, the communist regime led by Pol Pot.

I will explain why they emerged — how war, instability, and poverty helped them rise. You’ll also learn who they were — Cambodian communists inspired by Maoist ideas — and who was involved, including Pol Pot and his inner circle called Angkar (“the Organization”).

I’ll describe how they took power in April 1975, when they captured Phnom Penh after years of civil war. At first, they promised equality, but once in control they emptied cities, abolished money, religion, schools, and hospitals, declaring Cambodia must return to “Year Zero.”

You will also hear how they ruled — forcing everyone to farm, separating families, and governing through fear. Obsessed with “purity,” they targeted intellectuals, monks, teachers, doctors, and even their own members. Even wearing glasses or speaking another language could mean death.

In less than four years, nearly two million Cambodians — a quarter of the population — died from executions, starvation, disease, and forced labor. Their dream of equality became a nightmare of fear and death.

When we arrive at the memorials, you will see how this ideology was put into practice. These sites are not only places of tragedy but also reminders of the resilience of the Cambodian people and the importance of remembering history.

Located 17 kilometers south of Phnom Penh, the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek is one of Cambodia’s most moving memorials. During the Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979), thousands of prisoners from Tuol Sleng (S-21 Prison) were transported here, blindfolded and bound, for execution.

Visitors will encounter:

Mass Graves: Some remain untouched, others excavated, standing as stark reminders of countless lives lost.

Memorial Stupa: A glass tower holding over 8,000 skulls and bones, carefully preserved as a sacred space of remembrance.

The Killing Tree: Once used to murder children, today covered with bracelets and offerings left in respect.

Peaceful Grounds: An eerie contrast, where birds sing and trees sway on land that once witnessed such tragedy.

Guided explanations provide a deeper understanding of the victims’ suffering, the brutality of the regime, and the resilience of survivors.

Meet a Survivor (Subject to Availability)

After visiting Choeung Ek, you may have the unique chance to meet a Khmer Rouge survivor.

Hear a first-hand account of loss, endurance, and survival.

Transform history into a personal connection beyond statistics and monuments.

Ask questions respectfully for a deeper understanding.

This meeting is often the most emotional part of the journey, leaving lasting impressions of resilience, courage, and hope.

We will explore this former high school step by step, learning how it was turned into Security Prison 21 (S-21), the Khmer Rouge’s main interrogation and torture center. Between 1975 and 1979, around 14,000–17,000 people were imprisoned here, but only a few survived.

As we walk through, you will see:

Classrooms turned into cells: Tiny brick or wooden cubicles where prisoners were shackled in harsh conditions.

Interrogation rooms: Preserved with metal beds, chains, and torture tools, alongside photos taken in 1979 when the prison was discovered.

Prisoner photographs: Rows of black-and-white portraits of men, women, and children, giving a human face to the tragedy.

Exhibits and evidence: Shackles, torture devices, and forced confessions that reveal the brutality of the regime.

Memorial spaces: Displays of art, testimonies, and stories of survival that encourage reflection and remembrance.

Your guide will explain how the prison functioned, how accusations were made, and why most prisoners were eventually executed at the Killing Fields. Visiting Tuol Sleng is a deeply emotional experience — a stark reminder of the horrors of the Khmer Rouge and the importance of remembering history.