The killing fields were sites set up all over the country where the Khmer Rouge took people to be killed once they could no longer work, had confessed to their alleged crimes, or simply just were not seen as being useful anymore. It is estimated that over one million people were killed at these sites and were buried in mass graves.
Today many of the killing fields have been excavated to give the victims a proper burial but some are also inaccessible due to landmines. One of the more famous ones is Choeung Ek located on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Here people were taken for execution after enduring torture and interrogation at the S-21 prison, a former high school. It has been turned into a memorial site for visitors to learn about the genocide and pay their respects to the victims.
Open hours : 07.30 am – 17.30 pm