Genocide

It's 5.13am in Cambodia and I've woken 4 times so far. I'm haunted by thoughts of the people tortured and killed by the Khmer Rouge after a visit to S-21 a centre designed for the detention, interrogation, torture and killing of people after they had their confessions, often made up, documented. The victims were kept here 2-4 months usually.

It was once a school but on Pol Pot's orders became a torture centre in April 1975 with 154 prisoners. By 1978 there were 5,765 prisoners there which doesn't include children killed by the regime, which is estimated at 20,000. There is not much written history on the site but I felt the history whilst walking around. I wasn't sure about taking photographs but decided it is important to remember what happened so those people are not forgotten and to educate to ensure such things don't happen again.

This photograph shows a chain used to shackle victims to the metal beds whilst torturing them.

The artists, the educated, were all killed and today I believe 50% of the population is under 30 years old and those that survived suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.

I'm glad I went and I won't forget.