Cruise Planners - On the Road - The Killing Fields of Cambodia Philosophy

The Killing Fields

During the 3 years and 8 months the Khmer Rouge were in power (1975-79) life in Cambodia was changed — 20% of their population was killed, one of Asia’s most beautiful cities was depopulated, and all of the educated and accomplished people that didn’t escape, were sent to the rice fields.  

But truly, according to Sophia, one of our guides, her grandmother who had passed in 1998 had not known more than two consecutive years of peace in her 80+ years of life — perhaps because the Khmer Rouge war was more widely perceived in the west due to the movie “The Killing Fields" — we are much less aware of the continuous strife the Cambodian people suffered during our lifetime.

In the midst of this nearly continual suffering however, a remarkable and noteworthy attitude has emerged.  This attitude was explained by another of our guides, Lovey, who shared not only the story of how his family survived and eventually flourished, but how the Cambodian people survived as a people despite neighbor killing neighbor until 20% of the entire country was dead.

Forgive but not Forget - move on with our lives because to live our future for vengeance would make today’s life no better than yesterday’s… “Peace, the chance for prosperity and the happiness of our children, is more important than Revenge”.

Ultimately, only 5 people were convicted of Crimes Against Humanity for the Pol Pot - Khmer Rouge genocide.  Today’s Prime Minister and many other officials throughout the country were Khmer Rouge.  But as Lovey said, “...if all who were guilty were punished, the country could not go forward. If focused on righting wrongs of past, then focus on future would be lost…"

We learn and will learn many things in our lives, most of them fortunately, not bought and paid for by the blood of millions who perished in our life time - the life time of Baby Boomers - who represent the restart and reset of parents’ lives - who fought in Europe and Asia and who, with their former enemies in Germany and Japan, rebuilt the world we would live in with more peace, prosperity, equality, and vision than the one they were born in.

Spending 5 days in Cambodia, learning about the lessons they lived with the blood of their brothers, aunts, neighbors, and parents, has re-enforced for me a simple lesson.

At the end of the day, those who seek to redress past wrongs will never make a future worth living and will instead, be doomed to a life of unhappiness.

S21 Detention Center

S21 Camp Rules - Everyone Confessed

Confessions provided one way trip to the Killing Fields

Killing Fields