Khmer Rouge Torture Sites in Cambodia Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

Three notorious Cambodian torture and execution sites, used by the Khmer Rouge regime to perpetrate genocide 50 years ago, have been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This recognition highlights the immense human tragedy of that period.

The Inscribed Sites:

1. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (Phnom Penh):
   • Originally a former high school, it was converted into the infamous S-21 prison.
   • An estimated 15,000 people were imprisoned and tortured here.
2. Choeung Ek Genocide Centre (Phnom Penh):
   • Also located in the capital, this site is one of the most well-known “killing fields.”
3. M-13 (Kampong Chhnang province):
   • This site is located in a rural area in central Kampong Chhnang province.

The Khmer Rouge Regime and Genocide:

• Period: The Khmer Rouge regime ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.
• Death Toll: Approximately two million people died during this period due to starvation, forced labor, torture, or mass killings.
• Rise to Power: The Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975.
• Forced Relocation: Immediately after seizing power, they forced almost all of the city’s residents into the countryside, where they were subjected to brutal forced labor.
• Overthrow: The regime was driven from power in 1979 by an invasion from neighboring Vietnam.