Phnom Penh
Toul Sleng S-21 Prison

Sunday October 26, 2003

Tuol Sleng was converted from a high school to a prison in 1976 by the Khmer Rouge. It opened as a museum in 1980. Everyday at 10 and 3 a movie is shown that documents the internment of one prisoner in her letters to her husband (a member of the KR), and his letters to her. Both were killed. The movie shows a former prisoner (the painter of the paintings below) return to the prison with a former guard. The guard authenticates the events in the paintings, and discusses his experience a little bit. He admits to killing 5 prisoners at Choeng Ek because he did not want to be killed himself. It was a bit odd to see the former prisoner and guard interact congenially.

Established by the Khmer Rouge, or Angkar in May 1976, S-21 stands for Security Office 21 and was the the primary organ for the interrogation and extermination of anti-Angkar elements. According to the brochure handed out at the museum, Tuol Sleng translates as "a poisonous hill or a place on a mound to keep those who bear of supply guilt [toward Angkar]."

1,720 people worked in Tuol Sleng. Within each unit of workers (internal workforce, office, interrogation, and general) there were sub-units of children aged 10-15. The children in the KR were separated and isolated from their families, then taught to hate. They were exceptionally cruel towards the prisoners.

Records show that about 12,500 people, including children, passed through the Tuol Sleng prison. As prisoners entered the prison, they were photographed and forced to write biographies of their lives from childhood to imprisonment.

Images of victims, including children, images of murdered victims, and a container of victims' clothing.

Paintings of life and torture in the prison, and a freshly exhumed mass grave.
I apologize for the poor quality of the painting images, but I thought it was important to post them regardless. The first is the general sleeping quarters. Everyone's feet are bound. The chalkboard in the former classroom says essentially that anyone that talks, moves or screams will be beaten. And if you scream in your beating you will be beaten harder. The middle image shows a man having his fingernails pulled out. They would then pour alcohol in the wounds.

Implements of torture. The long bar shows the foot shackles that were used in the sleeping quarters. The next two show a torture chamber and restraints. There were photos on the wall of victims killed in these rooms. Fortunately they were very blurry photos. The 4th photo is a case full of various torture implements, followed by a water torture bench and watering can. The picture behind shows how it was used. The final picture shows the gallows and a sign which says:

This pole with cables attached to it had been used for the student to conduct their exercise. The Khmer rouge utilized this place as interrogation room. The interrogators tied both hands of the prisoners to the back by a rope and lift the prisoners upside down. They did like this until the prisoners lost consciousness. Then they dipped the prisoner's head into a jar of smelly, filthy water, which they normally used as fertilizer for the crops in the terrace outside. By doing so, the victims quickly regain consciousness, and that the interrogators could continued their interrogation.

Barbed wire was a common theme...

The courtyard and some prison cells

The list of regulations for the establishment, and a piece of graffiti.

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Copyright 2003, Dana M. Brash. All Rights Reserved.