The Killing Fields at Choeng Ek

I wish I had the skill or the historical knowledge to write an actual comment on what I saw at the Killing Fields tactfully or perceptively; since I don't, I'll stick to this link and captioning some pictures I took. Absolutely horrifying to see we humans are capable of this.  Thirty-five years ago.  Impossible for me not to shed a tear on behalf of us all.

Real, shattered, bleached pieces of human skulls/bones.  Some recently unearthed, as more are turned up frequently by storms.

Since-excavated mass graves, some of which were alloted for women or children only.  As metals (read: bullets) were "too precious to waste" in these camps, starvation/maiming with bamboo weapons/hangings were the means of choice for the Year Zero "societal cleansing" organized by Pol Pot.  Infants and young children were simply smashed over trees and rocks until they were left lifeless. 

Nine levels of skulls and other bones are found in the tower overlooking Choeung Ek, memorializing the victims with ineffable profundity 

Particularly sharp palm bark was used to slit the throats of detainees.  Heinously, this differs from the method of executing children via repeated smashing, in that case infamously using chankiri trees.

The intensity was overwhelming.  The demonstration of our capacity to repeat history (whether knowingly or unknowingly is to me irrelevant) was sickening.  There is only so much of this place I could stomach in one sitting, but bearing witness to this place is something I'll never forget, and feel I obligated in some way, as I'm sure most do who come here, to share.