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THE KILLING FIELDS OF CAMBODIA

~ AN ENGLISHMAN'S IMPRESSION ~

Brian E Swinyard

BA(Hons) MA ARPS EFIAP DPAGB PSA1* BPE2*

Much has been said, books written and films made about 'The Killing Fields' of Cambodia, but nothing prepared me for my first visit in December 2003 to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (former Khmer Rouge Security Prison S-21) and Choeng Ek Genocide Centre (former Killing Fields) near Phnom Penh. The medium of photography allowed me to express my thoughts and emotions arguably better than the spoken or written word. I like to think that the images speak for themselves and provide a snapshot in time to evoke echoes and memories of the past.

On 17 April 1975, the Khmer Rouge guerrillas filed into Phnom Penh, signalling the start of a reign of terror which would devastate an ancient culture and cause the death of over 2 million Cambodians in just 3 years. The figures speak for themselves: killing sites (343), mass graves (19,440), genocide memorials (77), security prisons (167). Although in many ways thought-provoking and disturbing places to visit, S-21 and Choeng Ek are a must on every conscientious travel photographer's itinerary, and in my opinion, should not to be missed.

The images in this article are all hand-held, shot from shoulder height in order to reflect a standard perspective and principal line of sight. They were taken to show how innocuous buildings and environs (eg High Schools) can be radically transformed during times of conflict for much more sinister uses (eg prisons and genocide centres). In almost all of the images, the viewer initially sees the bland buildings and is then conscious of the visual dichotomy posed by the presence of the barbed wire, razor wire, instruments of torture, skulls, etc.. There but for the grace of God go I.

(Please click on any of the photographs to view a small gallery)

Security Prison S-21

I visited the former S21 Prison complex twice during my stay in Phnom Penh, on both occasions from noon to 4pm. Lighting conditions varied from overcast/hazy to bright sunshine, with variable cloud cover to almost clear blue sky. My choice of film stock was deliberately limited to Fuji Velvia slide film. I find that this gives me a good range of saturated colours and enables me to capture the variable contrast between brightly lit areas and deep shadows, yet retain a warmth in the stonework of buildings.

The sheer suburban ordinariness of what was Tuol Svay Prey High School in 1973 belies its sinister use during the Pol Pot Regime, 1976-1979. It was taken over by the Security Forces and turned into a detention and torture centre, the largest in Cambodia, and became known as the infamous Security Prison S-21. It covers an area of 600 x 400 metres and during the Khmer Rouge Regime was enclosed by electrified barbed wire fences. The houses in the compound were used as offices for administration, interrogation and torture. Classrooms were converted into prison cells, some individual, others for multiple occupancy.

The victims in the prison were taken from all parts of the country and all walks of life. Although the vast majority were from Cambodia, they were also drawn from many other nations; Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, India, Pakistan, United Kingdom, France, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. The prison could accommodate up to 1500 prisoners at a time and who were held for usually between 2-4 months.

Each prisoner who passed through S-21 was photographed; the museum displays many of these together with instruments of torture. There are several large paintings by one of only seven survivors found alive by the Vietnamese Army when they liberated Phnom Penh in early 1979. Within the compound, there are 14 graves; those prisoners who were tortured to death on the very day the Vietnamese Army relieved Phnom Penh.

Before the prisoners were placed in the cells, they were photographed (many are on display) and detailed biographies of their childhood up to the date of their arrest, were recorded. They were stripped of clothes and possessions and slept directly on the cell floor without mats, mosquito nets or blankets. Prison life was hard, with much physical punishment for breaking any of the eight regulations of the establishment.

I was particularly interested to see that photography had been used to very good effect, to record and display not only the number of innocent people involved but also the scale of the atrocities that had been endured. The impact of the photographs was greatly enhanced by the use of monochrome, and the message was abundantly clear in their monochrome simplicity. Some of the images were beginning to fade with the passing of time. Nevertheless, the photographs will adorn the walls for many years to come, to bear silent witness to what had happened; a lasting monument and permanent record for posterity. The authors of the photographs had been both observer and participant to the moment, which reinforces the importance of photography as the medium for recording a snapshot in time, or as Cartier-Bresson described The Decisive Moment.

In the wake of its renovation, following the fall of the Khmer Rouge Regime, the historical museum of genocide opened in 1980 and today welcomes visitors. Renovation is being carried out as a phased approach, to preserve and repair buildings and to ensure that documentation is archivally preserved.

As I walked around the compound, I could not fail to be moved by the poignancy of the place. Each building had its own uniqueness. The metal beds, the manacles, the pictures of the last occupants, the paraphernalia of torture, and the rows of cells conjured up a picture of the unbearable hardship that the inmates must have endured. Man's inhumanity to man! And then, as if to take a breath of fresh air outside the buildings, I was overwhelmed with the pungent aroma of the frangipani flowers.

CHOENG EK Genocide Centre

There was only one window of opportunity during our stay in Phnom Penh in which to visit the Choeng Ek Genocide Centre. Fortunately this was during mid to late afternoon on a bright sunny day, which matched well my choice of Fuji Velvia film stock.

During the Pol Pot Regime, some 17,000 prisoners, detained and tortured at S-21, were taken to the Extermination Camp at Choeng Ek, 15km from Phnom Penh, to be executed. Driving through the entrance, I was overcome by a chilling feeling and sense of foreboding as I looked up at the sign above the entrance archway - 'Choeng Ek Genocide Centre'.

The site is very well laid out for visitors and a gazebo near the entrance provides a textual and photographic history of the site. As I wandered around the various paths, there was the evidence of the mass graves, some excavated, and others left untouched. Some were covered with thatched structures; others marked with simple wooden carved signs - 'Mass Grave'.

The remains of 8985 people were exhumed in 1980 from mass graves; 43 of the 129 communal graves remain untouched. In order to save precious bullets, prisoners were blindfolded, made to kneel on the edge of pits, and then bludgeoned to death, their throats cut with the saw-like stems of palm fronds. Fragments of human bone and clothing still lie scattered around the disinterred pits. A Memorial Stupa stands in the centre of the site. Inside this clear-glass sided obelisk on 17 storeys, are over 8,000 human skulls, arranged by sex and age.

Any image of war or the effects of war are self-explanatory and ethically evaluative because the viewer is politically engaged in a passionate way to praise and/or condemn certain aspects of society. Some are charged with emotional significance and inner meaning; some are expressionistic, in that they emphasise the artistic view of the photographer. People are moved by what they see; they respond emotionally, intellectually and morally.

The sweet pungent aroma of the frangipani flowers and hibiscus blossom pervaded the air as visitors wandered too and fro, many in silence, many deep in thought as they pondered how a nation could do such horrific acts to its own kind. The fluttering of myriad butterfly wings, of all hues and colours of the rainbow, were concentrated over the disinterred pits and interrupted the stillness. It was almost as though Nature was helping with the grieving process in an attempt to soften the edges of the mess mankind had made.

Much of my spare time during the past two years has been taken up with my studies for a Master of Arts Degree in Photography at De Montfort University, Leicester. S21 and Choeng Ek made such a profound impression on me, that for one of my early assignments, I decided to undertake a critical survey and analysis of 'The Moment Of Death' photographs in war photography. This was based on the life of Robert Capa, war photo-journalist, in which I argued inter alia that the form, action and emotion of his images had no distractions and the message was clear in its vivid simplicity. They had a timeless and universal quality that transcended the specifics of history. Such were my memories of Cambodia.

As we travelled through Cambodia, I could not fail to notice how few people there were over 50 years of age. As a 60-year old backpacker, I found the term 'Pappa' quite endearing. Despite the traumatic events of recent years, which have had an overwhelming impact on almost every family in Cambodia, the Cambodian people remain so very warm, friendly and sincere.

Some war photographs are etched in our memories for ever and transform our lives. They chronicle key moments and turning points in social and world history, they influence what is accepted as truth and reality and are not diluted by the passage of time or mass exposure in the media.

These images of Cambodia will live forever and will never be forgotten!