Some Cambodians have made the objection that the preservation and presentation of skulls in Choeung Ek’s stupa violates Buddhist custom. In an appeal for the cremation of the human remains displayed at Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng, the former King Norodom Sihanouk decried what he perceived to be the political use of human remains, saying that he was “trying to lay to rest not just the souls of the dead, but the deep divisions between the coalition partners in the new royal government – those placed in power by Vietnamese ‘liberators’ and those who fought a war of ‘liberation’ against Vietnamese ‘occupation.’” Other Cambodians argue that the skulls present no conflict with Buddhist teachings, and insist that their presentation is part of an essential historical record.
In the context of this debate, it is important to examine the popularity of Choeung Ek as a tourist site. Why do so many tourists come to Choeung Ek? Are they motivated by a morbid interest in the site’s blunt display of skulls and raw open graves? Are they genuinely interested in confronting and understanding what happened in Cambodia? Or are they drawn by a complicated combination of motivations?
This essay was adapted in part from this article: Moore, Lisa. “Recovering the Past, Remembering Trauma: The Politics of Commemoration at Sites of Atrocity.” Journal of Public and International Affairs, Princeton: Princeton University, Spring, 2009.
Choeung Ek is a large site, about the size of a soccer field, and is surrounded by farmland. The centerpiece of the site, a 62-meter concrete and plexiglass stupa, displays over 5,000 human skulls. During the day, the lower levels of the stupa are left open to give visitors an unobstructed view of the skulls, many of which have been shattered or smashed. Behind the stupa, visitors can walk freely around a series of partially exhumed mass graves, in which over 8,000 victims were buried. When it rains heavily, shards of human bones and scraps of the clothing worn by the victims sometimes surface in the walkways around the graves.
Under the direction of the Japanese company JC Royal, the current administrators of the site are constructing a new visitors' center where films will be shown. The company also helped construct the first paved road leading from Phnom Penh to Choeung Ek. As of this writing, however, the site itself is largely unchanged, including the original signage created decades ago by the Vietnamese designers. The site also features a gift shop where books and typical Cambodian souvenirs are sold.
This essay was adapted in part from this article: Moore, Lisa. “Recovering the Past, Remembering Trauma: The Politics of Commemoration at Sites of Atrocity.” Journal of Public and International Affairs, Princeton: Princeton University, Spring, 2009.