Visit to the S21 prison: Morbid or sensible?

Visit to the S21 prison: Morbid or sensible?

The S21 prison processed over 17,000 people for extermination. Today it is one of Cambodia's most popular tourist destinations. Are visitors unpleasant or important?

Some sights you probably only see once. Places like Petra, Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat are so grand, exotic and expensive that they are the definition of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Other sights are seen once because once is enough; Places like the Dachau concentration camp in Germany or the S21 prison in Cambodia.

It was unsettling to find myself outside the gates of S21 prison for the second time in five years. My first visit in 2011 had been shocking enough. We'd dodged an overzealous tour guide and traveled through the former prison alone - a sobering experience that I wasn't sure I wanted to repeat.

The second time I arrived in a guided group tour and was interested to see how this would change the experience.

old=““>CC BY-SA 2.0Former torture chamber in prison S21

We started in a small room with a stained orange and white checkered floor. At one end stood a rusty metal bed frame with a pair of ankle shackles and a small box that prisoners used as a toilet. On the wall was a photo taken after the prison was discovered in 1979. It shows a rotting corpse chained to the bed in this former torture chamber.

It's strange how we read those words - "torture chamber" - in horror movie descriptions and imagine secret underground cells filled with dampness and decay. This is located on an unremarkable city street, surrounded by grass, trees and normal suburban life.

old=““>CC BY-SA 2.0Green area around the S21 prison

The harmless environment suggests that the S21 prison was not always a place of horror. In fact, it was a high school until it was seized by Pol Pot's security forces in 1975 and became Security Prison 21, the largest detention and torture center in Cambodia.

More than 17,000 people held in S21 were processed for extermination in the Choeung Ek killing fields, but not before months of torture involving beatings, electric shocks, scorching hot metal instruments, suffocation, waterboarding, hanging, skinning and worse.

The regime was so merciless that guards were told they had to barely keep the prisoners alive to continue the torture. If a prisoner died, the guard would be branded a traitor and face imprisonment himself.

For those unfamiliar with Pol Pot, it is worth explaining that under his rule from 1975 to 1979, over 1.5 million Cambodians died of starvation, execution, disease or overwork. His party, the Khmer Rouge, initially focused its killings on the soldiers and government officials of the previous regime.

Then, in an attempt to socialize a classless peasant society, the party expanded the killings to include academics, doctors, teachers, students, monks and engineers. Later, their paranoia turned against their own ranks and purges across the country resulted in thousands of party activists and their families being taken to S21 prison and murdered.

As we tourists stood in that first torture chamber, the photo on the wall was a foreshadowing of the horrors of the prison. This was the point of no return.

Our guide pointed to the photo and pointed to a vulture perched over the rotting flesh of the body. It's a spooky discovery that I missed on my unguided visit years earlier.

There were other changes too. For example, there were now trash cans scattered around the corners of the complex. On my first visit, I was upset to see empty Coke cans and other trash being thoughtlessly thrown around the overflowing trash can. If we couldn't expect respect here, where could we?

old=““>Atlas & BootsOverflowing trash cans in S21 prison (2011)

There were also more explanatory signs explaining what was happening in S21 Prison, no doubt catering to the increasing number of tourists in Cambodia.

Our guide led us through the chambers and into the tiny prison cells that were so small I couldn't stretch my arms.

Then we walked to perhaps the most shocking exhibit of all: rows and rows of prisoner photos. The Khmer Rouge kept meticulous records of their brutality. Every prisoner who passed through S21 prison was photographed - sometimes before and after torture.

As most visitors will notice, some prisoners appear frightened, others are angry or defiant, many are neutral in front of the camera, caught in a moment in the midst of one of the most horrific ordeals in history.

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Fair use

Harrowing photos of Khmer Rouge victims in S21 prison

As I walked between the photos, as a repeat visitor I was perhaps best placed to ask: Is visiting the S21 prison morbid or meaningful? Is it a morally ambiguous cornerstone of dark tourism or a valuable educational tool?

My conclusion is that it is a bit of both.

There is death behind every corner, in every room. There is also no hope in the midst of terror; no stories of retribution or justice. Pol Pot reportedly died a peaceful death in the Cambodian jungle and few of his top generals were punished.

So, yes, it's morbid, but it also has meaning. My Eurocentric upbringing taught me everything about Nazi Germany but nothing about Pol Pot. Understanding the trials of a distant land contextualizes one's own history.

It helps you appreciate your place in history and inspires empathy. It also makes you part of the broader consciousness that vows never to let the past become our future.

old=““>GFDLShedding light into dark shadows: The S21 correctional facility is now a museum of remembrance and education

It is the last point that I find most important. When I met two of the reported seven survivors at the end of the S21 prison circle, I initially felt a bittersweet sadness. S21 was the worst thing that had ever happened to them in their lives, and now they had settled within its walls, reliving the horrors every day.

But then I remembered Leon Greenman, a World War II survivor and fellow East Londoner I had met as a schoolgirl. Leon spent time visiting local schools to tell the story of his life in Auschwitz. I remember him rolling up his sleeve and letting us touch his tattoo - number 98288.

Leon insisted that we ask whatever we wanted, no matter how upsetting it was to him, because “knowledge is the only way to prevent the past from repeating itself.” This afternoon with Leon was moving in a way that months of study never could be.

So, yes, dark tourism can be morbid, but if the emphasis is on remembrance and education then it absolutely, undoubtedly has value.

Prison S21: The most important thing

What: Visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly S21 Prison, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Where: I traveled aboard the Toum Tiou II as part of a Mekong River cruise. If you're staying in Phnom Penh instead, use Booking.com for accommodation.

When: Cambodia is warm all year round. The best time to visit is between November and March when you can enjoy cool, dry days, but note that this is peak season. June to October is hot and possibly wet, but still a good time to visit. Rain usually falls for a short burst in the afternoon and rarely affects travel plans.

How: I went with G Adventures Mekong River Cruise Adventure priced at £1,299 per person for a 10-day trip from Saigon to Siem Reap. The price includes most meals, activities and a Chief Experience Officer (CEO). For more information or to book, call 0344 272 2040 or visit gadventures.com.

Note that prices do not include flights. Vietnam Airlines offers the UK's only non-stop flights to Vietnam, with daily flights from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Hanoi or Saigon. Book via skyscanner.net.

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Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand offers a comprehensive travel guide to Phnom Penh and the Mekong Delta, ideal for those who want to both explore the top attractions and take the road less traveled.

Disclosure: We traveled to Cambodia with support from G Adventures. All publications say this, but we really don't guarantee positive coverage. We say what we think – good and bad – so you can make informed decisions with honest advice.

Mission statement: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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