Killing Caves

"Phnom Sampeau = Killing Caves"

The Battambang site where hundreds of Cambodians were tortured and killed during Pol Pot, is now a tourist attraction.

Ironic?

The premises is located in Phnom Sampeau inside the Sampeau Hill, about 18 km southwest of Battambang.

To reach the hilltop temple of Phnom Sampeau you have to do a lot of walking and climbing -- around 700 steps to be more accurate. But it`s a good exercise!

killing caves phnom sampeau battambang cambodia backpacking tips asia This is where they were pushed...

At the top, I met some friendly female monks. I thought it was kind of unusual cause until that day; I had only seen male monks during my entire trip. They're either guarding the donation boxes which are everywhere, or taking a stroll around the mountain.

After this, my guide took us to the highlight of the mountain:

The Killing Caves where Khmer Rouge held their prisoners. The prisoners were tortured and murdered in front of others as a sign of:

"This is what happens to people like you!"

My guide told me there used to be bamboo pipes inside the small Wat we visited. These bamboo pipes were used to drain the blood from the slit throats.

When you walk further inside, you`ll see cages filled with skulls, bones and the victims' clothes, as a reminder of what happened in the 1970s. And right in front of you, you have the Killing Caves.

Pol Pot and his men fooled the prisoners by saying that they would work. They were blindfolded them, hands tied on their back, and then they pushed them over the edge of the hill top.

killing caves phnom sampeau battambang cambodia backpacking tips asia Skulls of the victims...

Think about it...

You hear your father or sister scream, and being broken into pieces...

Another horrible thing is that the guide told me that they locked up children in special tiny "caves" where they would eventually starve to death, if not killed by the fall.

Sounds brutal, huh? Well, it turned my stomach, that`s for sure.

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