Cambodian Memorial Sites: From centres of repression to places of peace and reflection

Brief synthesis The Cambodian Memorial Sites are testimony to one of the most serious abuses of human rights in the 20th century. Between 1971 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime established a nation-wide security system in order to repress political opponents and impose a classless agrarian society of collective farming. The network of security centres and execution sites throughout Cambodia touched every aspect of Cambodian life through imprisonment, forced transfers and labour, and denial of the necessities of life. In a single decade, one quarter of the population perished. This serial property of three component parts illustrates the stages of the Khmer Rouge security system. The former M-13 prison (component part A) shows the initial phase during the civil war period, a prototype for subsequent developments. The centrally located former S-21 prison, now Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, (component part B) in Phnom Penh represents the apex of the system; and its associated execution site, now Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (component part C) reveals its final elimination stage. These three sites represent the full scope of the repressive system of imprisonment, interrogation, torture and execution. Following the defeat of the Khmer Rouge regime, the Cambodian Memorial Sites became places of memorialisation to honour victims. As places of reflection and learning, the serial property encourages peaceful coexistence among peoples and fosters a commitment to never repeat such atrocities. The property provides an example of the ongoing process of navigating the joint goals of justice and national reconciliation. Criterion (vi): The Cambodian Memorial Sites demonstrate the events of the Khmer Rouge repressive system of imprisonment, interrogation, torture and execution known internationally as the “killing fields”. The scale and impact of these events and the impacts on the people of Cambodia are of outstanding universal significance. The three component parts were all managed directly by one man (Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch) accountable to the senior leadership of the Khmer Rouge. All have direct tangible and intangible links with these events through their tangible attributes, documentary evidence and witness accounts. Integrity The serial property includes all the attributes necessary to convey the Outstanding Universal Value, and to support the continuing processes of memorialisation. The boundaries of the component parts are satisfactory but are tightly drawn, possibly requiring future revision in light of new discoveries. The component parts have a satisfactory state of conservation, although they are vulnerable due to natural processes, visitor pressures, and urban development. Authenticity The serial property is associated with tangible evidence, written and oral information sources that provide insight into the Khmer Rouge security system. The above and below ground attributes of the component parts, together with the associated collections and archives demonstrate the authenticity of the serial property in relation to its Outstanding Universal Value. These information sources are relatively more abundant for the former S-21 prison and execution grounds (component parts B and C) than for the former M-13 prison (component part A). The material evidence of the physical attributes has been well documented using maps, photographs, archaeological investigations, exhumation of human remains and witness accounts. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Archives, included in the UNESCO Memory of World International Register, are a rich resource for understanding these events and their tragic outcomes. In addition, the judicial records of the international Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) support the authenticity of these sites. Protection and management requirements The three component parts are all owned by the Royal Government of Cambodia: two by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (A and B) and one by the Phnom Penh Municipality (C). The Phnom Penh Municipality has given a contract to the JC Royal Company to provide the daily operations of the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (C) as a tourism destination (until 2035). The property is protected under several Royal Decrees, laws and regulations. Protection is operationalised by the relevant municipal/provincial master plans which require urgent development and finalisation. A coordinated management mechanism for the property has been established by Royal Decree via an Inter-Ministerial Committee responsible for implementing the protection and management strategies across the three component parts. The Director of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is the overall Coordinating Officer, mandated to oversee the management, conservation, interpretation and other matters related to the property. The Comprehensive Cultural Management Plan covers conservation of all attributes, visitor and property management, interpretation, protection and appropriate treatment of human remains for each component part. It also addresses the site-specific conservation requirements and regulation of their respective buffer zones. Many of the key actions will be facilitated by the grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency and UNESCO (KOICA/UNESCO) for the period 2024-2028. The three component parts have different levels and types of visitation. Two of them (B and C) are heavily visited destinations for tourism and are significant sites of memory visited by Cambodian people. Currently component part A is not accessible for visitors and memorial activities have recently begun. Careful strategic planning for this component part is required, accompanied by rigorous Heritage Impact Assessments. A masterplan for this site will be prepared. There are few survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime still alive, but the families of victims are involved in the commemoration and educational activities of each of the component parts. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum has an extensive educational outreach programme for Cambodian students. There are further opportunities for community involvement in the management system.