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The four-year reign of blood by the Khmer Rouge has left indelible marks upon Cambodia. Its policies caused a massive death toll, whether it be from famine, purges motivated by politics, racism, and bigotry, or disease (even treatable ones such as malaria). It inflicted near-total destruction on every imaginable facet of Cambodian society: culture, economy, education, scientific progress, politics, governance, etc.

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum began life as the Tuol Svay Pray High School. “Tuol Sleng”, the name of its location, bears an appropriately horrific meaning: “hill of the poisonous trees'', or “strychnine hill”. It was converted into Security Prison S-21 as a detention center. An estimated 20,000 people were imprisoned in S-21: workers, farmers, engineers, intellectuals, teachers, and even military personnel. Initially, S-21 was used to remove sympathizers of the previous regime or any foreign influence. As the Khmer Rouge became paranoid, some of its leaders and loyalists were detained, ostensibly for “espionage”. Under torture and coercion, inmates named others as spies and traitors, who then were arrested and tortured. Living conditions were abominable. Prisoners were shackled at all times in cramped cells, made to sleep on the cold floor, and conversations were forbidden. Spoons of rice porridge and watery vegetable soup were their meals and main diet. Exhaustion and disease were as murderous as the torturers and executioners.

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Today, museum visitors can see chilling evidence of what happened. Bloodstains remain on the walls and floors. Photographs show each room as the Vietnamese army found them, some featuring mutilated and chained corpses. Leg-irons and torture instruments are on display.