S-21, also known as Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, was a former high school located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, that was converted into a detention and torture center by the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. It is infamous for being one of the primary sites where political prisoners and perceived enemies of the state were held, interrogated, and executed during the Cambodian genocide.
At S-21, prisoners underwent brutal treatment, including torture and inhumane conditions, with many ultimately being sent to the Killing Fields for execution. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, S-21 was preserved as a museum to educate visitors about the atrocities committed during this dark period in Cambodia’s history and to honor the memory of the victims. The site contains various exhibits, including photographs of the prisoners and remnants of the facilities. Today, it serves as a vital reminder of the consequences of totalitarianism and the importance of human rights.
Cambodia's dark history under the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979) saw over 1.7 million lives lost due to famine, forced labor, and torture. Tuol Sleng, or S-21, now a genocide museum, was…