During my exchange program in Yamanashi I came to know some Cambodian guys I definitely wanted to give a visit so here I am going to Cambodia. In fact, this was not my first Cambodia tour though. The very first time was just 2 weeks ago and lasted only around half an hour as I just needed to do a visa run. This trip also functioned as a visa run, but I wanted to take my time to explore a bit more and hit 2 birds with one stone and visit my new made friends. I arrived in Phnom Peng on the 18.08.2023 by bus and departed on the 20.08.2023 by plane back to HCM.
This time I departed at around 5 AM from HCM by bus and arrived at 7 AM at the Cambodian border. After a quick breakfast shortly after crossing the border, I arrived in Phnom Peng by noon. Because my friends and I actually made plans to meet up not until the following day, I had plenty time to explore the city on my own today.
Having a first look into TripAdvisor’s recommendation, I decided to do the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum as my very first sightseeing destination of Cambodia. And boy, was that a decision (whether right or wrong).
Fun Fact: The Khmer Rogue
During the Vietnam War, North Vietnam utilized eastern Cambodia as a key route for transporting troops and supplies. Despite Cambodia’s official neutral stance, they tacitly permitted this usage due to their inability to effectively enforce sanctions. In response, the U.S. initiated a covert bombing campaign from 1969 to 1973, targeting Vietnamese bases in Cambodia. However, the extensive bombings resulted in significant civilian casualties and widespread social and economic disruption (history.com).
The chaos and devastation from the bombings, along with the destabilization of the rural areas, undermined the Cambodian government, eventually giving rise to the Khmer Rouge in April 1975 led by Pol Pot. The new regime, aimed to transform Cambodia into a classless, agrarian society and believed that cities were symbols of capitalist decay. Within days of seizing power, the Khmer Rouge ordered all city residents to leave their homes under the pretext of avoiding supposed impending bombings by foreign powers; they claimed it would be a temporary measure. However, this was not the case.
The population was forced to move to the countryside and work on collective farms and labor projects under harsh and brutal conditions. The urban professionals, intellectuals, and anyone connected to the former government or foreign governments were especially targeted, often executed under suspicion of being enemies of the state. The mass exodus to rural areas, coupled with the regime’s radical policies, disrupted agricultural production and food distribution as well as the forced labor, poor living conditions and lack of medical care led to widespread malnutrition and famine resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 to 2 million people, a rough 40% of the overall population, from starvation, overwork, disease, and execution (wikipedia).
Fun Fact: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Originally a high school, it was repurposed into an anti-revolutionary prison and interrogation center during Pol Pot’s regime in 1976. Approximately 20,000 individuals were detained here, with inmate numbers fluctuating between 1,000 and 1,500 at any given time. VIP prisoners suspected of possessing valuable information were held on the lower floor in a separate room, while the bulk of detainees were crowded into the upper floors. The guide also told us, that Pol Pot was actually quite intellectual stupid and feared anyone who was smarter than he was. After the liberation through the Vietnamese army in 1979 there were only 12 survivors left.
The guide provided excellent information and the feeling being in such a place is not easily described by pictures alone. After two hours, I found myself overwhelmed and mentally drained. The museum is designed very well to provide necessary context information as well as the the cruelty of the time.
After visiting the museum, I checked into my hostel and immediately needed to take a nap. In the evening, I briefly met up with David and friends and we made our way for a much more lighter sightseeing, the local night market. Because I had experienced similar markets in Vietnam, I was especially thrilled about reconnecting with the people I had randomly encountered six months earlier.
The following day, our first stop was the Museum of Money and Economics. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised by the museum’s quality and how it seamlessly brought together the history of currency and its relevancy in Khmer history.
Fun Fact: Museum of Money and Economics
There were so many things to learn in that museum, but because we were not allowed to take pictures, I could only take that many notes. Here is a compilation of those notes of mine:
Historical Currency Systems:
o In the 4th century, coin money was already in use, symbolizing state sovereignty, political power, and trust.
o Coins also served as indicators of trade power, showing who engaged in commerce with whom, and the stability and legitimacy of a currency.
Economic Practices of the Khmer Empire:
o In the Khmer Empire, bartering and commodity money (e.g., rice) were commonplace, with taxes collected in service or goods.
o This system had drawbacks during wartime, as the Khmer’s ability to wage war depended on full storehouses.
o Nations using currency were less reliant on agricultural cycles, could quickly mobilize through hiring mercenaries, and garnered support from other lords.
o “Bartering favors neither economic efficiency nor political independence.”
Impact of Foreign Economic Influence:
o Despite currency promotion by the Bank of Indochina, Cambodia wasn’t really center of any foreign economic like plantations, thus fell short in benefits of foreign investments.
o The Bank of Indochina favored big customers over small farmers, the majority in Cambodia.
Currency Fluctuations and Policy:
o The Bank of Indochina minted the piaster, pegging it first to silver and later to the French franc, leading to significant fluctuations in value.
o Most banks pegged their currency to gold, causing the value of silver to decline even further.
The Khmer Rouge dismissed currency altogether. Their idea is to avoid exploitation of men by men. However, this resulted in the destruction of the scale of price values and nothing had value neither work nor human.
Today the Riel is used next to the USD as currency in Cambodia.
In the afternoon, we had some authentic Khmer dishes before moving on to more sightseeing. Later in the evening, we took a leisurely boat tour on the Mekong River, eventually stopping at a bar to have dinner, drinks and talks.
The next day I headed to the airport and walked along the independence monument. The sun in the noon was super-hot and there was just no shade in sight, well that’s Cambodia for you.
That wraps up my short trip to Cambodia. I’m incredibly grateful for the guidance and hospitality of my local friends who showed me around town and am particularly thrilled by how much I unexpectedly learned during my brief stay.
