Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 Prison) Tourism

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, initially a high school, was converted into Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. Situated in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, this former prison stands as a grim testament to the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge era. Within these walls, an estimated 17,000 people were confined, tortured, and coerced into naming family members and close associates, who were then also arrested, tortured, and killed. Most prisoners were ultimately taken to the Choeung Ek extermination center, known as the Killing Fields, to be executed. Today, Tuol Sleng has been preserved as a museum, showcasing photographs, torture instruments, and personal stories to educate visitors and memorialize victims. The museum presents a stark reminder of the darkest period in Cambodian history, aiming to ensure such horrors are never repeated. It is a sobering site where the small cells, barbed wire fences, and interrogation rooms speak volumes of the past suffering and serve as a somber reflection on human cruelty and resilience.