PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodia marked the UNESCO World Heritage list’s inscription of three sites formerly used by the Khmer Rouge for torture and execution, with ceremonies across the country at government ministries and pagodas on Sunday.
The former Tuol Sleng prison and Choeung Ek “killing fields” in Phnom Penh, and the former M-13 prison in Kampong Chhnang province, were announced by UNESCO as "Cambodian Memorial Sites: From centres of repression to places of peace and reflection", in Paris on Friday.
Cambodia's Ministry of Culture held a drum ceremony at its headquarters on Sunday to mark the occasion.
“This is a model for the world, showing the long struggle of Cambodia, reconciliation, the spirit of national unity, finding justice for the victims and building peace”, said Interim Culture Minister, Hab Touch.
It was important for the younger generations to remember the country's "bitter history", said ministry official, Bun Sokha.
The new listing marks Cambodia’s fifth World Heritage Site and its first modern-era nomination. The ministry noted it is among the first globally linked to recent conflict.
Between 1.7 and 2.2 million people died under Pol Pot’s regime from 1975 to 1979, many from starvation, torture, or execution. About 15,000 were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng prison alone, which now serves as a genocide museum.