Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
| Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | S-21 |
| Site type | Museum |
| Location | Phnom Penh |
| Country | Cambodia |
| Period | The S-21 institution operated from August 1975 until 1979 |
| Subjects | History & Remembrance; Community & Civic Life |
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Wikipedia)
History
The site was formerly Tuol Svay Prey High School before the Khmer Rouge renamed it Security Prison 21 (S-21) and converted it into an internment, torture and interrogation facility. From 1976 to 1979, an estimated 20,000 people were imprisoned there, and the prison was uncovered by the invading Vietnamese army in 1979. Between 1979 and 1980, the government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea reopened it as a historical museum memorializing the actions of the Khmer Rouge regime. (Wikipedia; UNESCO)
Significance
The museum commemorates the Cambodian genocide and preserves the former prison buildings, prisoner photographs, records, torture instruments and paintings depicting torture. It remains an important educational site and memorial for Cambodians, and in 2025 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Cambodian Memorial Sites: From centres of repression to places of peace and reflection. (Wikipedia; UNESCO)
Stewardship
The site is designated by UNESCO as part of the Cambodian Memorial Sites. (Wikipedia; UNESCO)
Visiting
The museum is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On weekdays, visitors can view a survivor testimony from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Since 2010, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia has brought Cambodians on study tours that include Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek and the ECCC complex. (Wikipedia; UNESCO)