Memorial

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum has a memorial monument to commemorate the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge regime and to serve as a place for national remembrance ceremonies.

The memorial monument of S-21 victims was built in 1984 and was rebuilt several times:

First Memorial: Wooden structure with three tiers and a large spire for storing urns, built following the Buddhist structure. It was used for the “Day of Hatred” on May 20, 1984. Unfortunately, it collapsed in 1999. Second Memorial: After the first monument was damaged, the museum arranged to create a boundary marker slab made of plywood as a replacement. This slab was later damaged by a cyclone in 2008. Third Memorial: The slab was made of cement (date unknown). The inscription on this slab honored, “With the deepest respect to the souls of the Cambodian people who died under the brutal torture of the genocidal regime of Democratic Kampuchea. Fourth Memorial: This memorial is the largest and was officially inaugurated on March 26, 2015. It is part of the non-judicial reparations of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (Khmer Rouge Tribunal) in Case 001, funded by the Government of Germany. The memorial bears the inscription “Remember, never forget the crimes committed during the Democratic Kampuchea regime.” Surrounding the memorial are marble plaques engraved with the names of more than 12,000 victims. (Photo)

Present-day, the memorial monument is an important place for both national and international visitors to honor and commemorate the victims who lost their lives during the Khmer Rouge regime.