Cambodia

Cambodia — Day 4: War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia — part 2 of 2

Nick Morris

Nick Morris

— 4 min read

A sobering experience

September 2015

My tour of the War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia, continued with my guide.

Cambodia — Day 4: War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia — part 1 of 2
War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Nick's WanderingsNick Morris

After looking at the general weapons, we moved on to some of the vehicles used in recent wars in Cambodia.

First, it was the tanks.

Photo by Author — the remains of a partly destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — the remains of a partly destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — the remains of a partly destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — the remains of a partly destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — the remains of a partly destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — the remains of a partly destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

My guide told me his friend had been killed in the above tank. And as I looked at the tank and looked inside, I could see what looked like an old boot and a leg bone. I asked my guide about them, and he confirmed they were from his friend.

Photo by Author — human remains in a tank— War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — human remains in a tank— War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — inside the destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — inside the destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — a tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — a tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — another destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — another destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

We also looked at some of the shells that the tanks might fire.

Photo by Author — anti-tank munitions — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — anti-tank munitions — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — a destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — a destroyed tank — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Next, my guide showed me a Soviet-era armoured personnel carrier that had been made in 1979 and was destroyed by a mine in 1986. My guide said his favourite General had been killed in the carrier. You could see where a mine had ripped out the side and the floor.

Photo by Author — destroyed Soviet-era armoured personnel carrier — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — destroyed Soviet-era armoured personnel carrier — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

From the vehicles, we moved on for a last look at some mines.

I saw some deactivated mines casually stacked against a tree.

Photo by Author — deactivated mines — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — deactivated mines — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

We then looked at how anti-personnel mines could be used.

Can you spot the anti-personnel mine in the photo below? The answer is at the end of the article.

Photo by Author — spot the anti-personnel mine (the answer is at the end) — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — spot the anti-personnel mine (the answer is at the end) — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

And what about in the image below? Can you spot the mines and the trip wire? Again, the answer is below.

Photo by Author — can you spot the mines and tripwire (the answer is at the end) — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — can you spot the mines and tripwire (the answer is at the end) — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — more examples of mines — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — more examples of mines — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

My visit to the War Museum in Siem Reap, Cambodia, was one of those experiences you have in life that at the time was — and I can’t think of another word — traumatic. I got to speak to a veteran of the conflict that had experienced the true horrors of war. He had been wounded multiple times (shot, burnt and blown up by mines and a grenade) and carried the physical scars of the conflict and some shrapnel. His story was terrifying, and as he was only two years younger than me, I kept thinking that it could have been me that had gone through what he had experienced. I could have lost my family at the age of 8 to the Khmer Rouge in the Killing Fields. I could have experienced the 1980s as he had. I was safe in the UK, studying at university and starting my first job.

If you are in the Siem Reap area and feel you could cope with visiting such a place, I highly recommend the War Museum. It is an experience you will not forget.

Foursquare: War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Answers to the ‘mine spotting’

Photo by Author — spot the anti-personnel mine — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — spot the anti-personnel mine — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — spot the anti-personnel mines and tripwire — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — spot the anti-personnel mines and tripwire — War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

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