Mapping the Killing Fields: Geographic Information Systems in the Historical Reconstruction of the Cambodia Holocaust.

D119704

Mapping the Killing Fields: Geographic Information Systems in the Historical Reconstruction of the Cambodia Holocaust.

English

Cambodia

DC-Cam. Document No.D119704. 4/8/2025

DC-Cam/Documentation

Cambodia

Computer-Typing (Tx) 13 pages

By John D.Ciorciari with Pheng Pong Rasy

As discussed above, GIS technology can be helpful in developing a more accurate understanding of history and in establishing accountability for the myriad abuses of the Pol Pot regime. However, it also offers one final and very important function. GIS technology helps DC-Cam publicly disseminate part of the history of the DK era in an inexpensive, highly accessible manner. Preserving the memory of the CPK becomes more and more important over time. As physical evidence of mass burial pits and security offices gradually deteriorates, it is imperative that public memory of the Pol Pot regime be preserved. Indeed, the tragedy of that dark period will be greatest if it is forgotten. Cambodians and others can best prevent the recurrence of mass human rights abuses by remembering, understanding, and dealing with the difficult legacies of the past.
Historical studies are most useful if they can be effectively shared, and according to the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words. The power of images cannot be underestimated in preserving the public recollection of historical periods and events. Whether via posters, magazine and newspaper photos, or Internet pages, GIS technology makes the results of the mapping project easy to display. The maps leave a striking, visual impression of CPK terror and are easily comprehensible to viewers of all ages, literacy and education levels. This makes GIS technology extremely useful as a means to preserve collective memory of the Cambodian tragedy. One large version of the map is now featured at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. Many others have been distributed to local communities throughout the country and to interested persons abroad. GIS technology thus helps to ensure that the truth about the magnitude of the abuses of Democratic Kampuchea can be known to Cambodians and to the world.
Lastly, GIS technology can help preserve historical memory of the Pol Pot era by helping interested persons visit the country's many memorial sites. Few of those sites are advertised to the public, but it is important that they not be overlooked. Scalable GIS maps can show the street locations of the 78 memorial sites identified to date. Such maps make it easy for scholars and members of the public to visit the sites.
GIS maps of the country's many genocide memorial sites provide a visual reminder of the process of reconciliation in Cambodia. Beside the mass graves and prisons that reveal the unimaginable crimes of the CPK, one finds testimony to the courage and resilience of the survivors of Democratic Kampuchea. Preserving the memory of their suffering and ultimate survival will be as vital for Cambodians in the Future as it is for historians reconstructing the country's troubled past.

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