|
|
"Killing Fields"
Site Due for Major Overhaul
Phnom
Penh's infamous "Killing Fields" at Cheung Ek, where the
bones of an estimated 20,000 victims of the Khmer Rouge regime were
discovered, is due for an extensive make over, municipal officials
announced Thursday.
City official said the existing memorial to the slain needs to be
improved to attract more tourists.
Num Sameth, deputy chief of the Municipal Cabinet, said, after
Thursday's meeting that the city has tentatively planned to double
Cheung Ek's current two hectares.
Along with a new building in which Buddhists may worship and a large
pond, a pathway four meters wide will be constructed to allow an
increasing number of visitors easy access to pits where thousands of
bodies were buried and the memorial stupa where the bones of the
dead are now on display.
A souvenir shop located in a nearby parking lot will be converted
into an information and ticketing office. A small village located
opposite the center will be converted into antique period
Khmer-style houses where food, drinks and souvenirs will be sold.
"Then visitors can relax after seeing the center in traditional
houses, "Nun Sameth said.
Presiding over the meeting at City Hall. Governor Chea Sophara said
the "Killing Fields" are now part of Cambodian culture and
must be preserved for future generations.
"It is a center to the memory of genocide. But I will build it
as a cultural center too," Chea Sophara said.
The renovation plan will be submitted to the Council of Ministers
for approval, Chea Sophara said, adding that a final budget has not
been calculated. He said he hoped NGOs would help cover the costs.
The government recently rejected a request that the remains of Khmer
Rouge victims be cremated, saying the remains are needed as evidence
against the regime's leaders.
By Phann
Ana
|
