Phnom Penh and Killing Fields in Cambodia: Nov 9-11, 2018

I visited Phnom Penh for the first time. It was the second journey to Cambodia as I stayed in Angkor Wat about 20 years ago,

I visited the Killing Fields in Choeung Ek, a small village about 17 km southwest of Phnom Penh. Nearly 20,000 people were killed here between 1975 and 1979 during the Pol Pot regime.

There were more than 100 grave halls here. Tens to hundreds of people were buried in each hole. The dents show where the grave halls were made. (See the 2nd Photo) 

Some grave halls are covered with a roof to preserve. About 450 bodies were buried here.

More than 100 bodies of mothers and babies were buried here. Babies were killed struck to a tree nearby.

A memorial tower was built in 1988 to console the spirits of the victims. (see the 5th photo)

About 5000 human skulls are places in the tower. (See also the top photo)

There were about 300 concentration camps throughout the country during the Khmers rouges period. About 3 million out of total population of 8 million were believed to have been killed.

The visitors listened the explanations of the tour guide or the audio tape seriously in Choeung Ek memorial park. I heard no laugher there.

I also visited a genocide museum in Phnom Penh. The site was uses as a detention center n the Pol Pot era. It was known as S21. Total 20 thousand people were carried in; only 7 survived. The site was formerly a high school.

Various kinds of torture were conducted here. Barbed-wire nets were installed in the outside corridor to prevent suicide. (See the 3rd photo from the top)

A quarter of a century have passed since the end of Cambodia civil war in 1993 The country is now in the process of reconstruction.

The economy is developing rapidly. There are many constructions of buildings and roads in the city. This photo is from southern outskirt of Phnom Penh.

The Monivong Blvd., one of mains streets of the city, was busy

The rainy season has just finished and the dry season has come. I found people enjoying their time outside.

Many families gathered in front of the royal palace. (See the 4th photo)

A firework show was played on the Tonle Sap River.

Jakarta: Nov.3-8, 2018

I visited Jakarta for the firs time in a year. I found many changes.

The constructions of MRT (massive rapid transport), roads, and other infrastructure projects have proceeded significantly in central Jakarta.

The works to make tunnels and rails of MRT have almost completed. Now, they are busy in building stations. The left photo is a new  Bunderan HI station under construction.

Works were on process on the road around Bunderan HI a year ago (left photo). Now, the road is cleaned up. (top photo)

The walkways have been cleanly arranged along the Sudirman Road, about 1 km south from Bunderan HI.

It was messy a hear ago. 

The construction works in Senayan, a few kilometers south from Sudirman, have also been almost completed. (See the 2nd photo from the top).

The railroad between Soekarno–Hatta International Airport and central Jakarta started operation at the end of last year. BNI City station is open as a city-center terminal.

The waterway in front of Plaza Indonesia in Thamrin, central city, was dirty a year ago. Now, it is covered with greens.  

The Asian Games and Asian Para Games in August and September brought big impacts on Indonesian, according to a local journalist. 

It was concerned that they could not complete the facilities for the games.  In fact, they worked out in the last minute. 

The country gained much more-than-expected number of gold medals in Asian Games – the 4^th place after China, Japan and South Korea – and people increased confidence as Indonesians

They become more interested in the disables persons through the Pare Games. The posters of the Games are still displayed in many places.

A big picture of a female swimmer with one arm is displayed in a traffic circle at Bunderan HI. (see the 2nd photo from the top)

Old (and traditional) aspects remain. But the society and economy are surely changing.