Ba Chuc – Bone Pagoda - Vietnam

Relationships between neighboring Vietnam and Cambodia are quickly improving with every day. You could say politically, the two countries are quite friendly. However that wasn’t always the case.

We have heard a lot about the Khmer Rouge, the Killing Fields and its leader Pol Pot. Millions were killed and massacred in Cambodia during Pol Pots reign. What is less know is that prior to the invasion of Cambodia by the Vietnamese, is the Khmer Rouge attacked and tortured some 3157 Vietnamese people at Ba Chuc - An Giang Province.

This happened between the 12th and 30th April 1978 and while there were no doubt other reasons for the invasion, this was the straw that broke the camels back.

Ba Chuc is about 30 minutes away from Chau Doc. The roads are in fairly good condition so it can be easily reached by car or motor bike. The site has a tower of skulls, similar to that in the Choeung Ek Killing Fields of Cambodia. There are also plenty of photographs which graphically outline the results of the attack. This is not a place for the light hearted, but even with its horror, it makes for an interesting visit and it’s something we should all see.

It is believed that two people survived the massacre and one of the survivors runs a small cafe next to the entrance of the site.

I have personally visited Ba Chuc, the Killing Fields of Cambodia and many other similar sites and the saddest thing for me – it’s still happening today, even as I write this post....................