Killing Tree

Once upon a time there was a killing tree. It had no ugly tentacles, nor blood thirsty mouth, nor razor sharp claws. It was just like any other trees, unmoving and restful. In fact it was more loving and peaceful than others, because it was a Buddha tree. Infused with the compassion of the Buddha, the tree never intended to harm anyone.

It was the bad people who used this tree to kill. They smashed babies onto the tree, in front of their mothers, until every bone was broken. Their mother cried, but they were powerless. The tree lamented but it could not move. Bones of the dead were scattered around its root. Blood of the suffered were seeped into its sap. Thus it became the killing tree.

As any sad story goes, we forget them like a sad dream, yet this is not a story, it is as true as history.

From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge had killed 1.5 million Cambodians. For every five Cambodian born, one was killed by the Red Khmer. But killing was not enough; they had to bring suffering and desperation (in torture centers like Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum S-21). Such was the story of Cambodia.


The dead are forever gone. Only their suffering remained forever.
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