Heng Ratana, Director-General of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, explained the significance of a palm-leaf hut displayed at the Techo Peace Museum. He said the simple hut, inside the museum’s substantial and spacious building, had attracted visitors’ attention and raised questions. It is more than an exhibit: it symbolises the hardship endured by Cambodians under the genocidal Pol Pot regime.
Under Democratic Kampuchea between 1975 and 1979, many people were forced to leave the cities and faced excessive labour, food shortages and inadequate shelter. These experiences left deep scars on Cambodia’s history and its people’s lives.
Displaying the palm-leaf hut in the museum is a way of remembering the past and helping visitors understand the hardship people experienced. Although simple in appearance, the hut carries profound meaning about suffering, resilience and the value of human life.
The Techo Peace Museum also displays photographs, texts and evidence relating to the different historical periods of war and peace that Cambodia experienced from 1863 to the end of 1998.
The exhibition aims to help the public and younger generations understand national history, value peace, freedom and human dignity, and work together to prevent the tragedies of the past from recurring. By PENH Sopheak
