Part 7/9:
The Khmer Rouge established a network of prisons, the most notorious being S-21 (Tuol Sleng), where thousands were tortured and executed. Conditions were horrendous; prisoners endured extreme violence, starvation, and abuse, with many not even surviving long enough to be sent to the infamous "killing fields." Mass graves became a grim reminder of the regime’s brutality, with estimates of victims ranging from 1.5 million to 3 million people being killed during this reign of terror.
To maintain control, the regime nurtured a culture of fear, often imprisoning entire families based on suspicion or rumor. Torture and cruel killings became commonplace, carried out by even the youth who were brainwashed into serving the regime.