The one legged military chief of the Khmer Rouge, Ta Mok, ruled the movement in its final years, and his residence is open to visitors. He doesn’t need it just now, as he is a guest of the Cambodian government in T-3, a Phnom Penh prison, awaiting trial for genocide. His residence is a large pad, but little remains of the original furnishings, as it was badly looted by government soldiers. There are several evocative Angkorian paintings adorning the upper walls, as well as some seriously large log supports, reminding visitors how the Khmer Rouge raised revenue in these parts. Downstairs is a large garage, which used to house his luxury Toyota Landcruiser, a suitably simple car for such a simple man.
Some of the guards around the house are former Khmer Rouge soldiers and have an alternative story to tell about Ta Mok. To them, he was harsh but fair, a builder of orphanages and schools and a leader who kept order, in stark contrast to the anarchic atmosphere that prevailed once the government took over. However, there may be a hefty bias among his former followers, as to most Cambodians Ta Mok is known as “The Butcher” and was widely known to have been Pol Pot’s military enforcer, responsible for thousands of deaths in successive purges during the terrible years of Democratic Kampuchea. Looking across the swamp in front of the house is a small island with the remains of a toilet outhouse. This is all that remains of Pol Pot’s residence in Anlong Veng.
There used to be a dilapidated Angkorian temple behind the high school in Anlong Veng, but this was destroyed by Ta Mok and his army in their search for ancient statues to sell to the Thais. Sadly, this is not an isolated case of many a small temple that survived the centuries has succumbed to modern greed in the past couple of decades.
Ta Mok Exhibit
The place displayed statues depicting the lifestyle and troop arrangement of Khmer Rouge during the period of their struggle against the Royal Government. This area had been organized and controlled by Khmer Rouge since 1979 to the end of 1997. The site of Khmer Rouge is located at the center of An Lung Veng Districial in 100-kilometer distance from the provicial town by Road No 68. At present, there are many tourists who visit the area and take picture of Khmer Rouge activities remain .