Researchers Unearth Evidence of Khmer Rouge Atrocities at Koh Kor

Researchers Unearth Evidence of Khmer Rouge Atrocities at Koh Kor

KANDAL, May 7, 2026 — Cambodian experts have recovered around 800 bone fragments and several items of clothing believed to belong to victims of the Khmer Rouge regime during a field investigation at a former mass killing site near Takhmao city, officials said.

The research mission was conducted on May 6 by teams from the provincial culture department, heritage officials and staff from the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum at Koh Romduol, also known as Koh Kor, in Kandal province.

Authorities said the team collected and documented approximately 800 fragments of human remains along with clothing believed to be linked to victims executed during the Khmer Rouge era between 1975 and 1979.

Koh Kor, located east of Takhmao city, is believed to have been one of several execution sites in Kandal province used during the rule of the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot.

Officials described the site as one of the locations where large numbers of people were killed during the regime, which was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians through execution, starvation, forced labour and disease.

The investigation forms part of ongoing efforts to preserve historical evidence, document atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge period and support public education and remembrance initiatives.

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly the S-21 prison, has continued working with local authorities and researchers to identify and preserve former killing sites across Cambodia.

Further studies and documentation work at the site are expected to continue.