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UNESCO Adds Three Khmer Rouge Atrocity Sites to World Heritage List

Cambodia’s first UNESCO listings for modern atrocities will anchor expanded genocide education alongside nationwide commemorations

Tourists visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum after the site was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 11, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 12, 2025. REUTERS/Chantha Lach
A tourist visits the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum after the site was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 11, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 12, 2025. REUTERS/Chantha Lach
Tourists visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum after the site was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 11, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 12, 2025. REUTERS/Chantha Lach
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Overview

  • UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee inscribed Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Choeung Ek Genocide Centre and the M-13 prison on July 11 during its 47th session in Paris.
  • The three locations were central to the Khmer Rouge’s terror network, serving as a high-security prison, a killing field and a rural detention site where thousands were tortured or executed.
  • The listings represent Cambodia’s first nominations of conflict-related sites and place them alongside classical heritage landmarks such as Angkor under UNESCO protection.
  • The inscriptions coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power, marking a symbolic moment for national reflection on past atrocities.
  • Prime Minister Hun Manet has called for synchronized drum ceremonies across the country and said the new designations will strengthen genocide education and support healing efforts.