Thursday, July 28, 2011
my first words in my first blog ever...
its funny.
as I was registring the blog I was thinking weather it was a really bad or a good idea to start a blog.
Maybe this will only get me into some real trouble, like pissing of some real hotshot of prey sahr, by revealing what they work so hard to keep secret from the entire outside world.
As the page for creating a post is being loaded my screen goes blank and all thats left is the headline of the page-tab in the web-browser.
Obviously I cant help but looking at d only info available:
You are done!
Ironic. Or a mysterious warning.
I quickly go through the settings and remove the blog from search-engines & also decide to change adress from preysahr, to phnompenhprison, to ensure my half-inkognito so I wont have to worry about gettin paranoia-thoughts in the middle of the night.
Its amazing what efforts they go through to keep the reality of the inside of the walls, secret from the world.
No NGO or embassy has ever been allowed inside any of the blocks.
No photos. Not even thee guards are allowed to have mobile-phones.
US-embassy & a handfull of NGO:s have been allowed to walk on the main isle, halfway into the complex, take a left and walkthrough the "showroom" ie. Library and hospital, where things actually look really pleasant. Unless ur really sick and happen to be a prisoner. more about that later...
But its surprising, just try to google "prey sahr" and see for yourself the extent of information and statements about this place!
Just the essential little pieces of information, such as the fact that drinkable water must be paid for... Or.. Lets just say: Nothing in here is for free.
Everything you have to pay for.
It starts with your place to sleep, water and from there on, anything u whish to have or do -it has a pricetag.
as I was registring the blog I was thinking weather it was a really bad or a good idea to start a blog.
Maybe this will only get me into some real trouble, like pissing of some real hotshot of prey sahr, by revealing what they work so hard to keep secret from the entire outside world.
As the page for creating a post is being loaded my screen goes blank and all thats left is the headline of the page-tab in the web-browser.
Obviously I cant help but looking at d only info available:
You are done!
Ironic. Or a mysterious warning.
I quickly go through the settings and remove the blog from search-engines & also decide to change adress from preysahr, to phnompenhprison, to ensure my half-inkognito so I wont have to worry about gettin paranoia-thoughts in the middle of the night.
Its amazing what efforts they go through to keep the reality of the inside of the walls, secret from the world.
No NGO or embassy has ever been allowed inside any of the blocks.
No photos. Not even thee guards are allowed to have mobile-phones.
US-embassy & a handfull of NGO:s have been allowed to walk on the main isle, halfway into the complex, take a left and walkthrough the "showroom" ie. Library and hospital, where things actually look really pleasant. Unless ur really sick and happen to be a prisoner. more about that later...
But its surprising, just try to google "prey sahr" and see for yourself the extent of information and statements about this place!
Just the essential little pieces of information, such as the fact that drinkable water must be paid for... Or.. Lets just say: Nothing in here is for free.
Everything you have to pay for.
It starts with your place to sleep, water and from there on, anything u whish to have or do -it has a pricetag.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
When I first came to this place, I was surpriced to see how beautiful it actually was inside the high double walls with barbed wire on d top. (after I and the 5 guys I arrived with had been forced to remove all clothing except underwear.)
Prey Sahr translates to white forrest, and in here its very green with palmtrees and greenery of different size and vriations. Empty bascetballcourses and little parks with wlking isles, and a dousin of huge 2 stories-buildings with beige-yellow painting and orange roofs.
And it was silent. As we walked through the facilities, to block A (not yet sentenced-prisoners-block) I tried to look get an idea about the conditions behind the dark double-barred windows of the buildings we were passing by.
There seemed to be an incredible noise and thousands of voices shouting from within the dark holes of the beautiful facades of the buildings.
As we came through the big gate in the wall that divided block A from the rest of the prison, finally there was some real noise, not only the suffacated shouts from within the mysterious dark gaps, giving away an idea about the true nature of what to the eye could seem not so horrorful.
Behind block A- wall there were prisoners working hard under the afternoon-sun, with constructing what seems to be 2 new cell-blocks, - indicating that the present blockA building does not have enough room to house the amount of prisoners that were continously being sent here.
As we came up to the entrance of blockA, I peered into the darkness and now was closer than ever to the indistinctive shouts of a thoousand voices. Now it was very loud, but still impossible to separate one voice from another.
i will never 4get my immediate chock at arrival of my cell-door and my surprice as it was opened. It was exactly d feel of a overcrowded elevator& I instinctivly took a polite step 2 d side 2 let a few out. The guard grunted & pushed me in direction to enter the room where it seemed to not be any place for me to fit & as he closed the door, it swept me inside!
Hello, I say to about 20 faces staring at me, and I try to make my way through the room, in attempt to find a spot to not be in someones way.
-COOKIE!! I suddely hear and down in the corner I recognize fat-andy pale and still fat.
I was surprices to hear such posetivity in his vvoice as he shouted my name, as the last time I saw him, it was by the end of my telescope-batong, collecting a debt.
Well - he seemed to let that be water under the bridge, and truth to say, - I was really glad to see someone/something familiar, in this new enviroment.
Fat-Andy has a different style & is not someone who would ever be called "normal". On many levels. There is something "lurky", or hidden in his way to be. Certainly I would have an interresting time, stayin close to this man for an extended period of time -perhaps I would uncover his so doublesided appearance.
Fatty didnt have much, not even a towel, but whatever he had he happily helped me out & shared with me. His old T-shirt would have to do as towel for both of us during my first week, before my loyal and good friends from outside had managed to get me some basic appliances.
Prey Sahr translates to white forrest, and in here its very green with palmtrees and greenery of different size and vriations. Empty bascetballcourses and little parks with wlking isles, and a dousin of huge 2 stories-buildings with beige-yellow painting and orange roofs.
And it was silent. As we walked through the facilities, to block A (not yet sentenced-prisoners-block) I tried to look get an idea about the conditions behind the dark double-barred windows of the buildings we were passing by.
There seemed to be an incredible noise and thousands of voices shouting from within the dark holes of the beautiful facades of the buildings.
As we came through the big gate in the wall that divided block A from the rest of the prison, finally there was some real noise, not only the suffacated shouts from within the mysterious dark gaps, giving away an idea about the true nature of what to the eye could seem not so horrorful.
Behind block A- wall there were prisoners working hard under the afternoon-sun, with constructing what seems to be 2 new cell-blocks, - indicating that the present blockA building does not have enough room to house the amount of prisoners that were continously being sent here.
As we came up to the entrance of blockA, I peered into the darkness and now was closer than ever to the indistinctive shouts of a thoousand voices. Now it was very loud, but still impossible to separate one voice from another.
i will never 4get my immediate chock at arrival of my cell-door and my surprice as it was opened. It was exactly d feel of a overcrowded elevator& I instinctivly took a polite step 2 d side 2 let a few out. The guard grunted & pushed me in direction to enter the room where it seemed to not be any place for me to fit & as he closed the door, it swept me inside!
Hello, I say to about 20 faces staring at me, and I try to make my way through the room, in attempt to find a spot to not be in someones way.
-COOKIE!! I suddely hear and down in the corner I recognize fat-andy pale and still fat.
I was surprices to hear such posetivity in his vvoice as he shouted my name, as the last time I saw him, it was by the end of my telescope-batong, collecting a debt.
Well - he seemed to let that be water under the bridge, and truth to say, - I was really glad to see someone/something familiar, in this new enviroment.
Fat-Andy has a different style & is not someone who would ever be called "normal". On many levels. There is something "lurky", or hidden in his way to be. Certainly I would have an interresting time, stayin close to this man for an extended period of time -perhaps I would uncover his so doublesided appearance.
Fatty didnt have much, not even a towel, but whatever he had he happily helped me out & shared with me. His old T-shirt would have to do as towel for both of us during my first week, before my loyal and good friends from outside had managed to get me some basic appliances.
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