Samdech Mony

The relatively newly constructed structure is both a memorial for remains from the genocide and a public memorial for those who cannot build their own stupa – Wat Samdech Mony, Battambang

The two stupas that originally held the remains of genocide victims sit, for the most part empty, in a grove of shady trees – Wat Samdech Mony

Urns from individuals in the community are mixed with urns of the cremated remains of genocide victims – Wat Samdech Mony, Battambang

Sak handles one of the skulls exposed in the memorial’s second tier encasement – Wat Samdech Mony, Battambang

NAME
Samdech Mony

DATE VISITED
25 February 2013

LOCATION
Wat Samdech Mony, Sangke District, Battambang Province (The main pagoda will be the largest structure near the front of the entrance and just beyond that are two older stupas empty of remains. Across from them is a lone standing stupa structure surrounded by white stone-covered Chinese graves.)

DESCRIPTION
New memorial: Four-sided gold and blue-colored structure with two tiers each containing remains, the lower larger tier covered by a solid wooden door is mostly empty with small urns arranged on the ground in rows next to each other (most likely the urns of individuals in the community who cannot afford to build a stupa or who do not have a family stupa), the upper smaller tier covered by a glass door contains bone remains of victims found in local mass graves, the structure sits atop a circle of seven steps, the top step is painted with faint pink lotus petals, a Khmer inscription in gold across the lower exterior walls indicate the names of donors, a devada statue sits facing outwards at each of the four corners atop the lower larger tier, a lotus bud statue sits facing upwards at each of the four corners atop the upper small tier

Old memorials: Two cement four-sided stupas with two levels, a staircase leads up to the upper level, both are mostly empty, one contains large old devada statues that were most likely a part of the temple site but moved after renovation to the main pagoda, one of the stupas is a light yellow color while the other is a plain white cement shaded brown from dirt, both are surrounded by a short fence and ceramic-tile floor