BUDDHIST MONKS PERFORM CEREMONY TO APPEASE RESTLESS SPIRITS OF THE DEAD IN TUOL SLENG, 1999-10-02...

Cambodian Buddhist monks chant prayers and sprinkle holy water to appease the restless spirits of the dead that are said to haunt Cambodia's museum of genocide, Tuol Sleng, in Phnom Penh October 2. Staff at the museum - a former high school turned into a torture chamber by the Khmer Rouge - are convinced unhappy ghosts haunt the place. At least 16,000 people were tortured at Tuol Sleng and later killed. The ceremony took place as Cambodia marked its 15-day festival of the dead, Pchum Ben, one of the most important events in the Buddhists calender. CR/TAN