Before the Cambodian Genocide In 1953, Cambodia gained independence after more than 100 years of French rule Groups within Cambodia competed for control. In 1975 a group called the Khmer Rouge took power, led by a man called Pol Pot. They introduced severe measures of ‘re-education’ for the whole country.

This `re-education’ was an organised attack or genocide on their own people. Everyone had to be obedient to the state. Religious and family ties were all stopped alongside all political or civil rights. All children from the age of eight were separated from their parents and placed in separate labour camps. Only people who worked on the land as farmers were considered acceptable. So all factories, hospitals, schools etc were closed down; anyone who had jobs in these professions was targeted to be killed and often their families as well.

Cambodia was also caught up in another country’s war – Vietnam During Prince Sihanouk’s reign Cambodia had remained relatively neutral to both the North and South Vietnam Between 1964 and 1968 the US killed up to 750,000 Cambodians in their efforts to destroy North Vietnamese supply lines

The leader of the Khmer Rouge was Pol Pot The collaboration of the Cambodian government with the US and the continued heavy US bombardment drove new recruits to the Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge (700,000 strong) battled the Cambodian government troops until 1975 when they defeated the government of Cambodia

Prisons were created to punish and kill people who were considered a threat to the new Cambodia. People taken there included those who had qualified as doctors or teachers. Prisons like this existed not for real crimes but as another way of scaring people and forcing them to do as the authorities wished.

Under Pol Pot’s leadership, and within days of overthrowing the government, the Khmer Rouge embarked on an organized mission: they ruthlessly imposed an extremist program to reconstruct Cambodia (now referred to as Kampuchea)

Despite the defeat of the Khmer Rouge in 1979 Cambodia remained an unsettled country for a number of years. Khmer Rouge members remained involved with the government and members of its armed groups continued to attack others. Finally in 2007 the country was stable enough to organise war crimes trials supported by the United Nations, of those that had committed the genocide. Pol Pot died in 1998 without being punished but there were others that had organised the atrocities.

Classification Khmer Rouge vs. Citizens of Cambodia

Symbolization Red scarves (Khmer Rouge) Blue scarves (enemies of New Society) Old Society

Discrimination Cambodians were identified as Cham, Vietnamese, educated, etc.

Dehumanization Worked 18 hour days (like an animal) “What is rotten must be removed” Whether you live or die is of no great significance” Forced Muslims to eat pork Fed a diet of 180 g of rice / 2 days

Organization Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot Super Great Leap policy Year Zero – purify society

Polarization All foreign influences seen as evil Intellectuals were the enemy of the state

Preparation Foreigners expelled; foreign language banned; newspapers and television shut down; money forbidden; religion banned and education halted Cambodian borders sealed Cities forcibly evacuated

Persecution Eastern zone people were forced to wear the blue and white checkered scarf, and all those who didn't live in the Eastern zone were not allowed to wear that colored scarf. Cambodians were brought to the prisons and labour fields.  Victim were tortured to get names and classes of other soon-to-be victims. 

Extermination Killing Fields – died from overwork, malnutrition and disease Purged Old Society Shot and bludgeoned to death Parental authority revoked Ethnic groups attacked

Denial Borders were sealed from outside world to see Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge fled into exile rather than face prosecution from international criminal court