Cambodian Genocide Research Paper

Words: 484
Pages: 2

The Cambodian genocide, which took place during the years 1975-1979. Cambodia was ruled by the Khmer Rouge communist party, led by Pol Pot. This genocide lasted 4 years; it took place from 1975 to 1979 and resulted in the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians, nearly a quarter of the country's population at that time. The genocide's impacts continue to impact Cambodian society today and the global community, showing all people the horrors that happened under the leadership of Pol Pot. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, the speech year 0 was given by Pol Pot helped seize control of Cambodia, renaming the country Democratic Kampuchea. Pol Pot's vision was a perfect society. To achieve this, he implemented brutal and fatal policies that resulted …show more content…
The Khmer Rouge viewed education and expertise with suspicion, considering them threats to their vision of a pure perfect society. The regime's policies led to widespread starvation, disease, and exhaustion among the population. Mass executions, torture, and forced labor camps became normal. The Killing Fields, where countless Cambodians were executed and buried in mass graves, show the horrors of this time. The Khmer Rouge's brutality has left no one off the hook, including children and the elderly. International awareness of the genocide grew over time, but effective movements were slow. It was not until 1979, when Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia and beat the Khmer Rouge forces, that the genocide came to an end. However, the horrors left by this time in Cambodian history continue to shape the way the nation acts and builds things. The aftermath of the genocide saw Cambodia grappling with the unbearable task of rebuilding a broken society. The Khmer Rouge's legacy of hiding, lying, and killing still affects people to this day, 45 years later. Efforts to achieve justice and accountability for the deaths faced numerous