Khmer Rouge Essays

Submitted By morganjohn
Words: 871
Pages: 4
Open Document
During the 1970’s three million Cambodians suffered and died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Two survivors shared their experiences in the memoirs, Crossing Three Wildernesses and When Broken Glass Floats, both U Sam Oeur and Chanrithy Him suffered greatly under the control of the Khmer Rouge. Their family members were murdered, communities wiped out, and threats ruled daily life. One of many control tactics used by the Khmer Rouge was starvation, which both U Sam and Chanrithy encountered in different ways.
In Him’s case, her mother, Mak, died of starvation. By the end of her life, her strength and body were fragile, while her eyelids were swollen and her hair was tough like wire. Him relied merely on the clothing that draped over her skin and bones to recognize her. Her mother, Mak, went without water for four days until she became unable to walk. The last time Him saw her mother, her mother looked into Him’s eyes and said, “Many times I wished that one of you were here, just to get me water. That’s all I’ve wished (196).” Soon after, her mother died. Him discovered her mother had been thrown into a well with many other people who were considered as useless. Although her mother was still alive when she was thrown into the well, she died shortly after, skeletal and alone.

Johnson 2
Although U Sam’s son and wife were very hungry at times, unlike Chanrithy, he had many jobs that helped him supply food for his family. Oeur was given the position to plow paddy fields which gave him more time for other activities like fishing, catching frogs, crabs and foraging for grass and leaves for food. Oeur’s main duty for himself was to provide for his family. He not only gave the fish he caught to his family, but also to the base people. One day he saw his son in a mess hall, crying. Many children had been through the line to receive food multiple times, but his son had not one ladle. Oeur thought if he were to speak up, it would only make matters worse. He felt helpless to know his son was going to the cabin with an empty stomach, while he had been eating corn all day. He made sure to sneak food to his son the next day.
Hunger forced both U Sam and Chanrithy to take incredible risks to find food. While Chanrithy was in a labor camp her friend, Ra, spoke of a warehouse where they could get food. In the midst of desperation for food, Chanrithy and Ra made a daring decision to take the feared journey. Chanrithy imagined her trip to the warehouse. “My stomach growls and my mouth waters as I inhale the brown-burned smell of rice crust. Piece by piece, I eat it, savoring the chewy coffee-like flavor. With each bite, hope. I look forward to tomorrow…..something I haven’t felt in a long time (204).” In order to get to the warehouse they were to cross a river with high tides and currents. They had two choices when faced with crossing the river, get caught and starved by the Khmer Rouge, or move forward and possibly be captured. Despite the inability to swim, the hunger they endured served as a motivator. They felt as if they were invincible and struggled
Show More

Related Documents: Khmer Rouge Essays

The Khmer Rouge Essay

Power and Control: The Khmer Rouge There are many genocides that people are not aware of. One of them is the attempted genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge was able to gain power and remain in control of Cambodia for years without interference because they isolated the country from any foreign influence. Other countries had no idea what was happening inside Cambodia until years later. The Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, wanted to create their own ideal communist…

Words 1489 - Pages 6

Khmer Rouge Essay

Bun Lim wrote in recollection of the Khmer Rouge Regime.1 The Khmer Rouge perpetrated one of the cruelest and oppressive dictatorships of the 20th century. The Khmer Rouge, also referred to as “The Red Cambodians” or the Kampuchea Communist Party (KCP), came to power in 1975 following a civil war in Cambodia.2 The goal of the Regime was to create a society where all citizens were stripped of individuality and had equal capital. During the four years the Khmer Rouge was in power, 1975 to 1979, two million…

Words 3379 - Pages 14

The Cambodian Genocide: The Khmer Rouge

The Cambodian genocide, executed by the regime of the Khmer Rouge, whom controlled the government from 1975 to 1979, killing anywhere from 1.5 to 3 million Cambodians. The movie “First they killed my father” is a heartfelt film at its core, about the Cambodian people, family, love, and survival of the war by the Khmer Rouge. The young actors, the detailed cinematography scenes and props, and the talented actors, makes this biographical historical film educational, and heart touching to its audience…

Words 292 - Pages 2

The Khmer Rouge: The Cambodian Genocide

The Cambodian Genocide began when the Khmer Rouge tried to overpower the government of Cambodia in 1975. They came into Cambodia with a big plan in mind, but resulted in doing the opposite. The Khmer Rough was very unfair and cruel with the way they decided to overtake Cambodia; they did this by evacuating cities to the countryside, making the Cambodians suffer, and leaving them with nothing. The Khmer Rouge, with the help of the U.S had dropped about half a million tons of bombs onto Cambodia…

Words 581 - Pages 3

The Khmer Rouge And The Pol Pot: The Cambodian Genocide

genocide primary located in Cambodia. Cambodia is an Eastern Asian country that borders west of Vietnam. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia capital, Phnom Penh. The Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot is a communist that embraces Marxism ideology. In a course of four years, the Khmer Rouge killed an estimated of 1.7 million to 2 millions…

Words 1517 - Pages 7

The Cambodian Genocide: Pol Pot And The Khmer Rouge

throughout history. One of the more recent and horrific genocides was the Cambodian Genocide that occurred between the years of 1975 to 1979. The Cambodian Genocide transpired in Cambodia led by Pol Pot and his communist group the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge overthrew the government and killed one-third of Cambodia’s population at work camps (History.com Staff 1). Cambodia is located next to Vietnam and Thailand. The Cambodian Genocide is a dreadful occurrence that caused many Cambodian…

Words 1045 - Pages 5

Pol Pot's Failure Of The Khmer Rouge Regime In Cambodia

The Khmer Rouge regime which ruled over Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 is responsible for the deaths of approximately 1 to 2 million people, which represents 20% of the total population in 1975. (Kiernan, 2002). Besides the genocide of its own population, the government of Democratic Kampuchea is also to be held responsible for the enslavement of the rest of the country’s inhabitants. During the 4 years of Khmer Rouge governance, personal liberties were suppressed, families were broken up and a totalitarian…

Words 1984 - Pages 8

Soccer: Khmer rouge and Cambodian Information Center Essay examples

Research: Pol Pot “ Khmer Rouge” Pol Pot, a dictator from Cambodia, who led for 25 years and killed 1/5 of the population, had no consciousness towards anyone who didn’t follow his fundamentals. Pol, disliked people who wore glasses and believed that everyone should work in rural areas. He got his teachings from the former China ruler, Mao Zedong. Also Pol had a vivid image of taking over the world and having a powerful military. Pol Pot started a political party called the Khmer Rouge, French for…

Words 324 - Pages 2

Genocide: Khmer rouge and Human Rights Groups Essay

genocide unless they lead to the next stage, dehumanization. When combined with hatred, symbols may be forced upon unwilling members of pariah groups: the yellow star for Jews under Nazi rule, the blue scarf for people from the Eastern Zone in Khmer Rouge Cambodia. To combat symbolization, hate symbols can be legally forbidden (swastikas) as can hate speech. 3. DEHUMANIZATION: One group denies the humanity of the other group. Members of it are equated with animals, vermin, insects or diseases. Dehumanization…

Words 646 - Pages 3

Cambodia Genocide Dbq

engaged in a macabre civil conflict. Many people were forced to labor, executed, deported, or starved due to the actions by the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge were followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea. The main goal of the Khmer Rouge was to abolish all luxurious and become a basic utopia in the eyes of Pol Pot, the leader of the party. In order to do this, the Khmer Rouge sent many different groups of people to work in the farm fields, while revoking all media usages for all of the citizens in…

Words 1123 - Pages 5