How Did The Khmer Rouge Cause A Genocide

The Khmer Rouge era in Cambodia is seen as one of the most vicious acts of human cruelty in Southeast Asia. Not only did it cause a genocide in the nation, but its ripple effects are still felt throughout the region today. This essay will discuss the regime; it’s fall, the legacy that was left behind and finally how Cambodia is now today because of the era. The Khmer Rouge was the name given to the Communist followers and party of Kampuchea in Cambodia, which was formed in 1968. This brutal organisation is remembered throughout Cambodian history for its genocide of the Cambodian population after the enforcement of social engineering policies, which lead to the “killing fields” from 1975 – 1979. Looking back on the history of this nation, and
The Khmer Rouge’s main objective was to turn Cambodia into a classless society, one in which that follows the strict structure of Communism, which was mainly influenced by it’s Vietnamese allies. One of the ways in which it tried to do this was deurbanising the population and creating agricultural communes. Although they were referred to as communes by the Khmer Rouge, however they were more like labour camps, similar to those that Hitler enforced throughout Nazi Germany. The population was expected to produce three tonnes of rice per hectare, where previously, before the Khmer Rouge era, only one tonne of rice per hectare was usually produced . The once urban workers, who were forced to become farmer, trying to meet this demand ultimately lead to a widespread famine. Deaths occurred due to exhausting workdays, inadequate food, and more importantly widespread executions. These new working conditions are only one aspect of the brutality of the regime inflicted to the people. Not only was money abolished, but also the destruction of books occurred, and the execution of the educated elite, more importantly teachers, was ensued to make way for a new state of communism surrounded by agricultural reform . Schools, hospitals and also banks were also closed to further make way for the communist reform and to
After rising up through the government to take power the once peaceful country of Cambodia was transformed into a radical socialist society, one in which the policies could be described as harsh as the Third Reich in Hitler’s Germany. Every single person under their control was in some way brutalised by this government, creating a ripple effect, which can only be described as criminal now that survivors have come out to describe and recount their stories. With the stigma attached to not only being within the communes, the former leaders and members of the Khmer Rouge, recounts of this period in history is as Michael Doyle describes “every person, whether they be Khmer Rouge members or survivor’s, have a story to tell, one in which has family members and friends who were either killed or tortured under this rule” . This not only shows the brutality the population faced but also the sacrifice in which families faced whether they be supporters or not. Members of families were either forced to communes or likely never seen again and disappeared in suspicious circumstances. Its only now that families have discovered the extent in which their relatives and friends were killed. Some Cambodians who lived through this regime believe that the Khmer Rouge needs to be