Pol Pot's Legacy
INTRODUCTION In the years of 1975 to 1979, Pol Pot became the head of the most murderous revolution of our time. His communist regime with the Khmer Rouge created one of the largest, yet greatly under-looked atrocities of the time. The genocide in his Democratic Kampuchea has created a death toll that could be as high as 3,000,000 people, or 25% of the country's population. (Chandler, 1999; Cambodia Genocide) In an attempt to refashion his country, "people were simply sacrificed to our struggle, not killed," as Pol Pot himself stated. (Pol Pot: Life of a Tyrant, 2000) As a child he hadn't a difficult life, but what he studied changed him. He saw need for political reform. Among his colleagues he was seen as a political genius, but as the world saw, he turned out to be one of the least humanitarian men ever to exist.
POL POT'S EARLY LIFE Saloth Sar, later to be known as Pol-Pot, was born on May 19th, 1925 in Prek Sbauv, Cambodia. He was born to a relatively wealthy landowner father, and a mother whom had connections to the royal court in Phnom Penh. (Templer, 1998) His sister and cousins were dancers of the royal ballet in Phnom Penh and being such gained them protection and a comfortable life from the king. At the age of six, Saloth Sar was sent to live with them and study in the more populated Phnom Penh. He was admitted to attend several French-language schools and boarding schools, something only privileged, rich, or bright Cambodian students had the chance to participate upon. Even though he was considered privileged enough to attend these schools, he neither succeeded in achieving proper grades, nor did he even graduate with a high school diploma. (Chandler, 1999) Despite his failures in his high school record, due to fluency in the French language, he was one of the first Cambodian students to obtain a scholarship that allowed him to study abroad in France. In 1949 he set off and began his studies in radio engineering. Much like many other
POL POT'S EARLY LIFE Saloth Sar, later to be known as Pol-Pot, was born on May 19th, 1925 in Prek Sbauv, Cambodia. He was born to a relatively wealthy landowner father, and a mother whom had connections to the royal court in Phnom Penh. (Templer, 1998) His sister and cousins were dancers of the royal ballet in Phnom Penh and being such gained them protection and a comfortable life from the king. At the age of six, Saloth Sar was sent to live with them and study in the more populated Phnom Penh. He was admitted to attend several French-language schools and boarding schools, something only privileged, rich, or bright Cambodian students had the chance to participate upon. Even though he was considered privileged enough to attend these schools, he neither succeeded in achieving proper grades, nor did he even graduate with a high school diploma. (Chandler, 1999) Despite his failures in his high school record, due to fluency in the French language, he was one of the first Cambodian students to obtain a scholarship that allowed him to study abroad in France. In 1949 he set off and began his studies in radio engineering. Much like many other
References: Kiernan, B. (2004, September). Coming to Terms with the Past: Cambodia. History Today The final escape for Pol Pot Try the Khmers Rouges. (1999, January 9). Economist INTERNET Cambodia Genocide (Pol Pot). United Human Rights Council. Retrieved on October 14th, 2007 from http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/Genocide/pol_pot.htm Killer File: Pol Pot (2007)