In Cambodia's history, 1975-1979 could be describe as the most horrifying years recorded. This was not a time of peace or happiness, but years of torture and peril. War and suffering engulfed the land of Cambodia and the lives of the people who inhabit the land did not know what was in store for them. The person who turned Cambodia into a living hell for all the citizen was Pol Pot.
Pol Pot, whose real name is Sathor Sar, was born on May 19, 1925. He was born into a wealthy family; his father owned 50 acres of rice-paddy and their home was one of the biggest among the twenty or so houses in the village. He went to high school, college and technical schools in Cambodia, and also studied in France. In France, he volunteered with the international labor brigade and took part in building roads in Yugoslavia in 1950. In addition, he became involved with the French Communist anti-socialist movement and joined a secret communist cell called Cercle Marxiste.
As a result of failing exams, he was sent back to Cambodia in 1953. He then taught French and history and was also the link between political parties, such as the Democrats and the Pracheachon and the underground communist movements. When members of the Pracheachon were arrested by the Cambodian government, Pol Pot was promoted and became the Secretary of the communist party. Eventually, his involvement in communism lead him to flee to Vietnam and was where he founded the Khmer Rouge.
In 1975, when the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, fell, Pol Pot took immediate control. The party plan was to eliminate capitalism from the country of Cambodia. When Pol Pot gained control of Cambodia, this was when the citizens of Cambodia discovered that their life was going to completely change.
The name of Cambodia was then changed to Democratic Kempuchea; Pol Pot wanted to make Cambodia a country of democracy, where everyone was "equal." Pol Pot method of creating democracy was not the most pleasant.
Initially, this happened after the Vietnam war. People were happy and joyful because they received news that the war is finally over. Cambodian soldiers would drive through streets of the Phnom Penh on their tanks, waving and smiling because of the end of the war. City people would fill the streets with flags and banners and commemorating the soldiers who served in the military and help bring end to the war. No more fighting and no more suffering. No, this was the beginning of a genocide.
During the control of the Khmer Rouge, citizens of Cambodia were forced and threatened with guns to evacuate from their homes and told to move to the countryside. Khmer Rouge soldiers would tell all the citizens that they will return to their homes in three days, and the reason that they are being evacuated because they fear that America will bomb the city. Lies. Families and neighbors were separated, people were not able to bring all their belongings and were unable to pack all their necessities. Great crowds of people were leaving the city and heading towards the countryside.
The journey to the countryside was long and rigorous. Along the journey, the healthy would become weak and sick, and the sick would die. A minimal amount of breaks were offered to the citizens and everyone was exhausted and hungry. Many people would die of starvation, exhaustion, malnutrition, and multiple diseases. After this journey, the people of Cambodia didn't know what to anticipate.
Once they all arrived in the countryside, everyone was forced into labor camps. Susie Hem, a survivor of the Cambodian genocide, says, " We worked from five in the morning until dark. We got to rest for only ten minutes twice a day." In addition to work for long hours daily, their living conditions were just as terrible. Families lived in dirty old huts or storage houses. Though all the people worked long hard hours daily, the Khmer Rouge soldiers would tell all the workers that they "volunteered" and their work would receive very little compensation. Food was running short and all form of currency lost its value. People who smuggled gold or silver would go to the pawn shop and trade them for food or medicine. Still, their lives was not getting any better. People who couldn't handle this kind suffering and depression, would commit suicide.
Pol Pot wanted to create a democratic nation, where every one was "equal". How did he make this happen? The Khmer Rouge party would brainwash everyone that God did not exist and only Angkar was the only superior being. The leaders of all the labor camps would request for individuals who were students, researchers, professors, former Lon Nol government workers, lawyers, anyone who had some form of education to step forward because their skills were needed for Angkar. Lies. Pol Pot wanted to make sure a rebellion or any form of retaliation will never occur. So the individuals who stepped forward, were taken somewhere secretive and killed. In addition, people who were sick, weak, too old, disabled, or had any something that hindered them from working, were killed as well. Pol Pot wanted equality and he ensured that he was the most superior being in the country.
Many years of trials and struggles, in 1979, Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia, driving the Khmer Rouge government into the jungle in Western Cambodia, and caused Pol Pot to fleeing to Thailand. Pol Pot spent the remaining of his life in the forests of Cambodia and Thailand. He suffered from Hodgkin's disease and cancer, and eventually died in his sleep.
Though the genocide is over. Families returned back to their crumbled homes, many people suffered from psychological trauma, and there were many orphans. Cambodia to this day, is still trying to recover from the damage of Pol Pot rule.
Would the survivors of the Cambodia genocide have a positive description of what they have experienced? From the book, "Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields", an excerpt from "Pol Pot", "Pol Pot forced us all to work. If someone didn't work hard, he or she would be killed in front of other people.... Pol Pot forced children from five years old to work... Every night many families were being killed by Pol Pot's Soldiers because they were accused of being Chinese, Vietnamese, or in Lon Nol's former army.." This clearly displays the cruelty of Pol Pot. He can be easily described as heartless, evil and a monster. Also from the book, an excerpt from Teeda Butt Mam, "In April 1979.., I joined a group of corpselike bodies dancing freely to the sound of clapping and songs of folk music that defined who we were... Once again, I was human." What Pol Pot did was dehumanized all the people of Cambodia and stripped them all of their hopes and dreams. When the genocide ended, they were finally able to get everything back.
