...Evaluate the impact of the Khmer Rouge on Cambodian society from 1975-1979 Cambodia became one huge labor camp under the Khmer Rouge. After deposing Lon Nol on 1975, the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot began one of the most brutal regimes in human history. This not only changed the Cambodian society but also ultimately destroyed it. This was due to the extreme vision of communism, which Pol Pot wanted to implement for a perfect and a peaceful society. Prince Norodom Sihanouk always tried to maintain Cambodia’s neutrality. But with Laos and Vietnam as its borders, he knew this was impossible. After the assassination of Diem in South Vietnam, Sihanouk condemned America’s policies; in turn he allowed Viet Cong bases in Cambodia. America in regard to this started ‘Operation Menu’ from 1969, to destroy the Viet Cong bases. When Sihanouk went to visit China on 1970, the CIA deposed him because he allowed North Vietnamese and Viet Cong to have sanctuaries in Cambodia. Sihanouk was replaced by pro-American and anti-Communist Lon Nol. This marked an end of a peaceful era in Cambodia. As soon as Lon Nol gained the power, he ordered the communist to leave Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge and the Viet Cong in retaliation to this launched an attack against the Lon Nol government. After a five year civil war between Lon Nol’s Royal Cambodian army, Viet Cong, North Vietnamese and the Khmer Rouge and over 600 000 Cambodians died, Lon Nol left Cambodia on 1st April 1975. Seventeen days later the...
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...Between the years 1975 and 1978, Cambodia was probably one of the worse places to be. Pol Pot was in control and killing millions of Cambodians in those years. In his reign, over 1.5 million Cambodians were killed. Pol Pot was never really brought to justice, because he died in 1998. Pol Pot was actually born as Saloth Sar in Cambodia. Before becoming a leader, he was a school teacher. During his time as a teacher, he joined the proto-communist Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party (KPRP). After joining the group, he became the secretary general. He became afraid that he would be arrested and fled. He came back after the U.S. bombings, which were supposed to prevent communists from taking over Cambodia. Him and the Khmer Rouge army took over and started to create what they thought of as the new Cambodia. Pol Pot started evacuating cities and forcing the citizens to live in rural, farming areas, after being impressed by China’s Cultural Revolution. During this evacuation, over two million people were moved from Phnom Penh. This whole evacuation was pretty bad, because men, women, children, and...
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...“It is not power that corrupts but fear” (Aung San Suu Kyi). Pol Pot became the leader of the Khmer Rouge and shaped it due to communistic ideas. Pol Pot believed Communism could change Cambodia’s lifestyle to be more beneficial. The Khmer Rouge killed opposition and anybody who questioned their regime. Genocides are often fueled by revolution in a certain society. The Khmer Rouge was no exception, they used ideas of Communism to alter Cambodia’s economic system to try to benefit the people, but ended up creating a genocidal revolution. The Cambodian Genocide was carried out by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge during 1975 to 1979 (Combat Genocide). About 1.6 to 2 million people were killed during the genocide (Combat Genocide). Pol Pot wanted to...
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...matters of the Vietnam civil war by giving favors on both sides. When Lon Nol took over, however, Cambodia suddenly became a part of the Vietnam battlegrounds. He allowed the American troops to bomb away suspected hideouts of South Vietnamese guerillas located in southern Cambodia, resulting bombings that took almost 750,000 lives (http://www.ppu.org.uk/genocide/g_cambodia.html). While these things were happening, the number of Khmer Rouge’s members was rapidly increasing. Khmer Rouge’s leader, Pol Pot, was a great admirer of the Maoist communism and launched an extreme campaign of reconstructing Cambodia and eradicating the pollution that “Western Society” inflicted on them. In the Machiavellian point of view, he is a very laudable prince for he was able to gain and expand his power to hold the entire state of Cambodia in his hands. He gave us a glimpse on how to effectively activate the virtú of a leader in order to make both his subjects and soldiers obey his every command. All Pol...
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...A geopolitical community is a community that is defined by a specific boundary such as rivers, mountain or highways or jurisdictional boundaries which can be politically or geographically influenced. I live in St. Petersburg, FL and is bordered by three bodies of water, the Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay, all of which form the Tampa Bay. Statistical and epidemiological studies are frequently based on date from specific geopolitical areas (Maurer & Smith, 2013). This is my geopolitical community because it is a geographical location. I may or may not have anything in common with my geopolitical community beside the location of home. My children do not go to the same school as the kids in the neighborhood. My husband and I work in another area. Our recreational activities usually takes place in other communities. Per Maurer & Smith (2013), the community one belongs to does not necessarily have to be the geographical location, but a community in terms of the members' feeling of belonging or sense of membership. This is a referred to as a phenomenological community. The phenomenological community does not automatically share a geographical location as does the geopolitical community. This type of community is a group of people who have shared similar values, interests, beliefs and goals. Examples of phenomenological communities include religious groups, social groups or profession. My phenomenological communities is my nursing organization, co-workers...
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...Marxism and neglected his studies. He lost his scholarship and returned to Cambodia in 1953 and joined the underground Communist movement. The following year, Cambodia achieved full independence from France and was then ruled by a royal monarchy. Map & Photos Cambodia and surrounding area. Pol Pot addresses a closed meeting in Phnom Penh after the 1975 Khmer Rouge victory. Young Khmer Rouge soldiers in 1975. Tuol Sleng Prison, the nerve center of the Khmer Rouge secret police. Today it's the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide. The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek. This mass grave, discovered in 1980, was one of the first proofs to the outside world of what had occurred during Pol Pot's regime. By 1962, Pol Pot had become leader of the Cambodian Communist Party and was forced to flee into the jungle to escape the wrath of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, leader of Cambodia. In the jungle, Pol Pot formed an armed resistance movement that became known as the Khmer Rouge (Red Cambodians) and waged a guerrilla war against Sihanouk's government. In 1970, Prince Sihanouk was ousted, not by Pol Pot, but due to a U.S.-backed right-wing military coup. An embittered Sihanouk retaliated by joining with Pol Pot, his former enemy, in opposing Cambodia's new military government. That same year, the U.S. invaded Cambodia to expel the North Vietnamese from their border encampments, but instead drove them deeper into Cambodia where they allied themselves with the Khmer Rouge. From 1969 until 1973, the...
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...Pol Pot Name: Tutor: Course: College: Date: Introduction Pol Pot was a young man who led the Khmer Rouge. Being a leader of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot led a rebellion alongside the regime of Cambodia. Due this, he was, therefore, elected leader of Cambodia in the year 1975. Pol Pot’s leadership was cruel, harsh and brutal. For instance, he confidently commanded civilians to move out of towns and cities into the country side. When they discarded his command, he forced them to move. This led to the creation of several camps and farms in the country side. However, the increased movement of people into the country side led to the accumulation of starvation and death of around half a million civilians (Weltig, 2009). As a leader, Pot demonstrated several character traits. His leadership was dominated by several negative traits. For instance, Pot was a harsh, cruel and brutal leader. He was interested in war and rejoiced when his country was under war. When he became the leader of Cambodia in 1975, pot established domination over the capital. He encouraged a war that occurred between his revolutionary army and Vietnamese representatives over border crisis. Compared to the traits mentioned in the text, pot portrays the characters of an infamous leader. Though he failed in his job, Pot had his own set economic goals (Haas, 1991). Pot was a self centered leader who was ignorant about his people’s rights. He was an ignorant leader who exhibited dictatorial...
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...The Cambodian Genocide was the cause of many deaths in Laos and Cambodia because of the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot and the idea of the "Ideal Communist.” In the years 1975 to 1979, through execution, disease, forced labor, and starvation, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge killed what is said to have been an estimated “two million” Cambodians. Which is almost a fourth of Cambodia’s population. This estimate does not include the maimed, the homeless, the orphaned, and the widowed, who were also suffering for all those years. The Cambodian Genocide was basically an attempt by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge to nationalize the Cambodia farming society basically overnight, in an attempt for it to be like the “Chinese Communist agricultural model.” The population was made to work in one huge federation of many farms as labourers. Anyone who opposed, which were said to be all people in Cambodia with an education, must be terminated “together with all un-communist aspects of traditional Cambodian society.” “Christian, Buddhist and Muslim...
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...they have an association with all this happening. To start off, in 1953 Cambodia won it’s independence from France. Prince Norodom Sihanouk became the leader of Cambodia. Being a neutralist he wanted to please everyone by working alongside them, but that would never work because of the interests. The neutralist made it hard for himself by trying to agree with everyone instead of putting his own foot down. Interests among the U.S, China, and the Vietnamese, made it hard to prove what role he was playing with each country. Ally or enemy. Not to mention the factions from within Cambodia that split the country basically in half with their beliefs. One side being pro-Vietnamese and advocated cooperation with Sihanouk. The other side was led by Pol Pot and was anti-Vietnamese and opposed the rule of Sihanouk. The thing about this indecisive faction was that they would be the criminals taking over Cambodia’s government. Years later by 1963 the small faction overthrew the side that was pro- Vietnamese and pro-Sihanouk’s rule. Becoming the group that killed millions know as the Khmer Rouge. One of the biggest reasons for my statement that America is to blame for what happened, was the fact that Nixon ordered the bombing of Cambodia to get rid of Communism brewing in their locations. Therefore weakening the...
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...People with absolute power can either have a positive influence over society and make positive changes to the world, or the detrimental kind resulting in catastrophic loss of human life causing anarchy within societys. Some leaders with absolute power have used their power to change the world and inspire freedom and independence; other leaders have been positively evil and have used their power for influence, personal gain and notoriety. This essay will consider both points of view relating to how it affects the human lives and what effect it has on the society. Idi Amin was best known for his brutal regime and crimes against humanity while in power as President of Uganda from 1971-1979. In his time as leader he sent out killing squads to hunt down and murder those opposed to his views, which included people from every order and rank, including journalists, lawyers, homosexuals and students. He also expelled all Asians from Uganda in 1972. He then soon became known as the “Butcher of Uganda” for his brutality. It is believed that 300,000 people were killed during his presidency. He was once known to of said “You cannot run faster than a bullet” and this just is an example of his evil mind. A further example of a leader using he’s powers in a fatal grievous manner was Kim Jong-IL who was a dictator from North Korea who starved and tortured his people. 200,000 prisoners were held in labour camps, when they were too weak to work as they had been starved, he would either torture...
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...Warren 1 Willie Warren Ms. Dingley Period 6 April 3, 2017 Cambodian Genocide: April 17, 1975 - January 7, 1979 The cause of the Cambodian Genocide was Vietnam wanted independence which then causing the Indochina war. After the first Indochina War in the 1950's a communist movement was born in Cambodia. The communist party of Kampuchea, also known as the Khmer Rouge. The nickname was given by the fact that most of the country's ethnicity was red, the color of communism. The party was born from the country's struggle against French colonization. It was greatly influenced by the Vietnamese and wasn't an official party until 1968. During the Vietnam War the U.S. used Cambodia to their advantage by creating regrouping zones and even bombing parts...
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...Eight stages occurred in the Cambodian genocide, those which lead up to the action of the genocide and those that took action. Classification consisted of the Khmer Rouge classifying citizens into categories consisting of the educated, religious and citizens of different ethnicities. The second stage was symbolization, citizens were forced to wear a blue scarf so they could be recognized. Pol Pot of the Khmer Rouge dehumanized citizens as he pleased, killing the sick and injured, sending healthy citizens to labor camps to be brutally beaten and tortured like wild animals. Through organization, the fourth stage of a genocide, Pot commanded troops to reconstruct Cambodia. These were four stages that lead up to the action of the...
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...Through Hell and Back Children of Cambodia’s Killing Fields by Dith Pran is a very moving book about the takeover by the Khmer Rouge under the rule of Pol Pot. It’s filled with stories from survivors who retell their story, and survival of the genocide. All stories were told by adults who went through the regime as children. All were survivors in a part of history. Now the children’s voices of Cambodia’s killing fields can be heard. The book was written to retell a piece of history, and to make sure the history is never lost. The survivors wanted people to be aware of what they had gone through. Sarom Prak wanted people notified what happened to the people of Cambodia (71). They wanted their stories to be heard throughout the world. They don’t want another genocide to happen again in Cambodia, or anywhere around the world. The children are making their stories examples of the pain that can be caused by genocide. They want make sure nobody ever has to go through the pain they had gone through. These children were survivors during a dark time in history in Cambodia. But their stories were not solely to retell their own, but also the ones who couldn’t. The people who died during the regime were never able to let their stories be heard. These stories were also made to honor everyone who died during the Khmer Rouges ruling whether from malnutrition, malaria, getting beat or getting shot. Three different survivors added at the end of their story that they dedicated...
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...Cambodia is located in southeastern Asia where it borders Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. In addition, Cambodia is a worldwide export business that exports items such as rice, cotton, and rubber. The Cambodian official language is Khmer, which is the oldest language with written record of any Southeast Asian language in stone inscriptions dating back to the seventh century. The language contains 66 consonant symbols, 35 vowel symbols, 33 superscripts, and 33 subscripts. For that, Khmer is a very hard and complex written language. Historically, Cambodia was conquered by France. At that time, only the elite people were offered a higher education with the French. Only the poor or rural people used the Khmer language. After 1979 and the end of Pol Pot’s rule, Khmer language became used in schools and public literature. Although, the Khmer language is an official language, illiteracy of percentage is high. In rural places, people have problems learning how to read or write Khmer. There are only a few schools in rural areas, and many rural people can’t pay tuition, books, and other resource fee‘s. Elders mainly continue to only speak Khmer while school...
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...ten years for Noun Chea to talk about the regime; coincidentally, Noun Chea was to be arrested for war crimes. Before the arrest, many high ranked Khmer Rouge members were arrested and broadcasted on television. As a result, this could of made Noun Chea spoke to Sambath because he wanted to confess and hopefully be sympathized by the world. In the film, Noun Chea stated he acknowledge that some people were killed due to being traitors, but he didn’t know too much about the death of many innocent citizens. As such, I believe Noun Chea’s response was genuine because he knew authorities were arresting him, he may have trusted Sambath due to knowing him for years, and his belief of making Cambodia better. Noun Chea relinquish his #1 seat to Pol Pot because he thought the leader should be an intellectual; thus, this shows he cares for Cambodia, not greedy and not power hungry. The Khmer Rouge had a disturbing hierarchy issue, as many lower ranked cadets were given orders to kill with minimal or no knowledge of the victim. I found this alarming because people usually have reasons for their actions. However, many cadets’ reasons to kill believed the orders from the party; yet, many of the victims were innocent. It is troubling that the cadets can only believe the victim is a traitor, without knowing the exact reasons. Furthermore, the cadets’ survival could solely rely on them being able to follow such inhumane orders; since the Khmer Rouge is not a forgiving party, it may have been...
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