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The Cambodian Genocide: Pol Pot And The Khmer Rouge

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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 …show more content…
For example, “The Cambodian Genocide refers to the attempt of Khmer Rouge party leader Pol Pot to nationalize and centralize the peasant farming society of Cambodia virtually overnight” (Krkljes). The Khmer Rouge communist connections allowed the killing of government officials to feel justified because the peasants of Cambodia wanted change and Pol Pot was creating a new era for the farmers. The Khmer Rouge was also the offshoot of the socialist People’s Army of Vietnam (Why the World). Since the Khmer Rouge was an offshoot of the People’s Army the United States was focusing on Vietnam rather than sending in troops to force the Khmer Rouge out of Cambodia. Pol Pot’s intentions were not great, but it allowed the peasants of Cambodia to have a government more geared towards …show more content…
People might say that if Pol Pot was a horrible leader they could have overthrown him, but Pol Pot used fear and terror to stop anybody who ever thought about throwing the regime. For example, “anybody who questioned were killed” (Genocide 20th). If anybody were to say something against the Khmer Rouge they will most likely get killed and not just the person but their whole family might be executed. The consequence for speaking out against the Khmer Rouge was not beneficial because people either work or die. The Khmer Rouge killed government officials and cleared out the capital (USHMM). Overall the effects of Communism clearly changed the way the Khmer Rouge ran Cambodia by destroying any

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