One of the most notable atrocious acts of genocide since 1945 was
visited on its own people by the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot given name
Saloth Sar. The guerrilla movement which successfully came to power using
the destabilization of Cambodia as its starting point right after the United
States put its military forces in Cambodia. On April 17, 1975 an entire nation
vanished. On that day, Khmer Rouge troops marched into the capital city of
Phnom Pehn proclaiming the year zero. Within hours, the army began
evacuating the city of more than two and a half million inhabitants. At this
point, the troops began an exercise in social control on a scale rarely seen.
Under the direction of the Angkar (the Higher Committee), the government
moved people out of the cities into the countryside for a massive reeducation
program. At the same time, there began the systematic killing of those
Cambodians associated with earlier governments. Moreover, any Cambodian
man, woman, or child who was seen as a threat or refused to obey orders was
killed. The ability to speak a western language was sufficient grounds. They
were killed in very ill-mannered ways: the citizens were shot, hanged, beat,
starved, and worked to death. All foreigners were banned from Cambodia.
They were given a chance to leave. However, if any sign of resistance was
shown by the people, they were killed. If you were caught traveling without
permission by the khmer rouge guards in some cases you were sentences
prison time or at worst death. Many people were taken from their homes by
the Khmer Rouge troops and sent to different areas to work for as long as Pol
Pot saw fit. Many of the civilians were also killed in the process. The Khmer
Rouge was also known for its prison camps which were very similar to a
Nazi concentration camp. The Khmer Rouge was short-lived but left a
horrific mark on Cambodia's history. Pol Pot killed...