Democratic Kampuchea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kampuchea កម្ពុជា  (Khmer) (1975–1976) Democratic Kampuchea កម្ពុជាប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ  (Khmer) (1976–1979)
1975–1979
Flag (1976–1979) Emblem (1976–1979)
Anthem: ដប់ប្រាំពីរមេសាមហាជោគជ័យ Dâb Prămpir Mésa Môha Choŭkchoăy "Victorious Seventeenth of April" (1976–1979)
Location of Democratic Kampuchea
Capital and largest city	Phnom Penh 11°34′10″N 104°55′16″E / 11.56944°N 104.92111°E / 11.56944; 104.92111
Official languages	Khmer
Official script	Khmer
Religion	State atheism
Demonym(s)	Khmer
Government	Unitary communist state under a totalitarian dictatorship
CPK General Secretary
• 1975–1979	Pol Pot
Head of state
• 1975–1976	Norodom Sihanouk
• 1976–1979	Khieu Samphan
Prime Minister
• 1975–1976	Penn Nouth
• 1976	Khieu Samphan (acting)
• 1976	Pol Pot
• 1976	Nuon Chea (acting)
• 1976–1979	Pol Pot
Legislature	People's Representative Assembly
Historical era	Cold War
• Khmer Rouge capture of Phnom Penh	17 April 1975
• Constitution established	5 January 1976
• Start of Vietnamese invasion	21 December 1978
• Vietnamese capture of Phnom Penh	7 January 1979
• CGDK established	22 June 1982
Area
• Total	181.035 km2 (69.898 sq mi) (89th)
Currency	None; monetary system abolished
Time zone	UTC+07:00 (ICT)
Date format	DD-MM-YYYY
Preceded by Succeeded by 1975: Khmer Republic 1976: GRUNK 1979: People's Republic of Kampuchea 1982: Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea
Today part of	Cambodia

Democratic Kampuchea was the official name for the country of Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. During this time, the country was led by Pol Pot and the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), also known as the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge took control of the capital city, Phnom Penh, in 1975. This event marked the end of the previous government, the Khmer Republic.

From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge government caused immense suffering and loss of life. Many people died due to harsh work, lack of food, and strict rules. This period is remembered as a very difficult time in Cambodia's history. The Khmer Rouge's rule ended when the People's Army of Vietnam entered Phnom Penh.

After being removed from power, the Khmer Rouge formed a government-in-exile in neighboring Thailand. They kept Cambodia's seat at the United Nations (UN). In response, a new government, the People's Republic of Kampuchea, was set up with support from Vietnam. However, this new government was not recognized by many other countries.

In 1982, the Khmer Rouge joined with two other groups to form the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK). This group continued to represent the exiled government. In 1990, the exiled government changed its name to the National Government of Cambodia. This happened before the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, which were supported by the UN.

How Democratic Kampuchea Began

In 1970, Prince Norodom Sihanouk was removed as the head of state by Prime Minister Lon Nol. Sihanouk then joined forces with the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot. They fought against the new government. The Khmer Rouge gained a lot of support from people in the countryside. They promised peace during a time of war and heavy bombing by the United States.

On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge took control of the capital city, Phnom Penh. Before this, Cambodia was already facing problems from the Third Indochina War. There were growing tensions between Cambodia and Vietnam. The war made the country unstable and caused many Cambodians to lose their homes. The Khmer Rouge used the chaos of the war to gain power. They also used the past violence to justify their own very strict and harsh policies.

The start of Democratic Kampuchea and its severe actions can be understood against this background of war. The war likely made people more used to violence. It also made the Khmer Rouge leaders believe that radical changes were necessary. Many historians think the Khmer Rouge became very extreme during the war years. They then applied these extreme ideas to their own country.

After the Khmer Rouge took over Phnom Penh, Prince Sihanouk was given a symbolic role as head of state. He returned to Phnom Penh from Beijing, China, in September 1975. After traveling to other countries, Sihanouk resigned in April 1976. He was then kept under house arrest until 1979. The Khmer Rouge then had complete control.

Moving People from Cities

One of the first major actions of the Khmer Rouge was to force people to leave the cities. They wanted everyone to live and work in the countryside. Phnom Penh, which had about 2.5 million people, became almost empty. Roads leading out of the city were crowded with people moving. Similar forced movements happened across the country.

The conditions during these evacuations were very difficult. People faced great hardship. Even sick people in hospitals were forced to leave, which caused great suffering. The Khmer Rouge provided some transport for the elderly and disabled. They also set up food supplies outside the city. However, these supplies were not enough for the hundreds of thousands of people on the move.

Foreigners, about 800 people, were kept together in the French embassy. By the end of April, they were taken by truck to the Thai border. Khmer women married to foreigners could leave with their husbands. But Khmer men were not allowed to leave with their foreign wives.

Historians believe the Khmer Rouge wanted to change the country into a nation of farmers. They wanted to get rid of what they saw as the "corruption" of city life. They also aimed to break up "enemy spy organizations" they believed were in urban areas. Pol Pot and his close associates used these forced evacuations to control the population. They also used it to weaken rivals within their own party.

New Rules and Government

The Khmer Rouge created a new set of rules for the country, called the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea. This was announced on January 5, 1976.

Prince Sihanouk remained a symbolic leader until April 5, 1976, when he resigned. He stayed under house arrest in Phnom Penh. Later, during the war with Vietnam, he left for the United States. There, he spoke about Democratic Kampuchea at the UN. He eventually moved to China.

The constitution briefly mentioned "rights and duties of the individual." It stated that "men and women are equal in every respect." It also said that "all workers" and "all peasants" were "masters" of their workplaces. The document claimed there was "absolutely no unemployment." This was true because everyone was forced to work.

The constitution also outlined Democratic Kampuchea's foreign policy. It spoke of "independence, peace, neutrality, and nonalignment." It promised support for anti-imperialist struggles in other countries. However, the promise to "maintain close and friendly relations with all countries sharing a common border" did not match the reality. The regime launched attacks against Vietnamese, Thai, and Laotian territory in 1977 and 1978.

The government structure was briefly described. The main law-making body was the Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly (KPRA). It had 250 members representing workers, peasants, and the army. One hundred and fifty seats were for peasants, fifty for the armed forces, and fifty for workers. Members were supposed to be elected for a five-year term. The only election was held on March 20, 1976. However, the "New People" (city dwellers) were not allowed to participate.

The KPRA also chose the executive branch, which included a state presidium. This group represented the state inside and outside the country. It served for a five-year term, and its president was the head of state. Khieu Samphan was the only person to hold this office after Sihanouk resigned. The legal system was supposed to have "people's courts." However, these courts were never actually set up.

The constitution did not mention local government. The Khmer Rouge removed the old provinces. They replaced them with seven zones: Northern, Northeastern, Northwestern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southwestern. There were also two special regions. These zones were divided into smaller regions, districts, communes, and villages. Villages were organized into groups of ten to fifteen families. Each level of government was run by a three-person committee.

How the Government Worked

On January 5, 1976, the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) announced the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea. This constitution described a Kampuchean People's Representative Assembly (KPRA) that would be elected. It also mentioned a State Presidium chosen by the KPRA. Elections for the KPRA were held on March 20, 1976. However, the KPRA only met once. Its members and high officials were actually chosen by the CPK's Central Committee, not truly elected by the people.

The flag of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), the political group of the Khmer Rouge

All power belonged to the CPK. Its main leaders included Pol Pot and his deputy, Nuon Chea. This group was also known as the "Centre" or the "Organization" (Angkar). For almost two years, the Khmer Rouge simply called itself Angkar. It was not until March 1977 that Pol Pot revealed the CPK's existence. Around that time, it was also confirmed that Pol Pot was the same person as Saloth Sar, a long-known leader of the CPK.

Administrative Divisions

Administrative zones of Democratic Kampuchea

The Khmer Rouge government changed all the traditional administrative divisions of Cambodia. Instead of provinces, Democratic Kampuchea was divided into geographic zones. These zones were based on divisions the Khmer Rouge used when fighting against the previous government. There were seven zones and two Special Regions.

These regions were further divided into smaller areas. Villages were also split into 'groups' of 15–20 families. Each group had a leader.

Legal System

The Khmer Rouge also got rid of the old legal system. There were no courts, judges, laws, or trials in Democratic Kampuchea. The "people's courts" mentioned in the constitution were never created. Instead, people were sent to "re-education, interrogation and security centres." Here, former government officials and supporters, along with others, were held and faced severe consequences.

Military Forces

After Democratic Kampuchea was established, the Cambodian People's National Liberation Armed Forces (CPNLAF) was renamed the Kampuchea Revolutionary Army (RAK). This army had about 68,000 members. It was led by Son Sen, who was also the Defense Minister. The RAK had many battalions, regiments, and brigades. The army's command structure used three-person committees. In these committees, the political leader was more important than the military commander.

The RAK divided Cambodia into zones and special sectors. The army's first task was to deal with former government officials and their families, often with harsh measures. The RAK also worked to combine different military groups into one national army. Internal conflicts and changes within the army led to many people being removed or punished. This caused problems for the army and created seeds of rebellion. The Khmer Rouge used the RAK to carry out its strict and often violent policies.

Life in Democratic Kampuchea

According to Pol Pot, Cambodian society had four main groups: farmers, workers, city dwellers, and traditional leaders. After the revolution, the 1976 constitution said society was made up of workers, farmers, and "all other Kampuchean working people." There was no place for people like landowners or business owners. Prince Sihanouk recalled that Chinese leader Zhou Enlai warned Khmer Rouge leaders not to try to achieve communism too quickly. However, Khmer Rouge leaders like Khieu Samphan and Son Sen believed they could create a fully communist society very fast.

Life varied across different regions of the country. This was partly because there were still different groups within the CPK. However, the biggest social division was between the "new people" and the "old people." The "new people" were those forced out of the towns after the Khmer Rouge victory. The "old people" were the farmers who had always lived in the countryside. The working class was very small because cities were emptied and most factories stopped working.

Before the Khmer Rouge took over, about 3 million people lived in cities, out of a total population of 8 million. These city dwellers were considered "new people" and were seen as not supporting Democratic Kampuchea. Some tried to pretend they were "old people" by returning to their home villages. However, the Khmer Rouge kept very close track of everyone's movements.

The smallest unit of social control was the krom (group). Each group had ten to fifteen families. Their activities were closely watched by a three-person committee. The chairman of this committee was chosen by the CPK. These local leaders had to report the background of each family to higher-ups in the Angkar. The number of "new people" may have been as high as 2.5 million.

Officially, people were put into three categories: penh sith, triem, and bannheu. Penh sith (full-right people) received full food rations. They could join the Angkar or the military. Most were "old people," mainly uneducated farmers, whom Pol Pot did not see as a threat. Triem (candidates) were considered aspiring penh siths. They received less food and could hold minor political roles. Bannheu (deposited people) were mostly "new people." They had no rights at all. Some faced severe punishment, while others were worked to exhaustion. While social background was important, loyalty to the Angkar could sometimes help people with a less favored background.

The "new people" were forced to work very hard. They were often moved around and made to do the toughest physical labor. This often happened in difficult and unhealthy parts of the country. "New people" were kept separate from "old people." They had little privacy and received the smallest amounts of rice. When there were food shortages in 1977, the "new people" suffered the most. They had very little or no medical care. Families were often separated, as people were divided into work groups by age and gender and sent to different areas. "New people" were constantly taught the new political ideas and faced severe punishment if they did not follow the rules.

The situation for "old people" was less clear. Some villagers were treated as harshly as the "new people." They also faced forced labor, strict teaching, separation from their children, and severe consequences. However, they were generally allowed to stay in their home villages. Many poor farmers likely supported the Khmer Rouge's goals because they had long disliked city and wealthy people.

Life was very strict in Democratic Kampuchea. The Khmer language has different ways of speaking to show respect. These were stopped, and people were only allowed to speak Khmer. New words were created to encourage everyone to think as a group. People were told to call each other "friend" or "comrade" (mitt). They were also encouraged to avoid traditional signs of respect. People were told to talk about themselves using "we" instead of "I." Many aspects of life from before the revolution were banned. This included art, television, mail, books, movies, music, and personal cars. The Khmer Rouge also created new terms. People were told they must "forge" (lot dam) a new revolutionary character. They had to participate in "self-criticism" sessions called "learning and reciting" (rien sot). They were told they were the "instruments" (opokar) of the Angkar. Thinking about the past could lead to serious trouble.

Despite the idea of everyone being equal, members of the CPK, local leaders from poor farming backgrounds, and the army formed a clear elite group. They had a better standard of living and special privileges. Even during severe food shortages, these elite members had enough food. Some reports said that new houses were built for Khmer Rouge leaders in Phnom Penh. High-ranking party members could even go to China for medical treatment. The very top leaders had access to imported luxury goods.

There was also a tendency for leaders to give jobs to family members. Pol Pot's wife was head of the Association of Democratic Khmer Women. Her younger sister was the minister of social action. These two women were very powerful. Son Sen's wife was the minister for culture, education, and learning. Many of Pol Pot's nieces and nephews worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Family connections were important because of the culture and the leaders' secretiveness. Different ministries were controlled by powerful Khmer Rouge families.

According to Craig Etcheson, an expert on Democratic Kampuchea, members of the revolutionary army lived in separate communities. They had a distinct warrior culture. Army units loyal to Pol Pot were a privileged group within the military. The Khmer Rouge regime also had very strict rules about personal behavior.

Education and Learning

The Khmer Rouge strongly disliked traditional education. After Phnom Penh fell, many teachers faced severe difficulties. Those who had been educators before 1975 survived by hiding their past. The main goal of the new education system was to teach young people revolutionary values. The regime wanted to create a difference between the values of the young and the older generations.

Children were taught to be very loyal to the Angkar and were sometimes used to report on adults. The younger generation was seen as easy to influence. Pol Pot considered young people who had been part of the Communist Youth League as his most loyal supporters. He used them to gain control of the party. The Minister of Social Action, Khieu Thirith, was in charge of the youth movement. Young leaders, some as young as twelve, were strict followers of the regime's harsh policies. Prince Sihanouk, who was under house arrest, wrote that his young guards were separated from their families and taught the new ideas. They were encouraged to be very strict. These young people had lost family and friends in the war. They also lacked the traditional values of their elders. This made them very dedicated to the new revolutionary ideas.

Health and Well-being

The Khmer Rouge wanted to completely change society. This included destroying much of the country's health system. They got rid of most modern medical practices and equipment. Most doctors and nurses were unable to practice. Since they saw existing healthcare as a Western idea, they wanted to rebuild it based on their own political beliefs. With most medical professionals gone and hospitals neglected, Cambodia's health facilities were in terrible condition from 1975 to 1979. It seems that party leaders and army members had access to Western medicine and better hospitals. However, ordinary people, especially the "new people," were expected to use traditional plant and herbal remedies. These remedies were often not very effective. Some people traded their food rations to get simple medicines like aspirin.

Religious Beliefs

Article 20 of the 1976 constitution said it guaranteed religious freedom. However, it also declared that "all reactionary religions that are detrimental to Democratic Kampuchea and the Kampuchean People are strictly forbidden." About 85 percent of the population followed Theravada Buddhism. The country's many Buddhist monks were seen as social parasites. They were forced to leave their religious roles and work in farming projects. Many monks faced severe consequences. Temples and pagodas were destroyed or used as storage. Images of the Buddha were damaged and thrown into rivers. People found praying or expressing religious feelings often faced severe punishment.

Christian and Muslim communities were also severely persecuted. They were seen as part of a pro-Western world. Religious buildings were destroyed, and people were forced to abandon their religious practices. Those who refused faced severe punishment. Many Muslim mosques were destroyed.

Despite these actions, many historical monuments, like those at Angkor, were left undamaged by the Khmer Rouge. For Pol Pot's government, the ancient kingdom of Angkor was an important symbol.

Different Ethnic Groups

The Khmer Rouge banned the existence of ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese, Muslim Cham, and 20 other minority groups. These groups made up 15% of the population when the Khmer Rouge took power. Many Vietnamese people faced terrible violence and were forced to flee to Vietnam.

The Cham, a Muslim minority, were forced to adopt the Khmer language and customs. Their communities, which had traditionally lived separately, were broken up. Many Cham people lost their lives. Thai minorities living near the Thai border also faced persecution.

The situation for Chinese Cambodians was very difficult. Many Cambodians of Chinese descent faced severe persecution and were killed. The Chinese were often seen as traders and moneylenders, and therefore linked to capitalism. They were also disliked for their lighter skin color and cultural differences. Many Chinese families faced severe persecution and were killed. In 1975, there were 425,000 ethnic Chinese in Cambodia. By 1979, this number had dropped to 200,000. The Chinese were mostly city dwellers, which made them vulnerable to the Khmer Rouge's focus on rural life.

Little was known about the Khmer Rouge's policies toward the tribal peoples of the northeast, called the Khmer Loeu. Pol Pot had set up a base in their areas in the early 1960s. He may have had many Khmer Loeu followers. These groups were mainly animist and had few ties to the Buddhist culture of the lowland Khmers. They had disliked previous attempts to "civilize" them.

A Time of Strict Control

A security group called Santebal was part of the Khmer Rouge organization before they took control in 1975. Son Sen, who later became the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense, was in charge of Santebal. He appointed Kang Kek Iew, also known as Duch, to run its security operations. When the Khmer Rouge came to power, Duch moved his headquarters to Phnom Penh. He reported directly to Son Sen. At first, a small chapel was used to hold prisoners. In May 1976, Duch moved his headquarters to a former high school called Tuol Sleng. This place could hold up to 1,500 prisoners. Under Duch's leadership, the Khmer Rouge government arrested and severely punished anyone suspected of being an enemy.

People were suspected of being enemies if they had connections to the former government or foreign governments. Professionals and intellectuals were also targeted. This included almost anyone with an education, people who spoke a foreign language, and even people who wore glasses. However, Pol Pot himself was a university-educated man who spoke French. Many artists, including musicians, writers, and filmmakers, faced severe consequences. Some, like Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran, and Sinn Sisamouth, are still famous today for their talents.

Ethnic Vietnamese, ethnic Chinese, ethnic Thai, and other minorities were also targeted. Cambodian Christians, Muslims, and Buddhist monks faced persecution. People called "economic saboteurs" were also targeted. Many former city dwellers were considered guilty because they lacked farming skills.

Throughout the 1970s, especially after mid-1975, the party also had internal conflicts. There were even attempts to remove Pol Pot from power. These conflicts led to many people, including some important CPK leaders, facing severe consequences in 1977 and 1978.

Today, you can see evidence of the harsh treatment used by the Khmer Rouge at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The museum is located in the former high school that was turned into a prison camp, known as "S-21."

The system at Tuol Sleng was designed to make prisoners confess to any crimes they were accused of. Prisoners were forced to describe their backgrounds and supposed disloyal activities. They also had to name friends, colleagues, or acquaintances as traitors. Some lists had over a hundred names. People whose names appeared on these lists were often brought in for questioning. Confessions often contained thousands of words. Prisoners would mix true events from their lives with made-up stories about spying for other countries.

Thousands of people were held at Security Prison 21 (now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum). Many of them were later taken to places like Choeung Ek, also known as the Killing Fields, outside Phnom Penh. There, they died and were buried in large graves. Very few people survived this prison.

The Economy Under Khmer Rouge Rule

Democratic Kampuchea's economic policy was similar to China's Great Leap Forward. This Chinese policy involved quickly organizing farmers into collective groups in 1958. In the early 1970s, the Khmer Rouge set up "mutual assistance groups" in areas they controlled.

After 1973, these groups became "low-level cooperatives." In these, land and farm tools were shared but still privately owned. By 1974, "high-level cooperatives" appeared. In these, private property was abolished, and the harvest belonged to the community. In early 1976, "communities" were introduced. These were an even more advanced form of cooperative where people ate meals together. State-owned farms were also created.

The Khmer Rouge wanted the country to be completely self-sufficient. This idea was outlined by Khieu Samphan in his 1959 doctoral paper. Money was abolished, and trade could only happen through bartering. Rice, measured in tins, became the most important item for exchange. People also bartered gold, jewelry, and other personal items.

Foreign trade almost completely stopped. However, there was a small increase in trade in late 1976 and early 1977. China was the most important trading partner. Some trade also happened with France, the United Kingdom, and the United States through a company in Hong Kong.

The Khmer Rouge believed that for the first time in 2,000 years, Cambodia was free from foreign economic control. They hoped to make the country very productive by organizing people into work groups like an army.

They tried to expand farming by building new irrigation systems. These included reservoirs, dams, and canals. For example, the Trapeang Thmor reservoir in Battambang province was dug by about 30,000 workers in 1977. It was designed to hold a lot of water to irrigate rice fields.

There was an "Angkorian" idea behind their economic policy. The ancient Angkor kingdom became rich and powerful because it had large irrigation systems that produced a lot of rice. Farming in modern Cambodia mostly depended on seasonal rains. By building a nationwide irrigation system, the leaders believed they could grow rice all year round. The "new people" suffered and sacrificed the most to complete these big projects.

The Khmer Rouge focused on "agriculture first" to achieve self-sufficiency. However, they were not completely against modern industry. The war from 1970–75 and the evacuation of cities had damaged most industries. But small groups of workers were allowed to return to urban areas to reopen some factories.

Like Chinese communists, the Cambodian communists believed in the creativity and technical skills of ordinary people. They often published reports of farmers adapting old machine parts for new uses. The Khmer Rouge also tried to move industry to the countryside. The official symbol of Democratic Kampuchea showed not only rice and irrigation but also a factory with smokestacks.

International Relationships

Pol Pot meeting with Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu during his visit to Cambodia in 1978

The Democratic Kampuchea government had close ties with China, its main supporter. It also had some ties with North Korea. In 1977, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il congratulated Cambodia for removing "counterrevolutionary group of spies."

When they took power, the Khmer Rouge rejected support from Western countries and the Soviet Union. Instead, China became Cambodia's most important international partner. Vietnam was increasingly allied with the Soviet Union. China saw Pol Pot's government as a way to stop Vietnamese influence in Southeast Asia. It is estimated that at least 90% of the foreign aid the Khmer Rouge received came from China. In 1975 alone, China provided at least US$1 billion in aid without interest. However, the relationship between China and Cambodia was sometimes difficult. China had little influence on Pol Pot's internal policies. But it had more influence on Cambodia's foreign policy. China encouraged Cambodia to improve relations with Thailand and talk with the U.S. to counter Vietnam.

After Mao Zedong died in September 1976, Pol Pot praised him. Cambodia declared a period of mourning. In November 1976, Pol Pot secretly traveled to Beijing. He wanted to keep his country's alliance with China. From Beijing, he toured China, visiting places linked to Mao and the Chinese Communist Party.

Democratic Kampuchea held Cambodia's UN seat and was recognized by many countries. However, only a few countries had embassies in Cambodia. These included Albania, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Laos, North Korea, Romania, Vietnam, and Yugoslavia. Democratic Kampuchea also had embassies in several countries. China was the only country allowed to keep its old embassy in Phnom Penh. Other diplomats had to live in assigned quarters and were not allowed to leave without escorts. Their food was brought to them from the only open shop in the country.

Ideas and Beliefs

The Khmer Rouge were greatly influenced by Mao Zedong, the French Communist Party, and the writings of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. They also believed in ideas of Khmer racial superiority. Many top Khmer Rouge officials studied in France. Their education there led them to believe that communism required strong actions.

Ideas from the French Revolution made many who studied in Paris think that Marxist ideas about class struggle could be applied to Cambodia. These ideas about class struggle led to beliefs that strong actions were needed for change. Also, many top Khmer Rouge officials, like Pol Pot, Khieu Samphan, and Kang Kek Iew (Duch), were educated people. When they returned to Cambodia, they felt disconnected from ordinary people. This further fueled their extreme ideas.

American historian Michael Vickery suggests that the leaders' personalities were not the only reason for Democratic Kampuchea's actions. He noted that these leaders were not seen as evil before the war. However, others, like Rithy Phan, who interviewed Duch, suggest that Duch was a fearsome person. Overall, the civil war and the extreme ideas of Cambodian intellectuals returning from France set the stage for the Khmer Rouge revolution and its harsh policies.

The End of Democratic Kampuchea

The Khmer Rouge leaders were not satisfied with just ruling Cambodia. They also dreamed of bringing back the ancient Angkorian empire. This empire had ruled over parts of what are now Thailand and Vietnam. This led them to launch attacks into southern Vietnam. These attacks caused many deaths among villagers.

Right after the Khmer Rouge victory in 1975, there were fights between their troops and Vietnamese forces. Many incidents happened in May 1975. The Cambodians attacked Vietnamese islands and entered Vietnamese border areas. In late May, Vietnamese forces took the Cambodian island of Poulo Wai. Vietnam later recognized Poulo Wai as part of Cambodia in 1976 as a sign of goodwill.

An aerial photo showing two Khmer Rouge boats during the capture of the SS Mayaguez

The next month, Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, and Ieng Sary secretly traveled to Hanoi. They suggested a Friendship Treaty between the two countries. This helped ease tensions for a short time. Although the Vietnamese left Poulo Wai in August, incidents continued along Cambodia's northeastern border. The Phnom Penh government also forced thousands of Vietnamese people out of Cambodia.

In May, Cambodian and Vietnamese representatives met in Phnom Penh to discuss border disagreements. The Vietnamese did not accept the old colonial border lines. The talks failed. However, in late September, air travel was started between Phnom Penh and Hanoi. This happened a few days before Pol Pot was forced to resign as prime minister.

When Pol Pot returned to power in 1977, the situation quickly worsened. Incidents increased along all of Cambodia's borders. Khmer Rouge forces attacked villages in Thailand near Aranyaprathet. Violent attacks on Thai villagers, including women and children, were the first widely reported evidence of the Khmer Rouge's harsh actions. There were also incidents along the Laos border.

Around the same time, villages in Vietnam's border areas faced new attacks. In response, Vietnam launched air strikes against Cambodia. From April 18 to 30, 1978, Cambodian troops invaded the Vietnamese province of An Giang. They carried out a terrible event that caused many civilian deaths. In September, border fighting led to about 1,000 Vietnamese civilian casualties. The next month, the Vietnamese launched a counter-attack with 20,000 soldiers.

Vietnamese defense minister General Võ Nguyên Giáp underestimated the Khmer Rouge's determination. He had to send an additional 58,000 soldiers in December. On January 6, 1978, Giap's forces began to withdraw from Cambodian territory. The Vietnamese believed they had "taught a lesson" to the Cambodians. But Pol Pot called this a "victory" even greater than that of April 17, 1975. For several years, the Vietnamese government tried to have peaceful relations with the Khmer Rouge. However, the Khmer Rouge leaders wanted war. They seemed to believe that China would support them militarily in such a conflict.

Facing increasing Khmer Rouge aggression, the Vietnamese leaders decided in early 1978 to support internal resistance against Pol Pot's government. As a result, the Eastern Zone became a center of rebellion. The leaders in Phnom Penh had extreme ideas about how to deal with Vietnam. They seemed to want to reclaim the Mekong Delta region, which they considered Khmer territory.

Violence against ethnic Vietnamese and their supporters by the Khmer Rouge increased in the Eastern Zone after the May revolt. In November, Vorn Vet led an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government. By this time, there were tens of thousands of Cambodian and Vietnamese exiles in Vietnam.

On December 3, 1978, Radio Hanoi announced the formation of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KNUFNS). This group included different communist and non-communist exiles. They all disliked Pol Pot's government and relied heavily on Vietnamese support. The KNUFNS gave a reason for Vietnam's invasion of Democratic Kampuchea. It also helped establish a new government in Phnom Penh that was supported by Vietnam.

As 1978 continued, Cambodian aggression in the border areas became too much for Vietnam. Vietnamese leaders chose a military solution. On December 22, Vietnam launched its offensive to overthrow Democratic Kampuchea. A force of 120,000 soldiers, with tanks and infantry, moved into Cambodia's southeastern provinces. The Vietnamese army and the National Salvation Front attacked the Khmer Rouge on December 25.

After a seventeen-day campaign, Phnom Penh fell to the Vietnamese on January 7, 1979. Pol Pot and the main leaders first hid near the border with Thailand. They made agreements with several governments. This allowed them to use Thailand as a safe area to rebuild their forces in the mountains and jungles of Cambodia's edges. Pol Pot and other Khmer Rouge leaders regrouped their units. They called for new fighting and started a strong rebellion against the new government. They had done this before in the late 1960s.

For a time, the Vietnamese invasion had achieved its goal of removing a very harsh and violent government. A new administration of former Khmer Rouge fighters, controlled by Hanoi, was quickly set up. This government is still in power today. It began to compete with the Khmer Rouge, both in Cambodia and internationally, to be seen as the rightful government.

However, peace still did not come to the war-torn nation. The rebellion started by the Khmer Rouge could not overthrow the new Vietnamese-controlled government in Phnom Penh. But it did keep the country in a constant state of insecurity. The new administration was supported by a large Vietnamese military force and civilian advisors.

As the 1980s went on, the new government focused on surviving, rebuilding the economy, and fighting the Khmer Rouge rebellion.

The Coalition Government and Its End

The United Nations General Assembly voted for the Khmer Rouge to keep their seat at the UN. The seat was held by Thiounn Prasith, a long-time associate of Pol Pot. The seat was kept under the name "Democratic Kampuchea" until 1982. Then it was called the "Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea" until 1993.

Some international powers supported the Khmer Rouge in exile, seeing them as a way to counter Vietnamese influence. While China, the United States, and other Western countries did not want Vietnam and the Soviet Union to gain more power in Southeast Asia, they did not recognize the People's Republic of Kampuchea as the rightful government of Cambodia. They claimed it was controlled by Vietnam. China provided military aid to the Khmer Rouge. In the 1980s, the Khmer Rouge proved to be the strongest rebel group. The U.S. publicly supported non-Communist groups. In 1985, the Reagan administration approved aid to the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) and the Armée Nationale Sihanoukiste (ANS).

The KPNLF was not as strong militarily as the Khmer Rouge. However, it had many civilian followers among refugees near the Cambodia–Thailand border. These refugees had fled the Khmer Rouge government. FUNCINPEC benefited from the traditional loyalty of farmers to the crown and Sihanouk's popularity.

The non-Khmer Rouge groups in Cambodia had limited military strength. However, they often received more funding and support from civilians than the Khmer Rouge. The Thatcher and Reagan administrations secretly supported the non-Khmer Rouge rebels. They provided support and training in camps just inside Thailand.

The End of the Khmer Rouge

A UN-led peacekeeping mission took place from 1991 to 1995. Its goal was to end the violence in Cambodia and establish a democratic government through new elections. The 1990s saw a big decrease in rebel activity. However, the Khmer Rouge later renewed their attacks against the government. As Vietnam reduced its direct involvement in Cambodia, the government was able to divide the Khmer Rouge movement. They did this by offering peace to lower-level officials. The Khmer Rouge was the only group in the CGDK that continued fighting after the peace process began. The other two groups ended their armed resistance and joined the political process that started with elections in 1993.

In 1997, Pol Pot had his close associate, Son Sen, killed. Son Sen had tried to negotiate peace with the Cambodian government. In 1998, Pol Pot himself died. Other key Khmer Rouge leaders, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary, surrendered to the government of Hun Sen. They received immunity from prosecution for their actions. This left Ta Mok as the sole commander of the Khmer Rouge forces. He was arrested in 1999 for serious crimes. The organization essentially stopped existing.

Recovery and Justice

Since 1990, Cambodia has slowly recovered from the Khmer Rouge period. The population and economy have grown. However, the emotional impact still affects many Cambodian families. The current government teaches little about the Khmer Rouge's harsh actions in schools. Cambodia has a very young population. By 2005, three-quarters of Cambodians were too young to remember the Khmer Rouge years. Younger generations only learned about the Khmer Rouge from their parents and elders.

In 1997, Cambodia created a Khmer Rouge Trial Task Force. Its goal was to set up a legal system to try the remaining leaders for war crimes and other serious crimes. However, progress was slow. This was mainly because the Cambodian government, led by former Khmer Rouge member Hun Sen, was hesitant to bring the leaders to trial.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (formerly Security Prison S-21)

The operation faced funding problems. The government said it could only provide limited money due to the poor economy. Several countries, including India and Japan, offered extra funds. But by January 2006, all the necessary funding was not yet in place.

Despite this, the task force began its work. It took over two buildings at the military headquarters in Kandal province. In March 2006, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, nominated seven judges for a trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders.

In May 2006, Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana announced that Cambodia's highest judicial body approved 30 Cambodian and U.N. judges. They would oversee the trial for some surviving Khmer Rouge leaders. The chief Khmer Rouge prison commandant, Kang Kek Iew, known as Duch, went on trial for serious crimes on February 17, 2009. This was the first case involving a senior Pol Pot leader, three decades after the end of the regime.

Remembering the Past

The harsh legacy of the Khmer Rouge government still affects Cambodia today. In recent years, the world has paid more attention to the Khmer Rouge's actions. This is especially true with the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (Khmer Rouge Tribunal). In Cambodia, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields are two main sites open to the public. They are preserved from the Khmer Rouge years and serve as places to remember the terrible events. Tuol Sleng was a high school building turned into a prison and interrogation center called S-21. Today, it still shows many of the prison cells from that time. Choeung Ek was a large burial site outside Phnom Penh where prisoners were taken to die. Today, it is a memorial for those who lost their lives there.

However, beyond these two public sites, the Cambodian government has not done much to promote remembering this period. This is partly because many former Khmer Rouge members remained in political power after the regime fell. Their continued influence has led to a lack of teaching about Khmer Rouge history to Cambodian children. Despite international pressure, there has not been a strong effort to teach this history. This has led to many books and visual works being created to remember the events. These works help future generations learn about the past.

Stories and Books

The events in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime have inspired many books. Many survivors have published their stories in English to help people remember the past. The first wave of these books appeared in the late 1970s and 1980s. These books were written to raise awareness about the Khmer Rouge. They often called for justice for those responsible. These first survivor accounts reached global audiences. Books like Haing Ngor's A Cambodian Odyssey (1987) and Loung Ung's First They Killed My Father (2000) were very important. They helped the world understand what life was like under the Khmer Rouge.

A second wave of books was published in the 21st century. These include Chanrithy Him's When Broken Glass Floats (2000) and others. These books were often written by Cambodian survivors who were children during that time. They tell the story of their journey from a war-torn Cambodia to new lives in other parts of the world.

See also

In Spanish: Kampuchea Democrática para niños

• Cambodia portal
• Communism portal
• Agrarian socialism
• First Indochina War
• List of socialist states
• Vietnam War (Second Indochina War)
• Cambodian genocide denial