Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge was made up of rebelling communists in Cambodia that set out to turn Cambodia into a Communist society. This was done under the orders of Pol Pot, a cruel and brutal leader who killed nearly two million of his own people in hopes of turning Cambodia’s government into an ideal Communist government. Pol Pot ruled by intimidation, and threatened anything and anyone that would have jeopardized his goals. Populations of urban areas were evacuated, and sent to do slave work, this included all men, women, and children. Many of the victims were brutally killed, and tortured. However, a majority of the people died from starvation, devastating diseases, and exhaustion.

Pol Pot had only managed to take his own thoughts into consideration, and ruled without even the acknowledgment of his people. There is no reason for one man to make a simple decision that effects the entire country. In Pol Pot’s attempts to make Cambodia into a Communist Society he basically stripped down the citizens of all they had, and simply demanded all of his people to start living by the rules of this entirely new lifestyle. This led to numerous insolvable problems between the two. This miscommunication between a leader and his people is what is clearly unacceptable to have a functioning country.

The disagreement or inability to come to a compromise is what causes problems, and can lead to drastic events, including the Cambodian Genocide. Pol Pot was completely focused on his goals of communism he was willing to take the lives of two million people, which was about twenty-one percent of Cambodia’s population.

In order for Pol Pot to convert all of Cambodia into a comm

unist society he had to make very drastic changes, this included him taking away or destroying all private property, closing down necessary businesses including banks, hospitals, and schools. He also forced people out of their homes, and made them do slave labor for twelve to fourteen hours a day. He gave the citizens of Cambodia no say, and no chances to adjust; he immediately took action.

Pol Pot’s ideas to change the government was different from the motivation of other genocide's. Although it was a horrible event that ended the lives of two million people, it differs because unlike the Holocaust, the Cambodian Genocide, and the Khmer Rouge was done in order to change the government, instead of just killing out of hatred and the unbearable feelings towards people.

Pol Pot had no communication, and had no consideration towards his citizens, and no one would dare try and stop him, so his reign continued on. He didn’t posses of any of the characteristics of a leader, and therefore didn’t rule in the best interest of the country, but his own interests. This shows what a poor leader he was. There should always be a strong relationship between who is in power, and the citizens. Pol Pot was a horrible leader, and all of the citizens were forced to pay the price for his bad choices.