The Khmer Rouge In Cambodia

Under the Khmer Rouge regime, the country perished socially. The lives of everyone present in Cambodia at this time were drastically changed. Over a million people were forced to relocate out of Phenom Penh and were placed in labor camps located far from their original homes. Likewise, millions of people were murdered to give rise to Pol Pot’s standard for the nationalization of the country. Prominent figures that gained massive followings were considered a threat to the society Pol Pot was attempting to create. Strict control was taken over the people of Cambodia as forms of entertainment were banned, such as televisions, radios, and music Anyone from an educational or professional background such as, lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers,
The Khmer Rouge was plagued with paranoia that hurt not only large populations of innocent and unsupportive citizens but also the places in Cambodia that enhanced Cambodia’s physical weakness. The places that included routes into the country from neighboring countries that harbored enemies of the Khmer Rouge were destroyed to prevent an ultimate change of power to take place. Members of the Khmer Rouge were often subjected to the same treatment the undesirables of the general public were subjected
Pol Pot created killing centers for the disloyal members where they were tortured and then put to death. Along with the killing centers members encountered the well-known detention center, S-21, was a secret facility that was located in Phnom Penh that was responsible for the death of 14,200 people are seven known survivors who experienced the S-21 and lived. People who were sent here were of all ages and both men and women. Many of the people who were sent here were professionals and the families of professionals that threatened Pol Pot’s plans. Here, they were tortured until they confessed their crimes and then they were killed. The officials in charge of S-21 documented the supposed criminals by taking a picture of the criminal while they held a card with a number written on it. The numbers were randomly given to the victims as a place holder in line to be killed, every twelve hours it is said that the numbers began to repeat themselves. Many of the photographs taken were recovered and archived in the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide. Another place of mass death was the large amounts of killing fields found throughout