Why Do Khmer Rouge Commit Genocide In Cambodia?

In the wake of the Vietnam war, the atrocities committed in Cambodia were overlooked by the entire world. A successful coup over the prince resulted in a power vacuum, and, in turn, a civil war. Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot fought against the United States backed Lon Nol military, in hopes of implementing a classless society. With the United States occupied by the Vietnam war, Lon Nol remained defenseless and Khmer Rouge soon took over Cambodia. Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot implemented a very radical version of marxism, and the country started taking a turn for the worse. Despite the ideology of marxism treating everyone equal, Khmer Rouge followed the historical pattern of marxism and committed genocide against the marginalized people of Cambodia. Khmer Rouge commit genocide against the Cambodian minorities by instigating fear in the
By ultimately disposing of any opposition, Khmer Rouge would have nothing to hold them back against implementing a classless society. Through the organization of minorities, their extermination became easier than ever. Cambodians would be murdered if they could not complete the march to labor camps. Intentional starvation for groups of the population was the first, main tactic used by Khmer Rouge to commit extermination. Food rationing would be heavily decreased for any towns showing signs of resistance. Eventually, Pol Pot declared that starvation was not efficient enough and looked towards a different option, Killing Fields. Whole towns were brought to these fields and forced to dig their own graves which they would be murdered in. Children of murdered parent were also killed to stop them from growing up and avenging their parents deaths. Overall, around two million people were killed in these fields and around another 2 million died due to starvation. By successfully implementing the previous stages of genocide, extermination was committed effectively and