Pol Pot (1925-1998) and his communist government led Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. About 1.5 million Cambodians out of a total population of 7 to 8 million died just within four years. In the S-21 prison only 7 people out of 20,000 survived.The Khmer Rouge aimed to eliminate the opposition by terminating intellectuals, city residents, ethnic Vietnamese, civil servants and religious leaders. The Vietnamese army deposed the Khmer Rouge in 1979. Pol Pot died in 1998 without serving justice.
It's up to history to judge.
- Pol Pot
- Pol Pot
Early life
Pol Pot, formerly known as Saloth Sar was born around 1925 in Prek Sbauv, north of Phnom Penh. His family was wealthy as they owned about 20 hectares of rice paddy, significantly more compared to the nation's average families. In 1934, Pol Pot received education at a Buddhist monastery, and a French Catholic campus. Pol Pot left Cambodia in 1949 to Paris. His studies were about radio technology and started to be influenced and involved in the communist circle. Later on, Pol Pot established his communist group in his home country, Cambodia and overseas.
joining the Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party (KPRP)
After his studies in Paris, Pol Pot returned to Cambodia in 1953. This was the year that Cambodia successfully revolted against the colonial rule of France and gained its independence. Pol Pot joined the Khmer People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP), a proto-communist group, or communists pioneers. He was a geography, history and French literature teacher at a private school before becoming a dictator.
Pol Pot became one of the crucial member of the party in 1960 as he helped reorganize the KPRP into a party that was focused on the Marxism-Leninism. His group moved to the country side in 1963. Pol Pot posed as a party chief and formed an army that launched a national uprise in 1968. Even though their group was slow, but they were able to gain control over the northeast region.
Pol Pot became one of the crucial member of the party in 1960 as he helped reorganize the KPRP into a party that was focused on the Marxism-Leninism. His group moved to the country side in 1963. Pol Pot posed as a party chief and formed an army that launched a national uprise in 1968. Even though their group was slow, but they were able to gain control over the northeast region.