Cambodia: Did Genocide Occur
Cambodia: Did Genocide Occur?
One million seven hundred thousand dead, a country left scarred for decades and a world still baffled weather or not to call it genocide. The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group is what defines the term genocide (www.dictionary.com), yet what events in history are classified is widely debated. Based on many personal accounts and accurate recordings of history it can be proven that the massacres that occurred from 1975 to 1979 under Khmer Rouge's rule in Cambodia was genocide.
From the spring of 1970 to 1975 Cambodia was engaged in a civil war Lon Nol had gained power and was trying to rid the country of its former leader Prince Sihanouks culture. This is when the Khmer Rouge guerilla army, led by Pol Pot, decided to gather its forces and fight for their dethroned prince's culture. Joined by Vietnamese forces the Khmer Rouge worked to gain control of Cambodia. Despite being backed by the U.S the Lon Nol Cambodian forces were loosing every battle as well as most of their land. On January 27, 1973, the U.S. signed a cease fire treaty that stated that the U.S. and the Vietnamese would withdraw their forces and leave the country to fend for its self. The Vietnamese having dominated much of the war left the Khmer Rouge with much of Cambodia and in excellent position to take the capital Phnom Penh. On August 15, 1973 the U.S. withdrew its forces and left Lon Nol to defend himself.
On April 17, 1975 when the Khmer Rouge made a final push regime, took the capital and defeated the Lon Nol armies. Occupants of the city rejoiced thinking this was the end of a five year civil war, but this was only the beginning. The Khmer Rouge renamed the country Democratic Kâmpŭchéa (DK), Pol Pot became prime minister and headed the government for the next four years. While in power Pol Pot and his Khmer rouge followers terrorized the population and began committing...
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