Killing fields
During the Cambodian Genocide, Saloth Sar "Pol Pot" did many things to dehumanize and destroy anyone who didn't fit into his picture of Cambodia. Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge Communist Political Party in exterminating the intellectuals, foreigners, and people who didn't fit in to a farming society. In 1975, Khmer Rouge displaced 25% of the Cambodian population and moved them to labor camps to be "exterminated". Later on, these camps earned the name "killing fields". When people got to these camps they were forced to work in the fields for long hours without food or water. Many died from starvation, dehydration, disease, and exhaustion. Without proper medical care, laborers dropped like flies after only short periods of time working in the fields.
These forced labor camps were originally cultivated because of Khmer Rouge's "Four Year Plan". The goal of this plan was to convert the society back into a simple farming society. It made rice production the primary concern of the country. Pol Pot's expectations were to harvest 3 tons of rice for every 2.5 acres in the entire country of Cambodia. To accomplish this goal, all property was to be seized and forced labor became the norm. Even the Khmer Rouge's flag illustrated a picture of canals, rice ears, and irrigation systems.
These forced labor camps were originally cultivated because of Khmer Rouge's "Four Year Plan". The goal of this plan was to convert the society back into a simple farming society. It made rice production the primary concern of the country. Pol Pot's expectations were to harvest 3 tons of rice for every 2.5 acres in the entire country of Cambodia. To accomplish this goal, all property was to be seized and forced labor became the norm. Even the Khmer Rouge's flag illustrated a picture of canals, rice ears, and irrigation systems.
executionsPrisoners taken by the Khmer Rouge were often encouraged to "confess their crimes" to the government. Things like learning a foreign language, having contact with someone outside of Cambodia, practicing religions, or being highly educated were considered crimes. The government of Cambodia would then "wipe their slate clean" by executing them. They had many ways to do this but the most common were poisoning, using sharpened bamboo sticks, and bashing their heads against trees, in order to save ammunition. Many people were often forced to dig mass graves for themselves and their families prior do death as well.
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tortureThe Khmer Rouge found entertainment by interrogating people in the labor camps about "pre-revolutionary crimes" that they accused them of. Anything Pol Pot thought was a threat to his rule, was considered a crime. The tactics used to interrogate and torture were gruesome and most often led to death for the laborers. A popular torture device was water boarding with a cloth being tied over the face and water being poured into the person's mouth, making them "drown". The Khmer Rouge also would do operations on people and remove organs while they were still alive. They also attacked the laborers and cut lacerations into their skin and then poured acid into the wounds. Something they did to intimidate and keep track of the laborers was take pictures of them before they tortured and killed them.
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Babies,children, disabled, and elderly were often murdered on the spot and others who lasted longer often died from overworking, starvation, and disease. Malaria was common and people also died from snake bites and lack of medical care. Some even drowned in wet areas during the rainy season. Inhabitants of the labor camps also often died from exhaustion due to forced marches and being overworked. People were killed like this for many reasons such as opposing authority, having jewelry, wearing glasses, having a diploma or degree, engaging in sexual activities, stealing food, expressing any religion, or showing emotions.
Sources
- Forced Labor and Collectivization. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2015, from http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/cambodia/violence/forced-labor-and-collectivization
- GENOCIDE - CAMBODIA. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2015, from http://www.ppu.org.uk/genocide/g_cambodia1.html
- Survivor Recalls Horrors of Cambodia Genocide. (2015). Retrieved May 11, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/07/amanpour.pol.pot/index.html?eref=rss_latest
- Cambodian Genocide « World Without Genocide - Working to create a World Without Genocide. (2012). Retrieved May 11, 2015, from http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/cambodian-genocide