Where to Learn About the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia: An In-Depth Guide

Over the course of 4 years from 1975 to 1979, around 25% percent of Cambodians were killed. That’s over 2 million people, not even including those who were tortured and nearly died. In fact, pretty much everyone  during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia was tortured or suffered from hunger and overwork.

But who would torture so many people? What exactly was the Khmer Rouge? Who led the Khmer Rouge? Why did this genocide occur? How did it start? How did it end?  I had so many questions about the awful genocide that happened in Cambodia. All of those questions and more were answered as our family watched some documentaries, talked to locals, did tons of research, and visited a couple sites.

 

Related post: 7 amazing experiences to be had in Cambodia

 

History of The Khmer Rouge

Before I dive into where you too can learn about the Khmer Rouge, it’s important you understand the history a little bit more. Let me start off by answering a few of the questions I listed above and providing you with a timeline I created.

 

What exactly was the Khmer Rouge?

Khmer Rouge was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK). Now, the regime and genocide that occurred is commonly referred to as The Khmer Rouge.

 

Khmer Rouge timeline

1953– Cambodia becomes independent under King Norodom Sihanouk’s rule

1960– The Communist Party of Kampuchea is formed

1970– Lon Nol ousts King Norodom Sihanouk, start of Cambodian Civil War, The CPK gets involved

1975– The CPK comes into power, start of Khmer Rouge

1979– The Vietnamese invade Cambodia and overthrow Pol Pot, ‘end’ of Khmer Rouge

1985– Hun Sen becomes Prime Minister

1991– Norodom Sihanouk becomes head of state

1997– After another coup, Ung Huot becomes Prime Minister

1998– Pol Pot dies in his jungle hideout, Hun Sen becomes Prime Minister again

2012– Norodom Sihanouk dies of heart attack

 

How did the Khmer Rouge start?

As demonstrated above in the timeline, the Khmer Rouge officially began ruling in 1975. To get there, the CPK fought against and deposed Lon Nol. Lon Nol had also led a coup to get in power- against Norodom Sihanouk (the king at the time). Sihanouk had been ruling as king for over 50 years. As expected, he was very angry with Lon Nol. That is why he and his followers helped the CPK as they battled to power. The CPK was also aided by the Vietnamese, at least until 1972 when they withdrew.

 

Who led the Khmer Rouge?

Pol Pot was the main leader of the CPK, voted in as the secretary in 1963.

 

Who would torture so many people?

Most people who joined or helped the Khmer Rouge did so because they resented the other side. Just like Prince Sihanouk. Another example is the 1973 bombings in which Lon Pol, with the help of the US, dropped around half a million tons of bombs on the country. Those with family members who had lost their lives or had somehow been affected by the bombings started joining the Khmer Rouge. Most people were in the mindset that the enemy of the enemy is a friend. Even though they didn’t quite understand the Khmer Rouge, people thought it may be better that the government they had at the moment.

Pol Pot didn’t necessarily just wake up one day and decide that he wanted to kill a bunch of people and start a genocide. He primarily killed people as a threat. Pol Pot wanted everyone on his side, whether they liked it or not.

 

Why did the Khmer Rouge even occur?

Pol Pot and the CPK wanted to abolish classes and start Cambodia over at year 0. Pol Pot’s vision for the country did not include money, religion or any influence from the West. There would be no poor or rich, no ancient Khmer culture or practices, no freedom of speech, no private property. Government buildings, pagodas, schools and temples turned into prisons.

In fact, the S-21 prison in Phnom Phen which we’ll talk about later was once a high school.

 

How did the Khmer Rouge end?

In 1979, Vietnamese Troops invaded Cambodia. Pol Pot and his followers quickly ran away into the jungle, as a new type of Cambodian government had already been established by the Vietnamese. The People’s Republic of Kampuchea- led by Heng Samrin.

 

But did the Khmer Rouge really end then?

I was outraged to learn that even after what the Khmer Rouge had done was publicized, the US continued to recognize them as the leaders- mainly because the Vietnamese were communist. Pol Pot and many of the Khmer Rouge continued to live in the countryside for several decades after 1979 under aid from China and the US to fight against the Vietnamese supported government. During that time many more Cambodians were killed from all the fighting for power and thousands fled to neighboring countries and the US.

And even now, the aftermath of the genocide is seen in the country. There is a noticeable gap in the population of people over the age of 50. There also aren’t as many educated people- both culturally and academically. The educated were one of the first victims of the Khmer Rouge.

 

Quick Facts: Life during the Khmer Rouge

• The Khmer Rouge made fake threats of a bomb from the US to get everyone out of cities like Phnom Phen and into the countryside, telling them that they would be back in a couple of days.
• The CPK wanted Cambodia to produce three tons of rice per hectare. But that rice didn’t go to the forced laborers who worked sometimes 12 hours a day with little to eat. Most of the rice was exported.
• The Khmer Rouge forced everyone to obey “Angkar,” a so called god and their new family.
• Affectionate feelings towards others like family or humor was strictly prohibited.
• There was no non-revolutionary entertainment permitted.
• Everyone was ordered to wear all black.

 

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

What we talked about above is just the basics. As you visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Killing Fields you will learn a lot more about life in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime.

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is located in Phnom Phen and is an easy tuk tuk drive from anywhere in the city. The museum was once the S-21 prison, and before that a high school. Thousands of people were tortured and killed and there are only 7 known survivors. Innocent people were taken to S-21 under fake claims of crime. They were forced to accuse family and friends, even if the accusations were completely false. If prisoners didn’t die from the horrible conditions and constant torture at the prison, they would be loaded into trucks and taken to killing fields like Choeung Ek. The cycle continued as more people either died or were taken away to die somewhere else, and as new clueless people arrived.

Getting to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Like I said earlier, The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is an easy tuk tuk drive from anywhere in the city. When you are done, there will likely be more tuk tuks outside waiting for business. We spent around 2 hours at the museum which is more than the 1 hour most people give themselves. So be sure to make some extra time for yourself to linger around.

 

Choeung Ek Killing Fields

As the Khmer Rouge dragged on, the empire continued to kill those who didn’t agree with them and those who weren’t “pure” in their minds. Places like the Choeung Ek Killing Fields became mass graves- spots where those people were killed. Workers at rice paddies that went out in the night to catch bugs or snakes -like some locals we met told us from their personal experience- were punished by being taken to these killing fields. People who tried to find their families who they had been without for months instead of working their 80th hour that week were taken to killing fields.

The Choeung Ek Killing Fields is the site where an estimated 17,000 people were slaughtered. The area is made up of a few mass graves that have been excavated and more that haven’t been discovered. As you walk around, you may notice bones and clothes scraps in the dirt. Through the moving of soil and rain, more and more remains have come to the surface.

 

How were people killed at the Choeung Ek Killing Fields?

What is said next may disturb you, however it is a very important part of the history and cannot be glazed over

At first, people taken to the Choeung Ek Killing Fields were shot. Later they started simply shoving people into dug out holes alive, not wanting to waste bullets. Other times they would stab the victims to death. There is one important site called the Killing Tree which babies were savagely bashed and thrown at- in front of their mothers!

Near the entrance is a memorial. Inside there are piles of skulls with evidence of slashes and beatings.

 

Getting to the Choeung Ek Killing Fields

It is quite easy to arrange a driver or even just a tuk tuk to take you to the killing fields. They will often wait for you in the parking lot until you are finished- just be sure to remember where your driver parked as all the tuk tuks look the same.

Audio Guides

Both the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum offer audio tours for an extra cost. I highly recommend you pay a couple dollars more. The audio guides are very well done and give lots of information. There aren’t many informational panels around either museum and the guides will help you better understand what you are looking at.

 

In summary

The ways people died and the fact that they had to die at all really make both the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum extremely hard visits. However, the history of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge genocide is so important to learn about. You will better understand the aftermath of the genocide as you are walking around the cities. You will also leave as an anti-genocide advocate for problems that may occur in the future.

Like the end of the audio tour at the Killing Fields said:

“This is hardly the first case of genocide. We never thought it could happen here. It can happen anywhere… Tragically, it will probably happen again. So for your sake, remember us and remember our past as you look to your future.”

 

Ethics

As you visit the 2 sites, remember to follow the etiquette below. It is impolite to joke around or play at either site. They are memorials, after all!

The Don’ts:

• Don’t talk loudly to others around you
• Don’t crack a joke at either site, even if it is unrelated
• Don’t make any rude remarks about the audio guide- it is all true!

The Do’s:

• Do listen to the audio guides and absorb what you are hearing
• Do talk to your friends or companions about the sites after your visit
• Do think about what happened and let yourself get a little bit angry or depressed

 

Are these sites OK for families?

Our family, along with 2 others, visited both the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields. The 2 sites are super important and it is really good to educate kids about problems like genocide young, but they should at least be old enough to actually understand, absorb it all and not mess around.

 

Final thoughts

Everyone that visits Phnom Phen and would like to learn about Cambodia’s history must go to these spots. If you are unsure about whether you’ll be able to take it or not, I urge you to challenge yourself. Use that depression and anger you have at the end to make a difference in this world’s future.

 

Read more: 7 amazing experiences to be had in  Cambodia

 

Further Learning

Still hungry for more insight and information about the Khmer Rouge? Be sure to check out and read/ watch these movies, documentaries and books.

 

First they Killed My Father

A heartbreaking but interesting movie currently available on  Netflix. It is also available as a book. The story follows a little girl as she and her family along with thousands others are evacuated out of Phnom Phen. She gets separated from her family, faces starvation and is worked to near death in the rice paddies. The movie gives a deep insight on how life in Cambodia was during the Khmer Rouge.

 

The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields is a movie reenacting the life of Sydney Schanberg and his Cambodian friend Dith Pran. Sydney Schanberg was a journalist from the US trying to spread the word about what was happening in Cambodia. He almost died numerous times from bombs and torture. This movie focuses on a whole different side of the Khmer Rouge, so I recommend you watch both The Killing Fields and First They Killed My Father.

 

Never Fall Down

A powerful book for young adults and adults based on a true story. Arn, the person who the book is about, was only 11 when the Khmer Rouge took power. He worked long, grueling hours in the countryside. How did he survive? He constantly told himself “I will not fall down, I will not fall down.”

 

Note about Never Fall Down

Arn, the man whose life is the story of Never Fall Down, started Cambodian Living Arts. Cambodian Living Arts is an organization and performing arts studio based in Phnom Phen. Their goal is to bring back the ancient culture, music and dance of Cambodia and educate the next generation. During the Khmer Rouge regime, Pol Pot wanted everyone to forget about all those ancient traditions. He forced people to sing and dance to other songs instead. Revolutionary songs praising “Angkar,” their so called new god and friend. We went to the performances of Cambodian Living Arts twice and would recommend them to anyone visiting Phnom Phen.

Also, be sure to check out this post (it opens in a new tab) about Sihanoukville, a city on the Southern Coast of Cambodia with some great beaches!

Sihanoukville: What happened and how to avoid the bad parts

 

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