Winter 2020

The Khmer Rouge, founded by Pol Pot and headed by a committee called Angkar (“the organization”), was an extremist communist group. Beginning on April 17th, 1975, the regime forced people to leave cities. In just three days, every city was emptied and people were sent to work on “collective farms” (forced labor camps). Those accused of crimes against the state were imprisoned, tortured, or killed; during its nearly four years in power, the Khmer Rouge was responsible for the deaths of as many as three million people. Even after the fall of the regime in 1979, the Khmer Rouge was still recognized as legitimate leadership by first-world countries (including the United States) and even had a seat in the UN.

Bullets were expensive, so people were executed with whatever was available, such as axes, hoes, car axels, and hammers. At night, under the glare of fluorescent lights, it was against the Killing Tree that executioners beat and killed children. After the Khmer Rouge fled, people were unsure why there was blood on this tree until a villager digging for potatoes uncovered a mass grave. Over 20,000 people were killed at this site, and this is only one out of over 300 across Cambodia.Read more