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Pol Pot: His Life, Politics, and the Killing Fields
Pol Pot, born as Saloth Sar, led the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, during which time the country endured one of the worst genocides in human history. Below is a detailed account of his life, political ideologies, and the atrocities committed under his rule.

Early Life and Education
Birth Name: Saloth Sar
Date of Birth: May 19, 1925 (possibly 1928)
Birthplace: Prek Sbauv village, Kompong Thom Province, Cambodia
Saloth Sar was born into a relatively prosperous farming family. His father owned 10 hectares of rice paddies, and the family had connections to the Cambodian royal court through his cousin, who was a palace dancer.
Early Education:
He attended Buddhist monastery schools in his youth, receiving a traditional Cambodian education. Later, he was sent to Phnom Penh to study at a Catholic school, Lycée Sisowath, where he learned French and was exposed to Western literature and culture.
Studies in France and Communist Ideology
Scholarship to France:

In 1949, Saloth Sar won a scholarship to study radio electronics in Paris. During his time in France, he became involved in politics and drifted away from his technical studies.
He joined the French Communist Party (PCF) and participated in Marxist study groups with other young Cambodians.
Communist Influence:

In Paris, he was deeply influenced by Marxist-Leninist ideology and the writings of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and particularly Mao Zedong.
He and his Cambodian peers were particularly inspired by Mao’s ideas of peasant-led revolutions, which they saw as more applicable to Cambodia’s rural society than the urban worker-focused approach of Marx and Lenin.
Return to Cambodia:

In 1953, Saloth Sar returned to Cambodia as the country was on the brink of independence from French colonial rule.
Political Rise in Cambodia
Joining the Communist Movement:

After his return, Saloth Sar became a teacher in Phnom Penh but soon joined the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP), which sought to liberate Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from colonial rule.
In the 1950s, the Cambodian branch of the ICP rebranded as the Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party, later evolving into the Khmer Rouge.
Maoist Agrarian Vision:

Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge adopted Maoist principles, focusing on the rural peasantry as the driving force for revolution. They opposed the Cambodian monarchy, Western influence, and urban elites.
He believed in dismantling modern society and creating a self-sufficient, agrarian utopia.
The Khmer Rouge Regime (1975–1979)
Seizing Power
Victory in Civil War:
By 1970, Cambodia had descended into civil war after Prince Norodom Sihanouk was deposed in a coup led by Lon Nol.
The Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot’s leadership, capitalized on anti-government and anti-American sentiment, especially following the devastating US bombings in rural areas.
On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, marking the start of Pol Pot’s regime.
Policies of the Khmer Rouge
Pol Pot’s regime was characterized by radical and brutal policies aimed at transforming Cambodia into a communist agrarian society:

"Year Zero":

The Khmer Rouge declared the beginning of a new era, erasing Cambodia’s history and traditions.
Cities were evacuated, and millions of urban residents were forced into the countryside to work as farmers.
Abolition of Modern Society:

Currency, markets, schools, religion, and private property were outlawed.
Monks, teachers, doctors, and intellectuals were targeted as enemies of the state.
Forced Collectivization:

Millions were sent to labor camps where they endured grueling conditions, often without adequate food, rest, or medical care.
Elimination of "Enemies":

Anyone suspected of opposing the regime—intellectuals, professionals, ethnic minorities, and even those wearing glasses—was executed.
Victims were sent to detention centers like Tuol Sleng (S-21), where they were tortured before being killed in execution sites known as the Killing Fields.
Death Toll
An estimated 1.7 to 2 million people, roughly a quarter of Cambodia’s population, died due to executions, starvation, disease, and overwork during Pol Pot’s rule.
Downfall of the Khmer Rouge
Vietnamese Invasion (1979):
The Khmer Rouge regime collapsed when Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia in late 1978, seizing Phnom Penh in January 1979.
Pol Pot and his followers fled to the jungles near the Thai border, where they continued guerrilla warfare.
Later Life and Death
Guerrilla Leadership:


In 1997, Pol Pot was arrested by his own Khmer Rouge faction and sentenced to house arrest in Anlong Ven

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