Question

What was the underlying motive for the brutality that infused the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in the late 1970s? How has the legacy of the Khmer Rouge continued to impede the establishment of a stable regime in Cambodia?

Answer 1

Khmer rouge regime under Pol Pot wanted to establish a totally agrarian communism in Cambodia. They wanted a society that was free from exploitation. They believed that an uneducated, hardworking and simple peasant won't exploit anybody and also they saw cities as the heart of capitalism and exploitation. Hence, they brutally killed people who were educated, knew other languages or had money. People from cities were forced to move towards the rural areas and take up agriculture. They declared a "zero year" when they took up the regime and destroyed every element that could lead people to development. It cut Combodia from having any contact with the world. Even international relief for people dying from starvation was denied. Eventually Combodia was pulled back from development and progress. It lacked basic infrastructural resources needed for development as a result of Khmer rouge regime and it's brutality. The legacy of Khmer rouge has left people of Combodia haunted by the brutalities and with deep scares of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and lack of basic needs.