Democratic Kampuchea

Democratic Kampuchea (in Khmer, កម្ពុជា ប្រជាផិបតេយ្យ) was the official name of Cambodia under the government of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge party from 1975 until 1979. The period saw the death of approximately 1.7 million Cambodians as a combined result of political executions, starvation, and overwork. A 1984 movie, The Killing Fields, dramatized the horrors of Khmer Rouge rule.

Origins

The Khmer Rouge, a militant political faction, rode a tide of opposition to US bombings around the Ho Chi Minh trail. Presenting themselves as a peace-oriented party that could stand up to western imperialists, they took the capital Phnom Penh in April 1975. They initially claimed loyalty to King Norodom Sihanouk, who had supported them against General Lon Nol.

Related Topics:
Ho Chi Minh trail - Phnom Penh - 1975 - Norodom Sihanouk - Lon Nol

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~