Cambodian Genocide

Cambodian Genocide

On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge seized Phnom Penh and established control over Cambodia, initiating a regime of social and political transformation. The regime, led by Pol Pot, targeted perceived political opponents, intellectuals, ethnic minorities, and religious groups to implement agrarian socialism and consolidate power.

Between 1975 and 1979, Cambodian civilians were forcibly relocated from urban centers to rural labor camps. Conditions in these camps included overwork, malnutrition, disease, and summary executions. The Khmer Rouge conducted systematic purges of government officials, professionals, monks, and ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese, Cham, and other minority groups.

Estimates indicate that approximately 1.5 to 2 million people, roughly 20–25% of Cambodia’s population, died from execution, starvation, disease, or overwork. The genocide ended in January 1979 with the Vietnamese invasion and the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime. The events left widespread demographic, social, and economic consequences for Cambodia.