The Rise of the Khmer Rouge In 1963, the prince of Cambodia, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, cut off economic and military support from the United States and a year later ended diplomatic relations with the U.S. in order to stay out of the Vietnam War that was going on (Krkljes). …show more content…
Since family relationships were banned the kids were taken in, brainwashed and propagandized. Along with enforcing the Khmer Rouge’s laws, they were required to keep an eye on everyone’s gestures, words, and attitude, including their own families (Carvin). If a soldier saw any of their family disobeying the laws, they were obligated to report back to their leaders, then made to punish their own weeping families, without resentment (Carvin).
"Hill of the Poisonous …show more content…
Countries leaders, such as United States, President Carter and President Ford, also were tired of fighting in South East Asia and never even considered sending troops back (Chheng). Another argument for why this catastrophe wasn’t prevented in the first place is stated from Samantha Power when she says, “It was one of willful neglect”. When the United States became aware of the Khmer Rouge and what was vaguely happening in Cambodia, they only saw it as propaganda and ignored the issue (Chheng). In 2013, Cambodian’s Prime Minister and Cambodia’s National Assembly, passed a law making it illegal to deny that the Cambodian Genocide happened or that the Khmer Rouge is guilty