Genocide Essay: A Memory Still Alive
Genocide is a recent concept that came to existence not too long ago. Instead of never existing, this term has quickly altered humanity into a malicious being that desires to maltreat each other for purity. Genocide has changed meaning throughout time but the current version is defined as “the destruction of a race, culture, nation, ethnicity, political members, religion, or other groups” according to the ILC. Genocide is universally accepted as causing harm or deaths to members of targeted groups and inflicting macabre conditions. In other words, genocide follows 8 steps which ensure total annihilation and perfection of punishment. Countless examples can be written to show the steps like the stereotypical …show more content…
The Khmer Rouge were radical communists who came to power during Cambodia’s civil war in retaliation to American bombing of ten million farms. Using the Vietnam War as an excuse, the Khmer Rouge overthrew the government, promising the people hope and peace from wars and foreign intervention. The victims of the genocide were doctors, teachers, monks, journalists, merchants, artists, students, minorities, elders, rivals, and random families. Using their power, the Khmer Rouge classified the Cambodians into two groups: the base people and the new people. The base people were farmers and rural members of society; the new people were Westerners, urban residents, and victims. By distinguishing the sides, the Khmer Rouge forced people to join the base people and discriminated the remaining new people. Soon, materials like books, glasses, keys for city apartments, and Western goods, were banned to officially eradicate the new people. Often, these rules would be enforced by violence, showing the public the early signs of the wicked Khmer Rouge. Later, in order to fulfill the belief in a “perfect” society, dehumanization policies were created. Some examples are representing ethnic minorities as viruses and treating the victims as diseased dogs. These attempts were created to exterminate the targets and convince Cambodians to obey the Khmer Rouge, but soon, these plans would be later discarded for more brutal actions. As the years progressed, the Khmer Rouge was plagued with internal struggles. Eventually, the Khmer Rouge became stricter and more ruthless as it ended the old plan and created a harsher one. The new plan restructured Cambodians into three groups and forced them to work on government controlled farms. The first group were the ill, disabled, elderly, and children, the second group were adolescents, and the last group were the remaining
Genocide is a recent concept that came to existence not too long ago. Instead of never existing, this term has quickly altered humanity into a malicious being that desires to maltreat each other for purity. Genocide has changed meaning throughout time but the current version is defined as “the destruction of a race, culture, nation, ethnicity, political members, religion, or other groups” according to the ILC. Genocide is universally accepted as causing harm or deaths to members of targeted groups and inflicting macabre conditions. In other words, genocide follows 8 steps which ensure total annihilation and perfection of punishment. Countless examples can be written to show the steps like the stereotypical …show more content…
The Khmer Rouge were radical communists who came to power during Cambodia’s civil war in retaliation to American bombing of ten million farms. Using the Vietnam War as an excuse, the Khmer Rouge overthrew the government, promising the people hope and peace from wars and foreign intervention. The victims of the genocide were doctors, teachers, monks, journalists, merchants, artists, students, minorities, elders, rivals, and random families. Using their power, the Khmer Rouge classified the Cambodians into two groups: the base people and the new people. The base people were farmers and rural members of society; the new people were Westerners, urban residents, and victims. By distinguishing the sides, the Khmer Rouge forced people to join the base people and discriminated the remaining new people. Soon, materials like books, glasses, keys for city apartments, and Western goods, were banned to officially eradicate the new people. Often, these rules would be enforced by violence, showing the public the early signs of the wicked Khmer Rouge. Later, in order to fulfill the belief in a “perfect” society, dehumanization policies were created. Some examples are representing ethnic minorities as viruses and treating the victims as diseased dogs. These attempts were created to exterminate the targets and convince Cambodians to obey the Khmer Rouge, but soon, these plans would be later discarded for more brutal actions. As the years progressed, the Khmer Rouge was plagued with internal struggles. Eventually, the Khmer Rouge became stricter and more ruthless as it ended the old plan and created a harsher one. The new plan restructured Cambodians into three groups and forced them to work on government controlled farms. The first group were the ill, disabled, elderly, and children, the second group were adolescents, and the last group were the remaining