The Cambodian Genocide

When people hear the word “genocide”, they typically think of the Holocaust. Although the Holocaust is one of the most renowned genocide in the world, the Cambodian Genocide, on the other hand, is just as significant. From 1975 to 1979, the Cambodian genocide took place during the Khmer Rouge regime. The leader of the Khmer Rouge was Pol Pot, whose ultimate goal was to shift Cambodia into a “utopia”. In order to achieve this goal, Pol Pot had his soldiers propel people out of their homes into working fields. During the process, the Khmer Rouge slaughtered thousands of Cambodians with the majority being “new people”. The “new people” were intellectuals and because of their outside influences, they were terminated. About two million Cambodians …show more content…
The oppressors parted children from their parents because they did not want the children to become too attached to their parents."Families were intentionally separated, with infants removed from their parents as soon as they were finished breast-feeding” (Bergin 32). As a result, infants did not have any sort of bond between their parents. The oppressors also taught them false information in order for the children to obey them. Once the infants were removed from their families, they were taught to believe that it wasn’t their parents who they should rely on because they were not the ones who raised them (Bergin 32). As an outcome, the infants became more obedient to their oppressors instead of their parents. In addition, even after the Cambodians were separated from their families, their oppressors continuously conducted them savagely. “Two men lost siblings and parents and were forced to work, having eaten as little as 18 kernels of corn” (Barrone). This example shows, that the Cambodians’ oppressors did not even bother to feed their labor workers adequate food. The Cambodians also were abused and persecuted during the Khmer Rouge regime because of the animosity of “new people”. These “new people” were anyone who had outside influences inflicted upon them. Ethnic minorities, social groups, and religious groups were criticized for speaking their language and for practicing their culture …show more content…
For starters, SS officers barged into the Jews’ homes to get them out and put them into labor camps while soldiers did the same to Cambodians. Also, families were kept apart with no mercy and oppressors in both genocides abused the people whenever they had the chance to. Whether it was the goal of the leaders or how the victims were persecuted, both genocides, therefore, share similar traits and they both also are significant to our