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Pol Pot in Paris
- travelled to Paris on a scholarship to study radio electronics
- he become interested with the Marxist ideology
- he joined the French Communist Party
- Pol Pot and many other Cambodian students formed the Paris Group
- goal of Cambodian students was to spread communism in Cambodia
- he neglected his studies so, he lost his scholarship
- he developed national and communist ideas which he would eventually used to create the Khmer Rouge
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Period: to
Cambodia
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Pol Pot's Return
- he returned to Cambodia and joined the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party
- he worked in Kampong Cham
- he later moved to Phnom Penh
- he supported himself financially by teaching at a private school
- he got inspiration from the Vietnamese communists
- he also got inspiration for his ideology from joining the communist party
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Prince Sihanouk
- Cambodia is under the rule of the monarch, Prince Sihanouk
- under his rule Cambodia was actually called Kingdom of Cambodia
- he won independence for Cambodia
- he wanted to purse a political career so, his father became king and Sihanouk become Prime Minister
- Sihanouk's father dies and Sihanouk becomes head of the state
- he breaks off relations with the US
- he allows North Vietnam to enter Cambodia and set up bases to attack South Vietnam and the US
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Cambodia's Independence
- Cambodia gets its independence from France
- French's control of Indochina ends
- France ruled for nearly 90 years
- France leaves the royal family in charge
- gives Cambodia an opportunity to be governed by a monarch again
- is the beginning of internal power struggles
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US Bombing Campaign
- start of the civil war between North and South Vietnam
- North Vietnam is communist
- South Vietnam is anti-communist and is pro-western
- the US supports South Vietnam
- Vietnamese communists are in hideouts in Cambodia
- the US bombs Cambodia to attack the communists
- the bombing killed many Cambodian civilians in the process
- it gave Khmer Rouge an excuse to recruit followers
- it allowed Vietnamese communists to enter deeper into Cambodia
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General Lon Nol
- Cambodian general and politican
- he was the defence minister in Prince Sihanouk's government
- he was anti-communist and was a right wing leader
- he lead a military coup against Prince Sihanouk
- he overthrows Prince Sihanouk
- he exiled the Prince to Bejing
- his regime started a fight between his army and the Khmer Rouge
- caused Prince Sihanouk to join with the Khmer Rouge to attack
Lon Nol -
Khmer Rouge
- came in power after they seized the capital city, Phnom Penh
- renamed nation to Democratic Republic of Kampuchea
- leader of group is Pol Pot
- Pol Pot wanted to purify society
- were able to gain popularity because many people favoured communism after US bombing
- the beginning of Year Zero
- overthrew Lon Nol
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Year Zero
- city dwellers are forced to move to the countryside
- everyone is forced to be farmers
- foreigners are expelled, foreign languages are banned, embassies are closed, foreign assistance is refused
- money is worthless
- religion is banned, education and health care is eliminated
- all media was banned
- inspired from Communist China
- 1.7 million people died because of physical labour, lack of food and sleep
- economy failed because most of the rich were dead
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Khmer Rouge vs Vietnam
- Vietnam invades Phnom Penh
- Khmer Rouge flee to the Thai border
- Vietnamese establish a pro-Vietnamese regime
- re-establish elements of life before the Khmer Rouge regime
- Vietnam troops later withdraw
- Khmer Rouge reign ends
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Peace Agreement
- Peace Agreement in Paris
- signed by 18 nations to end conflict in Cambodia
- agreement talked about the process to end conflict and to create a democratic Cambodia
- UN decided to send a mission to Cambodia to supervise the ceasefire
- UN also send missions to remove mines in the country side and they would help refugees
- conflict in Cambodia would end
- Cambodia would be placed under the UN administration until elections in 1993
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Mass Graves
- bodies of people who died in S-21 discovered
- they were buried outside of the prison camp
- the bodies are still there to be kept as evidence
- other evidence: records that Khmer Rouge kept and before and after pictures of the Cambodians that were tortured
- can be used as evidence to recognize this as genocide and crimes against humanity
- also it can be used against the Khmer Rouge leaders
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Pol Pot dies
- Pol Pot dies at the age of 73
- dies while he is in a hideout in Thailand
- died of natural causes
- Cambodians feel that they did not get justice because he was never put on a proper trial
- They also were angered because he died peacefully and he was the reason for many people died
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UN Tribunals
- purpose was to convict members of the Khmer Rouge
- was a mixed tribunal (international judges and Cambodian judges)
- it was always delayed
- Delaying the trial could cause loss of evidence and missed opportunities to convict former Khmer Rouge leaders
- Pol Pot was not put on trial
- Comrade Duch (Brother Number Two) was given 35 years in prison
- Cambodians were angered again because Comrade Duch was only given 35 years and he only had to serve 19 years
