1975 – 1979 · Cambodia
The Khmer Rouge's 'Year Zero' killed 1.7-2 million Cambodians—a quarter of the population—in the 1970s genocide.
Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge took power (1975) and implemented radical social engineering. Cities were emptied; intellectuals were executed; peasants were enslaved in labor camps. Ethnic minorities (Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Chams) faced extermination. Starvation killed as many as execution. By 1979, Vietnam invaded and ended the regime. Estimates: 1.7-2 million died (1975-1979). The Khmer Rouge Tribunal eventually tried surviving leaders, but decades passed before justice.
The Cambodian genocide became the modern template for genocide prosecution. The delayed tribunal showed that international justice could still occur decades later. Survivor trauma shaped Cambodian society; many fled as refugees. The genocide's ideological blend of Maoism and Khmer nationalism influenced postwar Cambodian politics. Modern Cambodia memorializes genocide victims; education about atrocities is emphasized. The genocide remains traumatic for survivors and shapes Cambodia's international standing.
Redirecting…