Difference between revisions of "Pol Pot"
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| − | '''Pol Pot''' ( born '''Saloth Sar''' May 19,1928-1998) was the ruthless [[Cambodia]]n [[Communism|Communist]] [[dictator]] and [[genocide|genocidaire]] responsible for killing 1-3 million Cambodians in the late 1970s (nearly a third of the Cambodian population). Anyone thought to be intellectual was murdered, including the killing of people simply for knowing a foreign language or even merely wearing glasses. Pol Pot held power through a combination of enormous charm and complete ruthlessness. | + | '''Pol Pot''' ( born '''Saloth Sar''' May 19,1928-1998) was the ruthless [[Cambodia]]n [[Communism|Communist]] [[dictator]] and [[genocide|genocidaire]] responsible for killing 1-3 million Cambodians in the late 1970s (nearly a third of the Cambodian population). Anyone thought to be intellectual was murdered, including the killing of people simply for knowing a foreign language or even merely wearing glasses. Pol Pot held power through a combination of enormous charm and complete ruthlessness. He is infamous for being a communism who apparently did not even like to read the works of Marx. |
| − | When Pol Pot took over Cambodia in 1975, he abolished private property, money and religion and converted everything back to an agricultural society. He emptied the cities. His [[Khmer Rouge]] government fell in 1979 when | + | When Pol Pot took over Cambodia in 1975, he abolished private property, money and religion and converted everything back to an agricultural society. He emptied the cities. His [[Khmer Rouge]] government fell in 1979 when the communist country of [[Vietnam]] invaded Cambodia after a series of violent border confrontations, and Pol Pot fled to the northern jungle with his forces. Pol Pot was popular in China, because they believed Cambodia would be a counterbalance to Vietnam, which was friendly with the Soviet Union. The Chinese support for Pol Pot was a reason he was not ousted earlier to disowned by the communist movement. |
An Oscar-winning film about his dictatorship, ''[[The Killing Fields]]'' brought a wider knowledge of his atrocities, but only years after they had taken place. The United States and other Asian nations were blamed for once supporting him in order to counter Vietnam next door. | An Oscar-winning film about his dictatorship, ''[[The Killing Fields]]'' brought a wider knowledge of his atrocities, but only years after they had taken place. The United States and other Asian nations were blamed for once supporting him in order to counter Vietnam next door. | ||
Revision as of 00:02, January 5, 2010
Pol Pot ( born Saloth Sar May 19,1928-1998) was the ruthless Cambodian Communist dictator and genocidaire responsible for killing 1-3 million Cambodians in the late 1970s (nearly a third of the Cambodian population). Anyone thought to be intellectual was murdered, including the killing of people simply for knowing a foreign language or even merely wearing glasses. Pol Pot held power through a combination of enormous charm and complete ruthlessness. He is infamous for being a communism who apparently did not even like to read the works of Marx.
When Pol Pot took over Cambodia in 1975, he abolished private property, money and religion and converted everything back to an agricultural society. He emptied the cities. His Khmer Rouge government fell in 1979 when the communist country of Vietnam invaded Cambodia after a series of violent border confrontations, and Pol Pot fled to the northern jungle with his forces. Pol Pot was popular in China, because they believed Cambodia would be a counterbalance to Vietnam, which was friendly with the Soviet Union. The Chinese support for Pol Pot was a reason he was not ousted earlier to disowned by the communist movement.
An Oscar-winning film about his dictatorship, The Killing Fields brought a wider knowledge of his atrocities, but only years after they had taken place. The United States and other Asian nations were blamed for once supporting him in order to counter Vietnam next door.
There was a bloody power struggle within the Khmer Rouge in 1997. Pol Pot was then arrested by his former supporters in July 1997. They charged him with treason but a "people's tribunal" merely sentenced him to house arrest for life.