How Did the Reign of the Khmer Rouge End?

The reign of the Khmer Rouge was one of the most brutal reigns by a communist government in the history of the world. More than two million people were killed during their rule of Cambodia. Thankfully their reign ended in 1979 when Vietnamese forces retook a city in Cambodia and forced the Khmer Rouge to flee to Thailand.

The reign of the Khmer Rouge ended when Vietnamese troops intervened on behalf of the Cambodian people. However, although we know how and when the reign of the Khmer Rouge ended, in many ways, the effects of the reign of the Khmer Rouge are still felt in Cambodia today.

Rise of the Khmer Rouge

To understand the importance of how the reign of the Khmer Rouge ended, it is necessary to have background about the Khmer Rouge.

• The Khmer Rouge, also known as The Communist Party of Kampuchea, took reign of Cambodia in the year 1975.

• In 1976, this party created Democratic Cambodia and ruled the country until 1979.
• The leaders of the Khmer Rouge, more commonly called the Angkar Padevat, were kept a secret until 1977.

Actions of the Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge set up laws and rules with no regard for human life.

They created a land where massacres were accepted on a massive scale for a great many reasons. The group’s goal was to set up a state where there were no levels of class, meaning there were no rich, no poor, and no middle class.

They took over the city of Phnom Penh in 1975 and began the transformation of Cambodia. They did this by implementing a number of different things. They implemented the following changes:

• The abolishment of money
• They abolished the free market
• They abolished normal schooling
• They abolished the ownership of private property
• They abolished styles of foreign clothing
• They abolished all religious practices
• They abolished traditional Khmer culture

Life in Cambodia Under the Khmer Rouge

The buildings that were used by the Cambodian people such as mosques, schools, pagodas, universities and churches were either closed down or used as detention centers for the people. There was no more ownership of private property and no use of public or private transportation. Activity for fun was limited and all the people had to wear black costumes. This was the traditional clothing of the revolutionary period in the country.

Upon the takeover of the city of Phnom Penh, all of the citizens of Cambodia were forced to quit their jobs and no longer go to school. They were forced to work on farms and harvest a certain amount of food every day. This meant that they were working for more than 12 hours a day without adequate rest or food.

During the entire four year reign, more than two million people were killed for a number of reasons. This included some members of the Khmer Rouge who were thought to be traitors to the cause.

Fortunately, the reign did end, and knowing how the reign of the Khmer Rouge ended is important, since the end of this reign was widely viewed as a good thing for all.