What Was The Common Symbol of the Khmer Rouge?

The question "what was the common symbol of the Khmer Rouge?" is an important question when it comes to the history of Cambodia.  From early 1975 until late in the year of 1979, the Khmer Rouge was the conquering force in the country of Cambodia. Led by militant dictator Pol Pot, under this regime’s reign, thousands of people were killed. The deaths were a form of genocide through Pot’s introduced “social engineering” policy. The regime also introduced a reform of the agricultural system throughout the territory, resulting in mass starvation and slave labor across the territory of Kampuchea.

The common symbol for the Khmer Rouge during its short but destructive reign was the communist red flag, with a gold adornment of the hammer-and-sickle in the center of the flag.  Beyond the flag, the symbol of the Khmer Rouge military was the Khmer Rouge coat of arms, which changed a number of times over the course of a few brutal years while Pol Pot was in power. The coat of arms was to be worn only by Khmer Rouge soldiers, as everyone else was considered a slave to the movement, and therefore unworthy of adorning the coat of arms.

During its brief reign before a multi-government invasion, the Khmer Rouge used these symbols as a statement of unquestionable power. Anyone who showed any form of disrespect at any level to the Khmer Rouge, or to the common symbols of the Khmer Rouge, was generally immediately killed, regardless of age or gender.