Why Was the Khmer Rouge Formed?

Khmer Rouge literally translates to “Red Khmer” in French. The Khmer Rouge was the name given to the Communist Party of Kampuchea, the ruling party in Cambodia from the years 1975-1979. When it led Cambodia from 1975-1979, the government was also known as the “Democratic Kampuchea.”

The Khmer Rouge ruling in Cambodia is known as one of the worst periods in Cambodian history, marked by the severe violence of the government.

The Khmer Rouge supported a doctrine against the wealthy, and believed that money should be distributed throughout the population. Pol Pot and his supporters believed that the population should work for the “common good” and that the government would provide their citizens with food and shelter. This was exemplified by the farms that the Khmer Rouge instituted after they gained control of the government.

Early Cambodian Attempts to Gain Independence

In the 1940s, Cambodia was still a colony of France. It was during this decade that the country began to struggle for independence, gaining it in 1953. It was also during this decade that communism became popular as well. Without the rise of communism in Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge could have never gained support.

Forming of the Indochinese Communist Party

In the 1930s, the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP) was formed and was composed of members from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. After the occupation by France finally ended, this party led to the formation of the United Issarak Front in Cambodia.

The majority of its members were from the ICP. This party was lead by Son Ngoc Minh, and controlled almost a half of Cambodia by 1952. However, politically, the country was still technically under the control of Norodom Sihanouk—the King of Cambodia, and the government of the Khmer Republic.

The ICP—still in existence at this time—reconfigured in 1951 into the Vietnam Workers’ Party, the Lao Itsala, and the Kampuchean People’s Revolutionary Party (KPRP). The later party broke into an “urban committee” and a “rural committee” in the mid 1950s, and this caused a rift in the country between urban “leftist” policies and rural “right wing” policies. The party’s supporters became split accordingly between these two groups.

History of the Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge’s origin thus occurred in the early 1950s. A man by the name of Saloth Sar, also known as Pol Pot, became a member of the Second Congress of the KPRP. This position gave him the unique opportunity to be a type of mediator, or middle man, between the Communism movement and other leftist groups. This role also allowed him to gain popularity with the people.

Pol Pot believed in a Communist doctrine and ruling, and adamantly opposed the King Sihanouk as the leader of the Cambodia, and sought to replace him.

Cambodian Civil War Creates the Khmer Rouge Faction

In 1960s, Pot left Cambodia to go to North Vietnam. He was seeking aid from the Vietnam government to overthrow the current rulers of Cambodia. Pot began a revolution against the Cambodian government, beginning an insurgency campaign in 1968. This was also known as the Cambodian Civil War. This war split the country into Khmer Rouge supporters and their allies, against the Cambodian government, the Khmer Republic.

Khmer Rouge Takes Control

Northern Vietnam supported the Khmer Rouge, and provided the party with shelter and weapons in their fight against the government. Cambodia was unable to counter the insurgence, primarily because of Vietnam’s aid.

After two years, the party announced itself as the “Communist Party of Kampuchea.” Popular support grew for the party because the insurgency resulted in the King of Cambodia, Sihanouk, being removed from head of state in 1970.

By the beginning of the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge had gained control of the government. It had control of the majority of Cambodia, even though it did not have the general majority support of the people.