{"id":1126,"date":"2018-08-12T22:57:53","date_gmt":"2018-08-13T05:57:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.palomar.edu\/mcastillo\/?page_id=1126"},"modified":"2025-10-12T16:42:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T23:42:32","slug":"cambodia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.palomar.edu\/mcastillo\/cambodia\/","title":{"rendered":"H – Cambodia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

About Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge regime<\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

(lesson – the passive voice – H level)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cambodia is surrounded by four countries on three sides\u2013 Vietnam on the east, Thailand on the north west, and Laos directly north.  The Gulf of Thailand borders south of Cambodia.<\/p>\n\n\n

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French Indochina composed of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
The French imposed their influencer for 78 years from 1863 \u2013 1941.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Its original name was Kambuja.  Cambodia was ruled <\/span>by Khmer in 600 but was later invaded by the Thai and Vietnamese.  In 1863 France joined Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam were colonized by the French who created a French Indochina to protect them from other foreign countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Soldiers of Khmer Rouge ravaged the country<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Indochina was ruled <\/span>by the French from 1885 until 1941 for 56 years, and later they passed  powers to Norodom Sihanouk in 1941.  The French influence endured until 1945.  Indochina was one of France\u2019s most lucrative colonial possessions.  It was established <\/span>by the French to introduce modern political ideas, industrial methods and social reforms to the impoverished countries of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.  Their real intent was their growing demand for raw materials, resources and cheap labour.  Norodom Sihanouk was born to the Khmer Royal Family in theFrench Protectorate of Cambodia.  Sihanouk became king in 1941 and remained in power despite the Japanese occupation of Cambodia during World War II.    In 1945 after World War II it became independent of France.  During the Vietnam War eastern Cambodia was used <\/span>by Vietnam to protect its Vietcong troops  and supplies from the U.S. As a result Cambodia was bombed <\/span>by the U.S. to flush out the Vietcong, and Cambodia got involved with the U.S. in the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nearly 2 million Cambodians died during the Khmer Rouge regime
ruled by Pol Pot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1975, Cambodia was taken <\/span>over by the Khmer Rouge regime when the Lon Noi regime was overthrown <\/span>by Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge.  For four years Cambodia was brutalized <\/span>by the Pol Pot and his cronies of the Khmer rougeby killing close to 2 million people who opposed his government.  Pol Pot ordered the killing of people in the \u201cthe killing fields.\u201d Forced labor was imposed on the Cambodians many of whom worked to death in these labor camps.  Cambodia was converted <\/span>(by Pol Pot) into a Marxist agrarian society which led to the extermination of the country\u2019s professional and technical classes.  From 1975 \u2013 1979 Pol Pot wiped out a large fraction of Cambodia\u2019s people and left the rest with a country  submerged in violence and pain.  The philosophy of Pol Pot and his cohorts was one part Maoism and three parts paranoia.  It emptied the cities and marched Cambodians to the country side to starve on state farms. Having an education, or even wearing glasses, could get one killed as a class enemy.  Pol Pot was ousted <\/span>by the Vietnamese forces on January 8, 1979. The Khmer Rouge officials and commanders including Pol Pot were tried <\/span>by the United Nations tribunal<\/span> for war crimes, crimes against humanity, homicide, torture, genocide and religious persecution l from 2007 \u2013 2010. Unfortunately, Pol Pot died on April 17, 1998 before he could be tried for war crimes.  His ranking officers were sent <\/span>(by the United Nations tribunal) to prison for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pol Pot was merciless and brutal dictator of Cambodia.
He died on April 17, 1998 before he could be tried by
the United Nations tribunal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To this day Cambodians are <\/span>still affected <\/span>by the Khmer Rouge regime, and some people are still suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) due to the brutal nature of Pol Pot\u2019s regime.  Many have been affected <\/span>by the loss of a close relative during the Khmer Rouge regime.  Others are<\/span> psychologically scarred <\/span>by the memories of the brutality,  criminal acts, and atrocities  of Pol Pot and his cronies of the Khmer Rouge regime. Perhaps that is why the country and its people have not progressed well economically and politically after the defeat of Khmer Rouge military.  To this day there are still political struggles occurring in the government.  Cambodia\u2019s economy remains heavily dependent on tourism and the apparel industry. Thus, many Cambodians are impoverished <\/span>by its stagnant economy and their reliance on farming as a sole industry.  More than half <\/span>of the labor force is engaged<\/span> in subsistence farming, and Cambodia remains one of Asia\u2019s poorest countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pictures of young kids whose lives were ended by the genocide of the
Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A.  Answer the following questions based on the reading.<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rubric to assess your work on this assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0 – 1 mistake – The student understand the story well<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 – mistakes The student has small problems with understanding the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 – mistakes The student shows sign of problems understanding the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 – 5 – mistakes – The student has significant problems in reading and understanding the story.<\/p>\n\n\n