3 Years, 8 Months and 20 Days
Most people learned about Cambodia in the early 1980s when news of the genocide first hit the international newspapers, and nowadays there are dozens if not hundreds of books available providing first hand accounts of the autrocities committed by the Pol Pot Regime. I had read some of these books, and I had seen 'The Killing Fields' so I thought I was somewhat braced for today's activities which included a trip the the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison) and to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center. Not so...not so...
The history of this country, over the past 50 years, has to be one of the worst in all this world's bloody, bloody stories. It goes something like this:
- In the mid to late 1960s, the pro-communist king of Cambodia allowed VietNamese soldiers to hide from the Americans along the border zones. Because of this, the Americans bombed the border areas, killing many Cambodian civilians as well as Viet Cong. This, not surprisingly, led to much anti-American sentiment among the general population.
- In 1970, General Lon Nol overthrew the monarchy in a military coup. He was backed by the US government as he was anti-communist. However, the fact that he was pro-US made him unpopular with the people and the corruption that was rampant during his time in power made his rule unstable.
- Between 1970 and 1975 there was a civil war between the Lon Nol government and Pol Pot's army, which numbered over 150,000 and was made up predominantly of peasants from the countryside. Pol Pot, who had studied in France and was politially and financially supported by China, considered himself to be an 'Ultra Communist'; he wanted to create a purely agrarian and egalitarian society, with no cash, no markets, no banks, no businesses and forced equality between the classes because every single citizen would be a rice farmer. In short, he was a stupid little freak of a man.
- On April 17th 1975 Pol Pot wrested power from the Lon Nol government and the Khmer Rouge killing regime began. One of the things that makes you want to cry about this country's history is that at first Pol Pot's soldiers were welcomed into the cities and towns; there were celebrations and flowers were given to the 'liberators' becuase the people had been so opposed to the Lon Nol government.
- The honeymoon period, however, only lasted a few days. Then the troops evacuated Phnom Phen entirely. They forced everyone, including babies, infants, the sick, and the elderly to leave the city and go to the countryside. The ruse they used was that the Americans were angry at the overthrow and were about to bomb the city to smitherens. The people were told they could return after 3 days.
- 3 days actually turned into 3 years, 8 months, and 20 days. 3 million people were killed or died of exhaustion, starvation, and over-work during this period.
- To kick-start thier dream of creating a class-less utopia of rice farmers, they began by killing all the intellectuals. They killed the doctors and the teachers, and the architects. The accountants, the businessmen, the educated; those that spoke a different language, those that wore glasses; those that had fairer skin - all killed. Oh yeah; they also killed all the wives and children of these 'dangerous' intellectuals as well. All because Pol Pot was afraid that any attempt to overthrow his regime would come from the educated echelons of society. Everyone not in jail in the cities was forced to work in the rice fields for about 12 hours a day and they were fed 1 or 2 bowls of soup per day. Most of the rice did not stay in Cambodia; it was traded to China and other countries for cash (only for the leaders) and weapons.
- The autrocities that occured between 1975 and 1979 are almost unbelievable in their cruelty. Men were tortured to death and had their gall bladders cut out (for sale to China for traditional herbal remedies); women were raped so badly that hundreds of them committed suicide afterwards; babies and young children were held by the feet and bashed against a tree until dead - or until their parents gave the interrogator whatever information he was asking for. When it was finally time for the tortured 'dissidents' to die, the soldiers (who were often under the age of 15) used shovels, and hoes to knock the victims into mass graves in order to save money on bullets. The lucky ones died from the blow to the back of the head as they knelt by the mass grave site; the unlucky ones were just stunned. They were burried alive.
- Although there were no foreign journalists allowed in the country, reports of what was happening in Cambodia were made available to leaders of the Western world. They did not intervene, however, because they had just begun to solidify important trade contracts with China. As China 'requested' no intervention in Cambodian affairs, the West stayed out.
- In 1979 the VietNamese army invaded Cambodia and freed the people from the Pol Pot Regime. Pol Pot and his remaining army fled to the countryside in the north of Cambodia, and a Prime Minister selected by the VietNamese was installed in Phnom Phen. Civil war ensued. It lastest about 11 years, until the Cold War ended and the VietNamese left Cambodia in 1990. - The UN monitored the first democratic elections in 1993.
- Pol Pot died of malaria in 1998. He died a free man, never having served a day in prison. In fact, the international community actually recognized this man as the 'true and legitimate' leader of Cambodia throughout the 1980s. He had a seat at the UN. Despite the fact that his autrocities were known, it was the Cold War so the western world could not accept a pro-communist, pro-VietNamese government in Cambodia.
- Cambodia has been peaceful since 1998. Less than 10 years. The problems now a completely decrepid national health system, sky high rates of tuberculosis, HIV, about 5 million landmines and most seriously rampant corruption. Corruption is so bad here that when the US gave $10 million to re-train and re-integrate ex-army men back into society, only $3 million was given out. $7 million went 'missing'. Wages in the cities are between $40 per month and $80 per month. As it is impossible to live on this pathetic amount, everyone is corrupt and takes bribes. Just so they can afford to buy food.
Suffice it to say that it has been a really fricken' depressing day. I have no faith in human nature and everything sucks. Off to wallow in beer.
TK
PS: The wierdest thing is that after the wallowing and the beer, we are going for supper at our guide's house. His wife is cooking for us, we will meet his children, and listen to him talking about how much better things are now and how 'lucky' they are. This is how Cambodians talk - they tell you the horrible, horrible things have occured and are still occuring in thier country, and then they somehow manage to smile and say that they consider themselves lucky. The resilience of these people is truly astounding.
The history of this country, over the past 50 years, has to be one of the worst in all this world's bloody, bloody stories. It goes something like this:
- In the mid to late 1960s, the pro-communist king of Cambodia allowed VietNamese soldiers to hide from the Americans along the border zones. Because of this, the Americans bombed the border areas, killing many Cambodian civilians as well as Viet Cong. This, not surprisingly, led to much anti-American sentiment among the general population.
- In 1970, General Lon Nol overthrew the monarchy in a military coup. He was backed by the US government as he was anti-communist. However, the fact that he was pro-US made him unpopular with the people and the corruption that was rampant during his time in power made his rule unstable.
- Between 1970 and 1975 there was a civil war between the Lon Nol government and Pol Pot's army, which numbered over 150,000 and was made up predominantly of peasants from the countryside. Pol Pot, who had studied in France and was politially and financially supported by China, considered himself to be an 'Ultra Communist'; he wanted to create a purely agrarian and egalitarian society, with no cash, no markets, no banks, no businesses and forced equality between the classes because every single citizen would be a rice farmer. In short, he was a stupid little freak of a man.
- On April 17th 1975 Pol Pot wrested power from the Lon Nol government and the Khmer Rouge killing regime began. One of the things that makes you want to cry about this country's history is that at first Pol Pot's soldiers were welcomed into the cities and towns; there were celebrations and flowers were given to the 'liberators' becuase the people had been so opposed to the Lon Nol government.
- The honeymoon period, however, only lasted a few days. Then the troops evacuated Phnom Phen entirely. They forced everyone, including babies, infants, the sick, and the elderly to leave the city and go to the countryside. The ruse they used was that the Americans were angry at the overthrow and were about to bomb the city to smitherens. The people were told they could return after 3 days.
- 3 days actually turned into 3 years, 8 months, and 20 days. 3 million people were killed or died of exhaustion, starvation, and over-work during this period.
- To kick-start thier dream of creating a class-less utopia of rice farmers, they began by killing all the intellectuals. They killed the doctors and the teachers, and the architects. The accountants, the businessmen, the educated; those that spoke a different language, those that wore glasses; those that had fairer skin - all killed. Oh yeah; they also killed all the wives and children of these 'dangerous' intellectuals as well. All because Pol Pot was afraid that any attempt to overthrow his regime would come from the educated echelons of society. Everyone not in jail in the cities was forced to work in the rice fields for about 12 hours a day and they were fed 1 or 2 bowls of soup per day. Most of the rice did not stay in Cambodia; it was traded to China and other countries for cash (only for the leaders) and weapons.
- The autrocities that occured between 1975 and 1979 are almost unbelievable in their cruelty. Men were tortured to death and had their gall bladders cut out (for sale to China for traditional herbal remedies); women were raped so badly that hundreds of them committed suicide afterwards; babies and young children were held by the feet and bashed against a tree until dead - or until their parents gave the interrogator whatever information he was asking for. When it was finally time for the tortured 'dissidents' to die, the soldiers (who were often under the age of 15) used shovels, and hoes to knock the victims into mass graves in order to save money on bullets. The lucky ones died from the blow to the back of the head as they knelt by the mass grave site; the unlucky ones were just stunned. They were burried alive.
- Although there were no foreign journalists allowed in the country, reports of what was happening in Cambodia were made available to leaders of the Western world. They did not intervene, however, because they had just begun to solidify important trade contracts with China. As China 'requested' no intervention in Cambodian affairs, the West stayed out.
- In 1979 the VietNamese army invaded Cambodia and freed the people from the Pol Pot Regime. Pol Pot and his remaining army fled to the countryside in the north of Cambodia, and a Prime Minister selected by the VietNamese was installed in Phnom Phen. Civil war ensued. It lastest about 11 years, until the Cold War ended and the VietNamese left Cambodia in 1990. - The UN monitored the first democratic elections in 1993.
- Pol Pot died of malaria in 1998. He died a free man, never having served a day in prison. In fact, the international community actually recognized this man as the 'true and legitimate' leader of Cambodia throughout the 1980s. He had a seat at the UN. Despite the fact that his autrocities were known, it was the Cold War so the western world could not accept a pro-communist, pro-VietNamese government in Cambodia.
- Cambodia has been peaceful since 1998. Less than 10 years. The problems now a completely decrepid national health system, sky high rates of tuberculosis, HIV, about 5 million landmines and most seriously rampant corruption. Corruption is so bad here that when the US gave $10 million to re-train and re-integrate ex-army men back into society, only $3 million was given out. $7 million went 'missing'. Wages in the cities are between $40 per month and $80 per month. As it is impossible to live on this pathetic amount, everyone is corrupt and takes bribes. Just so they can afford to buy food.
Suffice it to say that it has been a really fricken' depressing day. I have no faith in human nature and everything sucks. Off to wallow in beer.
TK
PS: The wierdest thing is that after the wallowing and the beer, we are going for supper at our guide's house. His wife is cooking for us, we will meet his children, and listen to him talking about how much better things are now and how 'lucky' they are. This is how Cambodians talk - they tell you the horrible, horrible things have occured and are still occuring in thier country, and then they somehow manage to smile and say that they consider themselves lucky. The resilience of these people is truly astounding.
posted by TK at 11:39 PM
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