In a quiet corner of Southeast Asia, bordering
Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, is the small country
of Cambodia.
Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge, a
communist political party in Cambodia, refused
to compromise their extreme beliefs.
Throughout the turbulent 4 years, their violent actions led to families
being torn apart, people being forced into
hard labour, and ultimately 1.7 million deaths.
The Cambodian people through the use of books,
movies, museums and court cases to try the
perpetrators, made important and significant
compromises with their past to create a peaceful
path forward.
In the mid 1960’s, due to the escalating
Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese sought refuge
in the bordering regions of Cambodia.
They set up the Ho Chi Minh trail, a supply
line running from North Vietnam through Laos
and Cambodia to South Vietnam.
At the time, the Khmer Rouge, then a relatively
insignificant communist group, set up insurgency
bases in North East Cambodia.
With backing from the North Vietnamese and
China, the movement grew in strength.
In early 1969, the North Vietnamese launched
the ‘Mini Tet Offensive’.
This was a series of attacks, launched from
within Cambodia, on US supported South Vietnam.
As a result, Richard Nixon, who was the US
president, authorised Operation Menu, which
led to over 108,000 tonnes of bombs to be
dropped on Cambodia.
Nixon’s goal was to drive the North Vietnamese
out of Cambodia.
This “secret war” lasted for 14 months.
After Prince Sihanouk, the Cambodian leader,
was deposed by Prime Minister Lon Nol.
He then made an alliance with his former enemy,
the Khmer Rouge, in the misplaced hope of
bringing peace to Cambodia and regaining control
of the country.
In support of the Lon Nol government, Nixon
announced the ‘official’ invasion of Cambodia
on April 30th, 1970.
After Nixon’s announcement, millions of
additional bombs were dropped throughout the
country, further disenchanting Cambodians
from the west.
Despite the bombings, the Khmer Rouge had
grown from an insignificant, underground organisation,
to effectively controlling the majority of
Cambodia.
Many of their new recruits were peasants who
thought they were fighting for the reinstatement
of the Prince, and who knew nothing of Communism
or of the Khmer Rouge’s plans.
The Lon Nol government lost strength and Lon
Nol himself fled the country.
Finally, on April 17th, 1975, the Khmer Rouge
captured Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.
This was to be the start of Year Zero
As Cambodian citizens were celebrating the
end of war and the promise of a fresh start,
the Khmer Rouge took control of the city and
forced innocent people out of their homes
and into countryside camps, where physical
abuse, disease, exhaustion, and starvation
were extremely prevalent.
Cambodian citizens who were suspected of having
a high education or were thought to be against
the regime, were taken to one of many prisons
throughout the country.
The most notorious one was Tuol Sleng, also
known as S-21.
The S-21 prison was one of the most brutal
and harshest prisons during
the genocide.
Over a 
million people were taken to various killing
fields throughout the countryside to be executed
and thrown into mass pits.
Buildings, such as schools and government
properties, were turned into prisons, and
death camps.
The Khmer Rouge’s treatment of the Cambodian
people was becoming more brutal.
People were forced to further compromise in
order to survive.
They were forced to kill and to steal
to save themselves.
Family relationships were torn apart and the
Khmer Rouge insisted that everyone consider
“Angkar” , as their mother and father.
They were taught how to plant a landmine,
how to act upon self defense, and how to handle
a weapon.
Countries in the western world were reluctant
to intervene, or were unaware of the genocide
in Cambodia.
It wasn’t until December 25th, 1978, that
Vietnam launched a major invasion of Cambodia
to try and stop the Khmer Rouge’s actions.
On January 7th, 1979, the Khmer Rouge and
Pol Pot were overthrown by the Vietnamese.
Pol Pot was never put on trial and never faced
real consequences for the genocide in Cambodia
for which he was responsible.
Within the last decade, in order to compromise
with the past, other leaders of the Khmer
Rouge have been tried by the Extraordinary
Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
Comrade Dutch, the commander in charge of
the S-21 prison, Tuol Sleng, was the first
Khmer Rouge leader to be tried and convicted
by the ECCC for crimes against humanity, murder,
and torture during the Khmer Rouge rule of
Cambodia.
He is now serving life imprisonment.
People had no choice but to make huge compromises
to adapt to their new way of life both during
and after the war.
The amount of destruction caused by the Khmer
Rouge has contributed to huge amounts of poverty
within Cambodia today as many people are unable
to find jobs or homes in the country.
Rebuilding the country, after the genocide,
was extremely difficult as a quarter of the
population had died.
Many people are still forced to make compromises
today: families who were separated have still
not reunited.
The country is currently laden with landmines
which have caused many deaths and physical
injuries.
The issues regarding the Cambodian genocide
are being taught in schools worldwide.
Some Cambodians are actively informing others
about what happened through their own writing,
films, and public speeches.
The places where the killings and torture
took place are now open to the public to educate
people first hand about the horrors that took
place there.
This includes S-21, the most brutal prison
of the genocide.
The Cambodian genocide occurred almost 40
years ago because of Pol Pot’s refusal to
compromise his extreme beliefs.
What happened will be etched in the history
books and people will bear the physical and
emotional scars forever.
20% of the population was killed and the country
became a land of orphans which was bereft
of adults, educators, skilled men and women,
and intellects.
Through hard work, positivity, belief, and
ultimately extreme compromise, Cambodian people
are putting back into their country what Pol
Pot’s regime tried to eliminate.
They are 
now reviving businesses, education, the arts and the
music, and in doing so, they are rekindling Cambodia's soul, and encouraging the hearts of Cambodia to
To beat strongly, once again.
