Red Cambodia

Skulls from one of the killing fields near Phnom Penh

In my last blog, I talked about Angkor Wat, which was a product of Cambodia’s golden era.  In this blog, I will briefly describe the darkest period in their history.  The ruling of the Khmer Rouge.

When people think of Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge is what often comes to mind.  The Khmer Rouge was a communist party that took control of Cambodia on April 17, 1975 and ruled with terror until January 1979.  Khmer Rouge literally means “Red Cambodians” and the effects of the party’s rule is still felt today. 

Cambodia fought a 5-year civil war in the wake of the Vietnam War and eventually the Khmer Rouge gained power and forced the residents of the capital, Phnom Penh, to leave for the countryside and Democratic Kampuchea was established.  The leadership of the new regime was kept secret and was unknown to people outside of the party itself.  Then, a man named Pol Pot emerged publicly as the leader of the Khmer Rouge in 1977.

Pol Pot

The purpose of the party was to create an agrarian utopia that “all” Cambodians could benefit from.  This forced city people into the countryside to work alongside the poorest people in the rice fields.  In addition to this forced migration, the Khmer Rouge killed any people tied to the former government, doctors, teachers, English speakers, and anyone else who they felt threatened their party.  They also banned religion, split families, and took children to work as child soldiers.  By the end of the four years, the Khmer Rouge killed up to 2 million people and 1/5^th of their population making it one of the worst acts of genocide in history.

Bones and clothes still surfacing at the killing fields

As you can imagine, these events are so recent that the effects of those four years has left a huge mark on the people physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  People starve for education, spiritual fullness, and the hope for a better and brighter future.  This is part of the reason I feel called to Cambodia.  For God to use me to help heal, reconcile, and restore this people back to Christ.     

The Khmer Rouge fell to the Vietnamese in 1979 and the Khmer Rouge leaders fled to the Cambodian jungles along the Thai border where many of them continued to seek power and support for their cause.  Pol Pot was never brought to trial for his crimes.  He died in 1998 in a rural province of Cambodia.  With that said, many of the Khmer Rouge leaders are still alive and awaiting trial.

Photos of some Khmer Rouge victims at the Tuol Sleng genocide museum

I would also like to refer you to my World Race blog where you can read about my team’s visit to one of Cambodia’s many killing fields that are a grim reminder of a dark time: http://jeffbray.theworldrace.org/?filename=a-walk-through-hell1

This is very brief description of the Khmer Rouge and the history is much more complex than I was able to tell here.  I simply wanted to give you an overview of a time that has played an important part in the lives of the Cambodian people.

Prayer Requests (Info from Operation World)

The scars of the terrible genocide of 1975-79 remain evident. Nearly two million
were killed, over 60,000 lost life or limb to landmines and most of the population over
age 30 need deep healing from the trauma of their losses and suffering. Pray for:

• Justice to be seen to be done regarding those who perpetrated the crimes. International tribunals face difficulty in bringing the Cambodian government/judiciary on board with the justice process, and the culture of corruption and impunity still holds sway. The beginning of Khmer Rouge trials should assist in this process.
   
• Healing for the deep psychological wounds. Many cope with the trauma through detachment and suppression of trauma, some by inflicting pain on others. Pray that counselling and theHoly Spirit might bring true restoration.
   
• A government that seeks the good of all, and is worthy of the trust of the people. Violence,manipulation, graft and selfishness hitherto have been the rule. The situation is so ingrained and endemic on every level that it must be torn out by the roots.