theyoutubeproject

Cambodian Torture: Pol Pot and the Khmere Rouge

Torture- the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty[1]. 

                The 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime carried out the most famous and devastating amount of torture on the Cambodian people.[2] The Khemer Rouge was the political party that the people voted for to lead the country after a long period of civil war. This regime started when the leader of Cambodia, Pol Pot, decided to abolish religion, property rights, and shutting down the all of the schools[3]. He did this because he was a disciple of Mao Zedong, the implementer of communism in China. Unlike Mao, he believed that re-education of the people would take too long, so he decided to eliminate all those people who were educated, had passports, or were sick. He did not want to wait for Cambodians to buy into his ideas, so he took the other road of elimination and torture to convince the people that Cambodia would be a better, new country under his command. Besides eliminating and torturing specific groups of people, Pol Pot also closed all banks and stopped postal service. Basically the Cambodians were isolated from the rest of the world and Pol Pot could do anything he wanted without any interference.   

                Pol Pot’s mission was to wipe out 2,000 years of Cambodian history and totally rebuild a new society that started at “year zero”[4]. His new society would include a complete change in the economy, politics, and personal lives of all of the Cambodian people. He imagined a rural society that could self-sustain itself, consequently, he moved all residents who lived in the cities to the countryside. The cities became empty tombs to what once were magnificent, proud symbols of Cambodia. Then, the torture began.

In Cambodia, at this time, there were no human rights. Torture became a way of life for the Cambodians. Although it is implicit to human life that torture is something that no human being should have to be accustomed to; this was not the case in Cambodia. Not only is torture seen as physical, but torture can also happen through affecting the minds and hearts of the people such as when Pol Pot separated families, moved them to the countryside against their will and forced marriages upon the young people without their agreement[5]. However, the most devastating torture happened physically upon people who were falsely accused of crimes against regime and they were forced through physical harm to “admit” to their “crimes.” It is interesting that Pol Pot used the only high school in Phnom Penh for his torture center. 

In his torture centers, there were a variety of ways of torture. They would shackle the person up and start beating until bloodied or a confession was made. They also had the method of limb crushing. They would stand and jump on a piece of wood or metal when it was on the limbs of the victim[6]. Other forms of torture include electric shock, rape, or physical threats[7].

These methods did not only affect the physical nature, but it also affected the mind. If a victim survived, he or she was haunted by the evilness that the Khemer Rouge did to them. They often woke of nightmares because of the torturing[8]. 

In addition to bothering the mind, the people of Cambodia take the torturing of an act of god. They believe that the Khemer Rouge was a punishment from the gods for their actions. It affects them physiologically.  Today, they have a very low self-esteem. If they get denied by someone, they believe that they are not good enough for that person. They feel like they have to be perfect to gain the respect of other. I have a friend who recently went to Cambodia to visit the torture chambers and she told me not to hold the local people’s babies because they expect you to keep them. If you hand it back to them, they feel denied because they think that you think the baby is not good enough. 

There are an estimated 14 survivors from Tuol Seng Torture Center, the largest center in Cambodia. Only 3 of those 14 are alive today. One of those, Dith Pran, has Pancreatic Cancer. He believes he has it because he was starved and very dehydrated. He had to drink contaminated, dirty water[9]. With all the torturing he went through, overcoming this cancer would be an unbelievable event. 

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Barber, Jason. Less Than Human- Torture in Cambodia. June 2000. 12 May 2008 <http://www.ngoforum.org.kh/Documents/torture_report_2k.htm#PART%20I:%20BACKGROUND>.

Cambodia marks Pol Pot's death. 15 April 2008. 12 May 2008 <http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23543695-5001028,00.html>.

Commitee Against Torture Issues Provisional Conclusions on Cambodia. 5 December 2003. 12 May 2008 <http://www2.unog.ch/news2/documents/newsen/cat0322e.htm>.

Etcheson, Craig. "The Number" -- Quantifying Crimes Against Humanity in Cambodia. 12 May 2008 <http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/toll.htm>.

From Sideshow To Genocide: The Khmer Rouge Years. 21 May 2008 <http://www.edwebproject.org/sideshow/khmeryears/index.html>.

Galabru, Dr. Kek. Torture in Police Custody. April 2003. 21 May 2008 <http://www.licadho.org/reports/files/372003%20torture%20briefing%20paper.pdf>.

Hay, Lao Mong. Cambodia needs anti-torture commission. 16 April 2008. 12 May 2008 <http://www.upiasiaonline.com/Human_Rights/2008/04/16/cambodia_needs_anti-torture_commission/1923/>.

Peet, Judy. Dith Pran, survivor of Cambodian horror, faces cancer with serenity. 19 March 2008. 1 June 2008 <http://mcnnews.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/dith-pran-survivor-of-cambodian-horror-faces-cancer-with-serenity/>.

Sinith, Heng. Ex-jailer to reveal Cambodian atrocities. 12 May 2008 <http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-01-cambodia-jailer_N.htm>.

Torture and ill-treatment -- the scourge of Cambodia. 26 June 2003. 12 May 2008 <http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA23/007/2003/en/dom-ASA230072003en.html>.