In addition to the very good writeups by SheThing and perdedor, I would also like to point out the following things about the monster known as Pol Pot.

  • Because of him, most of Cambodia's rich cultural artifacts, including the temples at Angkor, have been destroyed due to the battles between the Khmer Rouge and everybody else.
  • Because of him, 2 million people died, with millions more who are still suffering from the effects of torture and traumatization of the war.
  • Because of him, my wife, who fled Cambodia when she was 6 years old, still cries in terror when she hears thunder and cannot watch any war documentaries or movies without having nightmares.

It still amazes me that when the topic of genocide comes up, most people will only remember the Holocaust. While the number of deaths involved due to that terrible time certainly dwarf those of The Killing Fields, the sheer horror of it is just as potent. What perdedor says is correct...the whole incident is often a footnote in most history books. It is the belief of many that this is due to the fact that much of the Western world had done pretty much nothing during the rule of the Khmer Rouge and, thusly, would prefer to keep quiet about such non-action.