Pol Pot, who become responsible for the deaths of over two million of his
own people, was born Saloth Sar in a small Cambodian village about 140
kilometers north of Phnom Penh. His date of birth is uncertain although
French records give it as May 25, 1928. At age six he went to live with his
brother at the Royal household in Phnom Penh. Here he learned Buddhist
precepts and discipline. At age eight he went to a Catholic primary school,
where he remained for six years. It was here that he picked up the basics of
Western culture, as well as the French language.
In 1949, Pol Pot went to study in Paris on a government scholarship. It
was here that he got his introduction to Communism, joining the French
Communist Party. After four years of exposure to Stalinist Communism he
returned to Cambodia in 1953. Within a month he had joined the Communist
resistance, becoming a member of the Indochina Communist Party (IHC) which
was dominated by the Viet Minh.
The 1954 Cambodian elections saw the Communists throw in support with the
Democrats. The Democrats were soundly defeated, however, by the incumbent
Government of Prince Sihanouk who now held absolute power. Pol Pot now took
up a post as a teacher in a private college. He also spent his time
recruiting the educated classes to the Communist cause. The Government,
however, began a Communist crackdown and Pol Pot was forced to flee to the
Jungles near the Vietnam border to avoid arrest. For the next seven years he
would spend his time in the Cambodian jungle hiding from the police.
Over the ensuing years the communists bided their time as they built up
their strength for a take-over attempt. They were bolstered by the North
Vietnamese who were waging warfare against the Cambodian Government. A major
Vietnamese victory in 1971 allowed the Communists to take control of certain
areas of the country. In 1973 the communists launched a major attack on the
Government but this was halted by American bombing. A final Communist
assault began on January 1, 1975. This time they were victorious. On April
17, Communist forces entered Phnom Penh. Within 24 hours they had ordered
the entire city evacuated. This process was repeated in other cities
resulting in more than 2 million Cambodians being forced out of their homes.
Many of them starved to death.
Pol Pot was now Prime Minister of Cambodia, which he promptly renamed
Kampuchea. In August, 1976 he unveiled his Four Year Plan, which detailed
the collectivisation of agriculture, the nationalization of industry and the
financing of the economy through increased agricultural exports. This plan
caused untold misery to the nation with many thousands dying in the paddy
fields. Crops needed to feed the population were marked for export.
Malnutrition was rampant, made worse by the Communist insistence on
traditional Cambodian medicine. Pol Pot also started the infamous S-21
interrogation center where more than 20,000 men, women and children were
tortured to death.
Throughout 1976 and ’77 skirmishes with Vietnam continued. In December
1977 The Vietnamese made real inroads in Kampuchea. Pol Pot, however, held
on for another year. By January, 1979 the Vietnamese forces had actually
reached Phnom Penh. The Kampuchean Government fled by train while Pol Pot
was taken by helicopter to Thailand. His last public appearance was an
interview in December 1979. For the next 19 years he remained in exile in
the Thai jungle. Pol Pot died in 1998.
