Few days after Khmer rouge took hold, 2 million evacuated
from Phnom Penh into countryside to work in the rice fields
Forced to work 12-15 hours, with work lasting from 6am-9pm, afterwards had
to listen to classes on the greatness of the Khmer Rouge
Men, women and families separated, could be killed for trying to
find wife/child
Make Cambodia into a rural, classless society in which there were no rich
people, poor people or exploitation
To do this-money, free markets, normal schooling, private property, foreign clothing styles, religious
practices, traditional Khmer culture were all abolished
Year Zero began, Pol pot begins his regime
idea behind Year Zero was all cultures and traditions within Cambodian society must be completely destroyed/discarded and a new revolutionary culture to replace it,
starting country from scratch
Had to get rid of any threats in order to be successful
Any intellectual or educated person was killed in fear of speaking out
Other enemies-ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese, muslims, Buddhist monks
Displayed his intense hatred towards foreigners after years of foreign rule and the turbulent relationship between the select countries
The Cambodian people essentially become constructions of Pol Pots ideal society; forced to wear black, speak
only Khmer, forced to follow his rules or risk death.
Ideals became so extreme , fear of anyone ruining his plan caused him and his officers to become wary of everyone
Anyone could be shot for basically anything to rid themselves of this 'threat'. Held in prisons where
they were interrogated, tortured and executed. Many were just simply killed on the spot