Pol Pot Jackson Laurent Dallas Houston Biography Saloh

Pol Pot Jackson Laurent & Dallas Houston

Biography Saloh Sar (AKA Pol Pot) 9 May 1925 – 15 April 1998 Cambodian Dictator 22 February 1963 – 6 December 1981 Lived in a Buddhist monastery for 6 years Studied in France where he studied Karl Marx and became a communist • Controlled the Khmer Rouge guerrillas where they overthrew the Cambodian government and he became the total dictator • •

Dictatorship • Pol Pot believed in true communism and began to create a utopia (a perfect society) • To create a perfect utopia and keep power Pol Pot executed 1. 7 million Cambodians. • He erased all former technology and history and started his country at Year Zero. • His plan was to eliminate all adults and rule over a complete child army.

Pol Pot Facts • Any Western country was considered an enemy to Pol Pot and was on his list for genocide. • Vietnam was the enemy he would go to war and eventually be dethroned by their army • His only ally was the Khmer Rouge of Kampuecha where they would provide him with the weapons to overthrow the Cambodian Government • Pol Pot had 25% of Cambodia’s population executed and killed 3 million people in total during his rule.

Loss of Power and Life • After Cambodia’s loss in the war versus Vietnam Pol Pot relocated to a jungle where his child soldiers took care of him until he died of a heart attack. • Many believe his heart attack was due to a poison by his wife who he physically abused.

Pol Pot Quotes • Since he is of no use anymore, there is no gain if he lives and no loss if he dies. • I did not join the resistance movement to kill people, to kill the nation. Look at me now. Am I a savage person? My conscience is clear. • I want you to know that everything I did, I did for my country.

References • "BBC – History – Historic Figures: Pol Pot (1925– 1998)". BBC. • Chandler, David (23 August 1999). "Pol Pot". Time Magazine. • Chandler, David (23 August 1999). "Time necropsy". Time Magazine. • http: //www. history. com/topics/pol-pot • http: //www. historyplace. com/worldhistory/genocide/pol-pot. htm • Short, Philip, 2006, Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare, Henry Holt, USA • Short, Philip (27 February 2005). "First Chapter – Pol Pot". The New York Times.