Khmer Rouge era

The Khmer Rouge era (1975-1979) was a brutal period in Cambodia when the communist regime, led by Pol Pot, sought to transform the country into a classless, agrarian society. To achieve this, they enforced radical social reforms, collectivized agriculture, and abolished traditional institutions. The regime carried out mass killings, torture, and forced labor, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 to 2 million people—about a quarter of Cambodia’s population. This tragic period ended when Vietnam invaded and overthrew the Khmer Rouge, but its impact left profound scars on the nation’s history.