Learn about the Khmer Rouge, a communist political movement that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 under the leadership of Pol Pot. Discover how the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia on April 17, 1975, and renamed the country Democratic Kampuchea.
Hear how the regime forced people out of cities and made them work in rural labour camps. Learn how schools, markets, and many religious activities were closed, and how millions of Cambodians suffered from starvation, disease, forced labour, and executions.
Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former prison used by the Khmer Rouge, and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, one of the best-known Killing Fields memorial sites. Learn how an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people died during Khmer Rouge rule, making it one of the worst tragedies of the 20th century.
Hear how, in 1979, forces from Vietnam entered Cambodia and removed the Khmer Rouge government from power. Learn how the Khmer Rouge period remains a very important and painful part of Cambodian history, and how it is remembered through memorials, museums, and education programmes.
