BB-007 / Genocide
Cambodian Genocide
The Act
The Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot evacuated cities, abolished money and private property, and pursued a radical agrarian utopia. An estimated 1.5 to 2 million people — roughly a quarter of the population — died from execution, starvation, overwork, and disease. Intellectuals, ethnic minorities, and suspected enemies were particularly targeted. Tuol Sleng (S-21) prison became a site of systematic torture and killing.
The Response
Vietnam invaded and overthrew the regime in 1979. Decades later, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) tried senior Khmer Rouge leaders. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. Most lower-level perpetrators never faced formal justice.