Timeline Of The Cambodian Genocide: Rueng Nei Touk by Jackson Melvin

1967-1975: Civil War

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-22 16:49:19 UTC

From 1967 to 1975, Cambodia was feeling the affects of the civil war in Vietnam, as the country become associated in the conflict. Northern communists in Vietnam had ongoing operations in the Cambodian region, prompting the new leader of Cambodia to grant the United States the authority to bomb multiple different sites in Cambodia. Actions as such during the Vietnam war promoted nationalism throughout Cambodia, and gave a way into power for the communist party of Cambodia the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, set out to overthrow the government, which was supported by many people who felt this new sense of nationalism to become isolated. This civil war finally ended on the 17th Of April in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge successfully collapsed the previous government.

April 17, 1975: Evacuation Of Phnom Penh

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-22 16:49:32 UTC

After the capital of Cambodia was taken, as part of the Khmer Rouge's goal towards isolating the country from the world, the people were to returrn to a pre industrial and peasnet based lifestyle orientated towards growing rice crops outside the city. Just like how the Khmer Rouge have been living for the past few decades. Due to these goals, it was ordered in an inhumanely forced way that the people were to evacuate the cities, including the capital, and into the country sides in the forest areas. The journey was not easy as the sick, elderly, and children were also expected to make the jounrey, resulting in countless deaths as people could not handle the hike out of the city. This included Huo Chantha and her family, whom of which were some of the many people forced to evacuate the city, and witness dead corps of fighters for the previous government along the trails they travelled. The evacuation of major cities was just one of the several ways the the Khmer Rouge committed a genocide against the people of Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge also acted in killing off specific groups of people in Cambodia during these evactuations. It included the following;

Former officials of the previous government.
Those who are intellectually sound like teachers and doctors.
Disabled people or those who are handicapped.
Those with conflicting religious loyalties.

May 2nd, 1975: Hou Chantha Arrives at Labour Camp

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-22 17:52:51 UTC

After 15 days of tretourous travel with many lost along the way, Hou Chantha reaches Puk Ruessei Village, one of hundreds of other labour camps as set by, and controlled by the Khmer Rouge. On the days of arrival, Hou Chantha slept on the ground in poor conditions, which would be the reality for the following years to come. Her and her family were also summoned a few days after arrival where they learned that from now on, they would be responding to a unit chief for growing the rice crops, who of which they had to obey. Hou Chantha is just one story of many others who delt with this same circumstance.

1975-1976: Working Conditions

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-22 17:59:20 UTC

For the coming years to follow, the labour camps and treatment by Khmer Rouge officials seemed to really be designed to make people suffer. People in the labour camps were starved, overworked, and tortured or killed if they count produce the desired amount of rice crops. These several factors lead to the deaths of many people from their body simply not being able to handle the conditions. This lead to disease, and crippling of the body as a whole, which for many people like Hou Chantha's husband, lead to long-term consequences like heart disease.

1977: Increased Purification

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-22 18:40:32 UTC

Throughtout 1977, the Khmer Rouge were experiencing internal conflicts and mistrust between representives of the group. This was due to the fact that they were failing to produce the expected Rice crops, and believed some were trying to sabotage the revolution. Many leadership members became targets, and so were the Khmer Rouge cadres. Many of these people were purged and sent into prisons like s-21, along with the rest of their family. At the prison, the people were beaten and tortured to death. According to different source, the prison held an estimated amount of 15000 people, which included only 7 survivors.

1977-1979: Fall Of The Khmer Rouge Genocide

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-22 19:24:34 UTC

After failed attacks by the Khmer Rouge throughout 1977-78, the Vietnamese army launched an attack in December of 1978. The government in the capital of Phnom Penh fell in only two weeks after the Vietnamese invasion. Over the course of 10 years up until 1989, this conflict continued for a bit on, and Cambodia struggled to get back on their feet, as schools and cities were gradually re established under the new Vietnamese regime before full intependence.

1980-Current: Remeberance

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-22 19:37:33 UTC

The Khmer Rouge throughout their reign killed close to a quarter of the population in Cambodia. People who were suspected of being enemies of the State we targeted, and so were those of Muslim, Vietnamese, and other Asian descent. Then you have the working conditions, were countless of other people suffered from starvation, overwork, and the poor conditions they were expected to perform in. On May 20th of each year, people in Cambodia commemorate the acts of violence, and hatred that took place under the Khmer Rouge regime. The National Day Of Remeberance was recognized as a national holiday in 2018. On this day, the people of Cambodia reflect, educate, and honour the victims of the massacre that was the genocide in Cambodia.

Toul Sleng Museum

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-24 14:50:09 UTC

The Toul Sleng Museum is a memorial building to honour all of those who died to its hands. This is because Toul Sleng, also called S-21, was a former high school turned Prison by the Khmer Rouge. Thousands of people were taken here, and died from torture, and the overall horrendous treatment in which they received. The museum acts to preserve the history, and to remember those who suffered.

The Choeung Ek Killing Fields

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-24 14:56:15 UTC

The Choeung Ek Killing Fields are the sites in which people back during the genocide, were taken to and killed on. These fields are located on the outskirts of the Capital city Phnom Pehn, and today are the home for hundreds to thousands of those who died on these grounds.

Cambodia-Vietnam Monument

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-24 15:01:13 UTC

The Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship monument, was first created and built in 1979 by the communist regime who took power after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. The monument is associated with he Vietnames due to the role in which Vietnam played in helping establish a new government, and rid away with the genoicidal Khmer Rouge.

War Museum

jacksonm10_1 — 2025-07-24 15:06:26 UTC

The War Musuem was first established in order to honour and remember the events of the civil war, which have helped shaped peoples understanding of Cambodian history, including the genocide. It also acts to preserve the connection posterity that the history offers to future generations, and to hopefully honour all those in helping to shape Cambodia into what it is today.