Back to Year Zero

1
Back to Year Zero

• When any group gains total control of a country,
  they can change the way that it is run.
• When the Khmer Rouge gained control of Cambodia,
  they wanted to have a new society and to ignore
  the past.
• To start off, Pol Pot renumbered 1975 as Year
  Zero of the new era.

2
Year Zero

• http//www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide
  /pol-pot.htm
• Once he was in power, what did Pol Pot try to
  create in Cambodia?

http//dictionary.msn.com/find/entry.asp?searchco
mmunism What does communism mean?
http//dictionary.msn.com/find/entry.asp?searchca
pitalism What does capitalism mean?
The Khmer Rouge arriving in Phnom
Penh. http//www.cybercambodia.com/dachs/killings/
two.html
Western culture is seen as being Capitalist. Why
would Pol Pot have wanted to rid Cambodia of
Western influences and Capitalism?
3
Changes in Year Zero
http//www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/
pol-pot.htm

• List 10 ways that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge
  tried to purify Cambodian society, and seal
  Cambodia off from the outside world.
• Looking at your list, explain in 3-4 sentences
  how these actions would have helped the Khmer
  Rouge isolate Cambodia.
• Choose the item from your list that you think
  would be the hardest to have taken away, and
  explain why.

Khmer Rouge soldiers in 1975 http//www.historypla
ce.com/worldhistory/genocide/pol-pot.htm
4
New Lives Year Zero
http//www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/
pol-pot.htm

• What happened to the people who lived in
  Cambodias cities?
• Where did they go?
• What did they do when they got there?

People being forced from the cities. http//www.cy
bercambodia.com/dachs/killings/four.html
5
Harsh Life
http//www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/
pol-pot.htm

• Life became so harsh that thousands of people
  died of the farms from overwork, malnutrition and
  disease.
• The Khmer Rouge told Cambodians whether you live
  or die is not of great significance.

http//www.cybercambodia.com/dachs/killings/seven.
html
6
Purges
http//dictionary.msn.com/find/entry.asp?searchpu
rges

• What does it mean if a government conducts a
  purge?

http//www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/
pol-pot.htm

• Which groups did Pol Pot try to purge from
  Cambodian society?
• Why would he have chosen these groups?
• What other methods did the Khmer Rouge use to
  change society?

http//www.cybercambodia.com/dachs/killings/one.ht
ml
7
2000000 Deaths

• When the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia,
  the population was 8000000.
• What percentage of the population died or left
  Cambodia?
• In 1979 the Vietnamese gained control of Cambodia.

A mass grave in Cambodia. The exact number of
deaths can never be calculated.
http//www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/
pol-pot.htm
8
The Impact on Peoples Lives
(http//www.cybercambodia.com/dachs/stories/story.
html)

• Go the Survivors Stories section on the Cyber
  Cambodia site.
• This website gives you the experiences of 7
  people with the Khmer Rouge.
• Read through three of the survivors stories (3
  short stories or three sections from long
  stories.
• Use this information to complete the diagram on
  the next page in your workbook.
• What were the peoples experiences? What did
  they?

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W Chart of Survivors Experiences
What were the peoples experiences. What did they
SEE
HEAR
SMELL
THINK
FEEL
For each of the 5 words write what you find the
people experienced with the Khmer Rouge. You may
use key words, describe events, draw a sketch or
diagram. Use a whole page in your workbook.
10
Comparing Cambodia and New Zealand

• Using the information on Cambodia and New Zealand
  on the next slide, complete these activities
• Look at the first 5 figures for each country. All
  five are higher for Cambodia than for New
  Zealand. Why do you think Cambodias figures are
  higher? In what why are they linked? (Hint Why
  would a high mortality rate lead to a high birth
  rate?)
• Look also at the figures for literacy,
  televisions and telephones.
• Write a paragraph (3-4 sentences) explaining how
  Cambodias civil and guerilla wars, and the rule
  of the Khmer Rouge, may be responsible for these
  statistics. (Hint Continual fighting may make it
  difficult to go to school. Why? How would the
  Khmer Rouge policies affect literacy?)

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Comparing Cambodia and New Zealand
Cambodia New Zealand Birth Rate 42
births/1,000 population 15 births/1,000
population Death Rate 16 deaths/1,000
population 8 deaths/1,000 population Fertility
Rate 5.8 children born/woman 1.9 children
born/woman Infant Mortality 107 deaths/1,000
live births 6 deaths/1,000 live births Life
Expectancy Total 48 yrs 78 yrs Literacy
Total Population 35 99 Population
11339562 3625388 Telephones 7000
1700000 Televisions 800000 1530000
http//www.asiasource.org/profiles/ap_mp_05.cfm
12
THE END
WELL DONE! You have reached the end! By now you
should know all about Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge
and Pol Pot, as well as what life was like for
the people who lived in Cambodia. In class you
will go on to read the story of Borany, a girl
who lived in Cambodia during the years of the
Khmer Rouge government. This will let you see in
detail how the government affected a real
persons life.