Polarization
Pol Pot's Little Red Book
In this book, the paranoia that Pol Pot and and the Khmer rouge experienced was highly regarded. Many slogans and propaganda was spread to strike fear and prove how determined they were to achieve their goal.
"You can arrest someone by mistake; never release him by mistake." (p. 208)
"Better to kill an innocent by mistake than spare an enemy by mistake." (p. 209)
"Better to arrest ten innocent people by mistake than free a single guilty party." (p.209)
These quotes by Pol Pot show that he was determined to get rid of all potential enemies. If any innocent people were killed in the process it was no matter to him.
"If you have a disease of the old society, take a dose of Lenin as medication." (p. 189)
"The sick are victims of their own imagination." (p. 188)
"He who protests is an enemy; he who opposes is a corpse." (p. 204)
"If someone is very hungry, the Angkar will take him where he will be stuffed with food." (p. 204)
"If you wish to live exactly as you please, the Angkar will put aside a small piece of land for you."(p. 298)
To be ill or unable to adapt to the new way of life was weakness. To be weak was an unforgivable crime. If you did not cooperate your fate was clearly described.
The plan for the Khmer Rouge was to create and ideal” communist model. To achieve such a goal every Cambodian would be forced to work as laborers in a single federation of collective farms. Anyone against this plan would be exterminated immediately. Those thought of to be “potential opposition” would include, educated people, professionals, religious enthusiasts, Monks, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, ethnic Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Cambodians of Thai Vietnamese and Chinese ancestry.
The Khmer Rouge involved a large mass of people. Members would be vigorously be interrogated frequently. Any member who was held suspicious of treachery or sabotage would be executed immediately. To survive in the Khmer Rouge Cambodia would be determined on the ability of one to work. Cambodia’s children, elderly, handicapped, sick rendered many causalities due to their inability to perform hard physical labor on a daily basis.
(Genocides and Conflicts, Cambodia Genocide)
(Pol Pots Little Red Book, pg 188, 189, 204, 208, 209, 298)
The Khmer Rouge involved a large mass of people. Members would be vigorously be interrogated frequently. Any member who was held suspicious of treachery or sabotage would be executed immediately. To survive in the Khmer Rouge Cambodia would be determined on the ability of one to work. Cambodia’s children, elderly, handicapped, sick rendered many causalities due to their inability to perform hard physical labor on a daily basis.
(Genocides and Conflicts, Cambodia Genocide)
(Pol Pots Little Red Book, pg 188, 189, 204, 208, 209, 298)