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ColdWarinCambodia
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Sunday December, 1978 6 pages 0.99

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Background Editorial Eyewitness Story

___________________________ (How was life for you under the
_________ During the Cold War, the United Khmer Rouge?) All of them, my
States claimed that its goal was to brother, mother, father, they were
contain communism. However, all killed by the angkar during
United States actions in genocide. After all I have left, I
Cambodia demonstrate that the still understand why me? Why ,
United States intervened only my brother, mother, father, and
when its economic and the face of all of these innocent
ideological interests were Cambodians and I are accused of
supported. Consequently, such things that we didnt do. We
American actions during the Cold are just regular people. We love
The Genocide Outside Phenom War created instability in
Penh. Photo 186066/P.S. the country and its people. And
cambodia and undermined the we would never in no means try
Sudhakar Karn *Brian D. nations values of freedom,
Tittemore, LLM 95, is a staff to disappoint angkar. They were
democracy, and individuality. all that I left. Yet, their death was
attorney at the Inter-American In a recording of a conversation
Commission on Human Rights left in vain. (What did you think
between Mr.Kissinger with led to your fathers
and a senior research associate President Nixon, both had
at the War Crimes Research disappearance?) I really never
discussed about the United States knew my father. He was a honest,
Office at the Washington College main roles,I dont want
of Law. The opinions expressed loving, humble man and I know
gunships, I want the helicopter that he would never do such a
are those of the author and not ships. I want everything that can
necessarily those of the thing. He was patriotic and was
fly to go in there and crack the willing to do anything for the
Organization of American States hell out of them(Nixon, 12/9/70).
or its organs, or the War Crimes goods of his country. And that
In a time of war when tensions was the last time that I have seen
Research Office. between North Vietnam and
___________________________ him. ( Next question, do you have
Cambodia rages, Nixon a certain standpoint regarding
________ emphasizes the importance of
From November 1, 1955 to Apr Nixons support during the
sending U.S. troops to Cambodia. Vietnam War?) At first, we
30, 1975, the Vietnam war He mentions how the U.S. needs
catalyzed the movements of the thought that Nixon will aid us in
to crack the hell out of them as the struggle to fend of the
Cambodian War. The U.S. has to put a stop to the Vietnamese
resonated in Vietnam as a means vietnamese but he done more
communist insurgents invading harm than good. He killed many
to prevent communism from Cambodia. From this standpoint,
spreading down to Southern Cambodians in his bombings and
Nixon needed to take drastic he left us on our own,
Vietnam. As war broke loose, the measures and bombard these helplessness against the khmer
newly replaced government
which by the names of the Khmer
Republic has requested for the
removal of the communist
insurgents or the Viet Cong out
from their country however
Hanoi declined and continued
sending the Viet Cong to
Kampuchea. As a result,
President Nixon has initialized
operation Menu which was to
bombard the VCs front line
along the Cambodian-Vietnamese
border in order to eliminate the
communist insurgents which
resulted in thousands of innocent
lives lost.
The Map of Cambodia showing
the Cambodian-Vietnamese
Border
http://www.historyplace.com/wor
ldhistory/genocide/pol-pot.htm
Throughout the one hundred and
seventeen day siege, the U.S. had
provided support in sending
munitions as well as food and
medical supplies to aid the
Khmer Republic however
congress has stopped providing
support to anti-communist forces.
As a result, the U.S. pulled out
the U.S. stationed troops and this
lead to the rise of the Khmer
Rouge. Pol Pot was designated as
the leader of the Khmer Rouge
which was in power from
Communist Insurgents as a means
to contain communism; thus
contributing to the U.S.s effort in
spreading democracy in a time
where the Cold War had left an
impact on vulnerable third world
countries. Although the U.S. had
sent supplies, troops, and had
eliminated the threat, they have
posed another threat far greater
out of their control. The
bombardment along the
Cambodian-Vietnamese border
has killed thousands of innocent
Cambodian and Vietnamese
civilians. In addition to that,
President Nixons authority
allowed him to intervene
Cambodia, which remained a
neutral country. President Nixons
true intent to support Cambodia
was solely based off of gaining
reputation from third world
countries especially during the
struggle to contain communism
and to spread democracy. Then,
the U.S. pulled out of Cambodia
as once public support has
diminished. Nixons plan of
eliminating the communist
insurgents failed. Rather than
helping the Cambodians, Nixon
catalyzed a spiral downfall
leading to political instability
amongst the Khmer Republic
when leadership has favored over
another. The aftermath of the
Khmer Rouges rule over
Kampuchea consequently resulted
in the deaths of millions innocent
Cambodians. President Nixons
inaction of liberating innocent
Cambodians lives was
inappropriate as millions are
suffering. The aftermath of this
event deemed the U.S.
inconsistent with their values as to
promote democracy as well as
freedom from communism.
Rouge. Once they have left, Pol
Pot rose to power and that was
when everything changed. All of
us were detained and beaten at
sight. We were starved, and then
forced to work on these rice
paddy fields and I still remember
my brother helplessly trying to
drink some water. He died the
next day and so did my mother.
These U.S. are bad people. They
come to our country, and just use
it for their own good just so that
they can fight with the
Vietnamese. We have done
nothing wrong so why must we
be punished for it. (What will you
do now and how do you think
Kampuchea will do in the next
years?) We have lost so much.
Our country is devastated. Over
21% of my people are gone under
this regime. We thought that they
would have brought great fortune
and wealth to this country as they
have mentioned but in the end, we
were all left to die. (Who is this
person that you are mentioning?)
President Nixon and his plan to
rule over the world. What has
democracy brought to us. Justice?
How is killing 6.3 million
innocent people justifiable. What
have they done to help us?
Nothing.
Statistical Analysis
Statistica United Cambodi
l States a
Analysis
1978
GDP per 10,463 106
capita
Infant 6.17 143.30
1975-1979. At this time period,
many skilled workers, educated
and religious individuals were
questioned and declared as a
threat to the state.
Young Children at the Killing
Fields memorial, located at the
outskirts of Phenom. UN Photo
159773/ J. Isaac.*Brian D.
Tittemore, LLM 95, is a staff
attorney at the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights
and a senior research associate
at the War Crimes Research
Office at the Washington College
of Law. The opinions expressed
are those of the author and not
necessarily those of the
Organization of American States
or its organs, or the War Crimes
Research Office.
The new generation was looked
up upon as they did not resemble
any influence of the previous life
in Kampuchea. Pol Pot has
ordered millions of civilians to
evacuate the city to work and
farm lands which resulted in
millions of deaths due to
starvation and mistreatment. In
addition to that, individuals who
mocked, questioned, or resisted
Angkar, or CPK, was tortured
without consent or executed in
the notorious S-21 prison that has
executed over 2.2 million
innocent Cambodians. This mass
genocide has wiped out nearly
21% of the population.
December 1978, the Vietnamese
The Unites States main goal
during the Cold War, was to assist
developing third world countries,
however, he led to political
instability as the U.S. withdrew
from Cambodia which gave rise
to the Khmer Rouge. In addition,
A Physicians Description of His
Prison Camp stated...Those of us
who were European-trained
doctors and engineers were
questioned even more than others.
Because we were suspected of
having worked with the
imperialist or been engaged in
secret activities(Holts and
Rhinehart and Winston,1978).
During the Khmer Rouges reign,
Pol Pot implemented a radical
social change that eradicated
Cambodian traditions and altered
daily lives of Cambodians.
Millions were evacuated from
their homelands and forced to
work on farm lands which
resulted in countless amount of
deaths due to starvation.
Meanwhile, skilled workers, the
educated , religious individuals,
and military personnels were
questioned the most. As
mentioned above, any workers
influenced by European
imperialist will be detained and
may be tortured. Of these
individuals, many had to write an
autobiography about themselves
and were pressured to expose if
they had any western relations. As
a result, Cambodians conformed
to the strict rules implemented
fearing that they would disobey
Angkar and consequently be
tortured or put up to death.
Individuality was strictly
forbidden in the Khmer Rouge as
nonconformist were seen as
western spies. After years of
Mortalit
y Rate
Populati 222.4 6.4
on million Million
Populati 1.06% 2.3%
on
Growth
Rate
Works Cited
Arne Westad, The Global Cold
War: Third World Interventions
and the Making of Our
Times.2007.
Mr. Kissinger/The President
(tape).December 9 1970, 8:45
p.m.
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/N
SAEEBb/NSAEBB123/Box%20F
ile%202,%20Kissinger%20%962
0President%20Dec%209,%20197
0%208,45%20pm%20%200.pdf
Cold War World Lesson #4: Hot
Spots Research Project The
Regents of the University of
California, 2013, p.14.
A Physicians Description of His
Prison Camp. 1978. Francois
Ponchaud, Cambodia: Year Zero,
translated by Nancy Amphoux
(New York: Holts Rhinehart and
Winston) pp. 67,69-70
Http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/
mod/1978cambodia.html Cold
War World Lesson #4: Hot Spots
Research Project The Regents of
the University of California,
2013, p.15.
has finally brought forth the
courage to invade Democratic
Kampuchea in a quest to end the
skirmishes and a means to end
Pol Pots reign over Kampuchea.
In response, the Khmer Rouge
requested backup from China in
order to cope with the conflict.
As the fighting continued,
thousands of personales from
both sides died but Vietnam
settled to capture Phnom Penh in
January 7, 1979 which had
pushed back the Communist
Party of Kampuchea or CPK.
Finally in 1979, the Khmer
Rouge regime finally collapsed.
torment and tragedy went by, Document 112: Written Record of
President Nixon has taken no Witness Statement of Prak Khan
means as to contain communism. to the Extraordinary Chambers
Nixon contradicts his claim in that
he allowed the Democratic of Courts of Cambodia.25
Kampuchea to transition to a September 2007. Office of the
communist state. The U.S. valued Co- Investigating Judges. Duch
individuality and freedom from Judicial Investigation and
communism yet they were passive
Pre-Trial Proceedings. Cambodia
and did not take any actions to
preserve individual rights. Tribunal Monitor. Accessed 5
December 2012. Hot Spots
In addition, the U.S. were not Research Project The Regents of
consistent with their values in the University of California,
Duchs judicial Investigation and
2013, p.15.
Pretrial proceedings when he
statedSo that means in all
interrogations you had the right to
torture if the prisoner did not
respond to what you asked?
Yes!(Khan 2007). Various
torturing methods implemented
by the Khmer Rouge at S-21 was
used to pressure prisoners into
confessing faulty claims in order
to eliminate western spies. They
disregarded human life and basic
human rights. Throughout the
span of the Khmer Rouges rule
over Kampuchea, President Nixon
fails to realize that innocent
Cambodians are stripped from
their basic rights are are accused
of faulty claims. Nixons initial
plan was to spread democracy and
protect basic human rights.
However, he ignored Cambodias
current state of being and moved
on since he believes that the U.S.
has provided sufficient support.
Acknowledging this, Nixons
primary goal was to gain political
reputation as well as
containcommunism which was
inconsistent and led to political
corruption.
Finally, a historiography, The
Global Cold War: Third World
interventions and the Making of
Our Times (2207) by Odd Arne
Westad mentions about the U.S.
values during the Cold
War:Instead of being a force for
good-which they were no doubt
intended to be-these incursions
have devastated many societies
and left them more vulnerable to
further disasters of their own
making(Westad, Paragraph 5).
Westad Argues how the U.S.
mainly focused on control and
domination rather than assisting
the country's social development.
Throughout the Cold War, U.S.
intervention in Cambodia was a
means to contain communism and
promote democracy, freedom, and
individuality. Although
bombardments of NVA bases as
were to support the effort in
spreading democracy, the U.S.
was not consistent with their
values. At the time where the
Khmer Rouge has taken over
Kampuchea, the U.S. had not
taken any actions as to stop the
genocide of Cambodians and
imprisonment of many innocent
civilians. The U.S. goal during the
cold war was to help inspire third
world countries however they did
not look after Cambodia in a
crucial time where their is
political instablility, stripment of
individuality and freedom.
Acknowledging this, U.S.
bombardment of Cambodia and
retreatment of U.S. troops was not
justified according to their own
values. Therefore, the U.S.
intentions in Cambodia was only
to seek a greater political
reputations as they did not want
other countries to look down upon
America. Once again, this was a
competition so thriving for
political reputation was crucial in
spreading democracy and winning
the Cold War.

During the Cold War, the United

States claimed that its goal was to
contain communism. However,
United States actions in
Cambodia demonstrate that the
United States intervened only
when its economic and
ideological interests were
supported. Consequently,
American actions during the Cold
War created instability in
cambodia and undermined the
nations values of freedom,
democracy, and individuality.
Rather than helping the
Cambodians, Nixon catalyzed a
spiral downfall leading to political
instability amongst the Khmer
Republic when leadership has
favored over another. After years
of torment and tragedy went by,
President Nixon has taken no
means as to contain communism.
Nixon contradicts his claim in that
he allowed the Democratic of
Kampuchea to transition to a
communist state. The U.S. valued
individuality and freedom from
communism yet they were passive
and did not take any actions to
preserve individual rights.