I’ve seen some communists support him and I cant understand why. Was he a communist? I really know next to nothing about him other than the killing fields(overview) and that Vietnam invaded them. That second part makes me doubt he was a communist but I want to know more and was wondering if anyone could give me some reading recommendations on the subject or just give me an overview that would be much appreciated.

  • NasgorTikusEnjoyer
    111·
    3 years ago

    He was a communist, more specifically an anprim that wanted to build an agricultural society. Vietnam sided with the USSR which China viewed as revisionist while Cambodia sided with China. Although the cambodian invasion and following occupation isn’t really entirely for the sole purpose of liberating Cambodia as many leftists and other people think it was. Vietnamese-Cambodian history and relations are extremely complicated.

    Communists and socialist states arent automatically good and friends with each other. Like all states they have complex relations with other states and pursuit their own interests first and foremost.

    • Ice_wizzard12OP
      7·
      3 years ago

      Okay, thank you for the information. Could you shed some light on the killing fields and other atrocities committed by the Khmer rouge? Are they exaggerated by western media or is it for the most part true. I’ve seen a good amount of leftists argue about if this state should be supported and am trying to get a more in-depth view.

      • NasgorTikusEnjoyer
        10·
        3 years ago

        There is a ton of info thats not contaminated by state dept propaganda on this on here, it is undeniable that the CPK is responsible for a lot of mismanagement and attrocities during their rule of Cambodia although the 110.000 tons of bombs the US dropped didnt help the economic situation of Cambodia.

        Hundreds of thousands of the deaths attributed to pol pot and the CPK should more correctly been attributed to said bombing and the starvation and instability that came with it. The total figure is also vastly exaggerated with very flimsy sources. Though again, pol pot emptying the cities and abolishing money did worsen the situation.

        The CPK was also extremely brutal and extremist in their ways where even their fellow members were tortured and killed due to paranoia of western and revisionist subversion. Official documents are very rare and hard to find due to the peasant anti intellectual nature of the khmer rogue and the destruction of said documents following the invasion. Surviving CPK members have not writen down their own experience that we can find.

        After Vietnam overthrew pol pot, Cambodia became a quasi colony of Vietnam which halted their development (though not as much as a continuing pol pot regime rule would have). Even now after the withdrawal of occupying Vietnamese forces, Cambodia and its resources is still frequently exploited by Vietnamese companies. This relationship of Vietnam and Cambodia is very much influenced by the history of Vietnamese invasions and attempted conquests of cambodia.

        Basically yes, the killing fields are real and khmer rogue were brutal. But are also very exaggerated by the west. But also the Vietnamese invasion and occupation of Cambodia is not really a wholesome 100 real communism vs fake cia communism moment many leftists make it to be.