Cambodia recalls Khmer Rouge horrors, urges peace

Cambodia has marked the 51st anniversary of the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power with solemn calls to safeguard peace and justice, as survivors and officials reflected on one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history.

On 17 April 1975, Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh, beginning a four‑year reign of terror that killed between 1.5 and 2 million people – nearly a quarter of the population. The regime’s brutal policies of forced labour, starvation and mass executions left deep scars that continue to shape Cambodian society.

Information Minister Neth Pheaktra described the anniversary as “a deeply painful day for the entire Khmer nation”, recalling the trauma endured by survivors. He pointed to the liberation of Cambodia in January 1979, aided by Vietnamese forces, as a turning point that saved the country from genocide.

The Documentation Centre of Cambodia, which houses the world’s largest archive of Khmer Rouge records, has worked for decades to preserve evidence and educate younger generations. Meanwhile, the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, which concluded proceedings in 2022 after 16 years, delivered landmark convictions against senior leaders including Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan. Samphan remains the only surviving leader serving a life sentence.

Political scientist Kin Phea noted that the regime’s radical “Super Great Leap Forward” plan devastated the nation, wiping out intellectuals, minorities and even its own cadres. “After half a century, I still do not understand why the Khmer Rouge killed their own people and destroyed their own nation to this extent,” he said.

For Cambodia’s leaders, the message is clear: remembering the past is essential to protecting peace. As Pheaktra put it, “We remember the past to protect peace, uphold justice, and build a future free from genocide.”

-2026-04-20