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Ideology


The idea of implementing communism as a political practice in Cambodia, only seriously dawned on Pol Pot when he was studying in Paris. With a group of friends, Pol Pot came to the conclusion that this would be the first step to liberating their country from the French and healing as many wounds as they had left them. He joined the colonial wing of the French communist party as he wasn’t permitted to be a "full" communist (Joffe). The confusion that this could have spurred in Pol Pot’s mind is another significant piece of the puzzle depicting his extremely unorthodox ideology. Pol Pot spent most of his time in Paris formulating his unique political ideals incorporating a radical blend of communism and nationalism. In 1952 Pol Pot published his views for the first time in a student magazine. In this article, his statements reflected the general treatment of the Cambodian public under their monarchy. “Cambodian people are kept as slaves, made to work night and day to feed the king and his entourage. Monarchy is a malodorous running sour the people must just eliminate. (Pot)” This excerpt from his article reflected the extent to which his views had developed.

In 1953 Pol Pot returned to Cambodia and joined the Vietnamese Communists to fight against the French. Even though Pol Pot did not have very much consideration for the Vietnamese, the revolution gave him something to fight for. When France formally agreed to renounce its colonies in South East Asia, during peace talks, Pol Pot felt betrayed by the Vietnamese Communists as they opted for Cambodia to remain under the rule of their Monarchy led by King Sihanouk. After independence, Pol Pot took his revolution underground. In 1956 Pol Pot took up a job teaching history in one of the reputable schools of Phnom Penh. “As a history professor he expressed himself very clearly and his students liked him a lot,” Stated Mey Mann, a friend of Pol Pot. Simultaneously, Pol Pot and his associates started recruiting members to their Communist Party. Pol Pot’s campaign was based on targeting poorer people and promising them fair treatment, if they came into power, in exchange for their support. Pol Pot also based his campaign on secrecy, influenced by Lenin and his communist empire. As a result of this Pol Pot did not preach his ideals through the banner of the Communist Party of Kampuchea but rather disguised himself as Angkar, the organization.

Along with Marxism and Leninism, Pol Pot was influenced a lot by his own past and the country’s past. As a radical nationalist, he felt that the only way the country could prosper was by restoring its former glory, dating back to Ancient Cambodia. He felt that by giving people at the bottom of social ladder power he could improve people’s lives in contrast to the exploitation they had been subject to during the French rule. Pol Pot’s “Year Zero” declaration, symbolizing the start of a new beginning that was free of foreign influences, clearly reflected the sincerity he possessed to accomplish his task. By observing Mao Zedong’s success in China through the control of the distribution in wealth, abolishment of monopolization to achieve equality through the social ranks and a central control of agricultural production, Pol Pot formulated a plan to replicate its success; only his mental image was not even the shadow of what his actions finally produced (Dao).

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