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Mass Annihilation: The Cambodian Genocide

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Mass annihilation a.k.a ‘genocide” is one-sided, whereby the aggressors are armed and organized, and their victims are defenseless. This form of violence has killed the most people of any form of violence- three to four times as many as war alone. The Cambodian Genocide is an example of one the most famous mass annihilations after the Holocaust. It was a horrid act carried out by the regime of the Khmer Rouge on any individual that was discerned to be in opposition to the policies in place. Pol Pot led the regime and was the man who controlled the government from 1975 to 1979, killing approximately 1.5 to 3 million Cambodians. The regime’s goal was to start a new republic and convert the country into a socialist agrarian republic. Dehumanization …show more content…

There is no positive gain to being merciful nor is there any negative result of murder. The regime truly does not care and are ignoring how they are dehumanizing the population by releasing this statement.The importance of the people is being minimized to nothing. The prisoners in the labor camps were not the only victims of dehumanization. People who escaped murder became unpaid laborers, working on minimum rations and for impossibly long hours. They slept and ate in uncomfortable places purposefully chosen to be as far as possible from their old homes. Personal relationships were discouraged, so were expressions of affection. People soon became weak from overwork and starvation, and after that fell ill, for which there was no treatment except death.Not only were those who died were dehumanized. People who escaped murder became unpaid laborers, working on minimum rations and for impossibly long hours. They slept and ate in uncomfortable places purposefully chosen to be as far as possible from their old homes. Personal relationships were discouraged, so were expressions of affection. People soon became weak from overwork and starvation, and after that fell ill, for which there was no treatment except …show more content…

Dehumanization was fuel for the genocidal fire and was a part of all life during the Cambodian genocide. One may ask how this could have happened or that this is surely the only time a terrible tragedy like this has occurred. The truth is that there are still genocides happening today. To stop these kinds of things from happening the people of the world must be aware of what is happening and not ignore the pleas for help from the citizens. They must accept refugees fleeing danger. The world must acknowledge that their fellow humans are being stripped of their humanity and are being reduced to

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