First They Killed My Father Essay

The Khmer Rouge was a Communist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. Led by Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge sought to create an agrarian utopia by eliminating all traces of modern society and turning Cambodia into a classless society. They abolished money, private property, religion, and traditional Khmer culture, and forced the entire population to work in collective farms and labor camps. Loung Ung is the author and protagonist of First They Killed my Father. The story is told through Loung’s perspective and experience during the Khmer Rouge’s reign. From living a comfortable life to becoming a child soldier in a matter of time, and witnessing her family’s death, Loung forces herself to mature quickly. Loung’s perspective reveals the horrors

Thus, the Khmer Rouge did more harm than good and failed to transform Cambodia into a communist utopia and classless society.

The communist regime put millions of Cambodians into work camps often with harsh conditions often without sufficient food and water. Many died or were executed due to the cruel conditions. “Mass killings primarily targeted the middle class and intellectuals — such as doctors, lawyers, journalists, artists and students — as well as ethnic Vietnamese and Cham Muslims. Private property, money, religion and traditional culture were abolished, and the country became known as Democratic Kampuchea.” (Quackenbush). The solution derived by the Khmer Rouge was to force urban Cambodians into labor camps as a way to gain higher control over the population and prevent rebellions. However, as described by Loung Ung, “After a few hours of lying in our hut, the growls in my stomach demand that I search for food. My eyes probe the ground, hoping to find some food to fill my hungry stomach.

“The chief preaches and revers the achievements of the Angkar, the philosophy of the government to build this perfect agrarian society where there are no crimes, no deceit, no trickery, and no Western influence. The Angkar says our new society will produce many thousand kilograms of a rice surplus within two years. Then we’ll eat as much rice as we want. And we will be self-reliant.” (Ung 71). Because the Khmer Rouge sought to create a self-reliant economy, they expelled all foreigners and shut down communication with other countries basically isolating themselves. Loung’s perspective contends that the Khmer Rouge enforced the idea. Though, throughout the story, the vision of people eating as much as they want is never achieved. Disease, death, and famine are prevalent throughout the story, implying that isolation cause more harm than good. Furthermore, there was a declaration that stated the policy of self-reliance would persist during times of peace and to lessen foreign influence on the nation (Cambodia - the Economy Under the Khmer Rouge, 1975-79). The lack of foreign investment and trade meant that basic necessities such as food and medicine were unattainable, leaving the country and its people impoverished. Preventable diseases could not be treated due to a lack of medicine, and famines could not be avoided because labor camps could not