The Cambodian Genocide: How The Khmer Rouge Terror Was Fueled by The World

Summary

A gripping and unflinching examination of one of the darkest chapters in modern history and the global forces that allowed it to unfold.

Between 1975 and 1979, Cambodia endured unimaginable horror under the Khmer Rouge regime, where nearly two million lives were lost to systematic brutality, starvation, and mass executions. But this is not just the story of a ruthless dictatorship; it is the story of how international powers, driven by Cold War rivalries and geopolitical interests, turned a blind eye and sometimes actively enabled the rise and reign of terror.

Drawing on newly uncovered documents, survivor testimonies, and incisive analysis, this book reveals the tangled web of political alliances, foreign interventions, and diplomatic failures that contributed to the genocide. From secret bombings and covert support to the paralysis of the United Nations, it exposes how global dynamics shaped Cambodia’s fate, allowing one of history’s greatest atrocities to remain hidden for decades.

The Cambodian Genocide challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about international responsibility, the cost of political indifference, and the enduring scars left on a nation. It is a vital, haunting reminder of how the world’s silence can become complicit in the darkest of crimes — and a call never to forget the lessons of history.