Irrawaddy-Apr 17, 2025
How history has changed; today, April 17, 2025, as Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Cambodia to deepen diplomatic and economic ties, the contrast is stark.
On April 17, 1975, Cambodia witnessed a turning point in its history that would forever change the lives of its people. This date marked the fall of the Khmer Republic and the triumph of the Khmer Rouge, as the forces of Pol Pot marched into Phnom Penh, signalling the start of a brutal regime that would claim the lives of millions. “April 17, 1975, remains one of the darkest days in the nation’s history, as it was the day the Khmer Republic, under the leadership of General Lon Nol, officially crumbled and the Khmer Rouge took control of the capital,” explained Youk Chhang, Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam). For the people of Cambodia, April 17, 1975, marked the beginning of an unimaginable nightmare. The evacuation led to the forced relocation of millions of Phnom Penh residents to rural areas, where they were subjected to forced labour, starvation and executions. “The Khmer Rouge regime would last for nearly four years, during which an estimated 1.7 million people would perish from execution, starvation, and overwork in what is now known as the Cambodian Genocide,” said Chhang. The legacy of this day still resonates throughout Cambodia, with survivors and their families carrying the trauma of those years. Fifty years later, the memory of April 17, 1975, remains a poignant reminder of the destructive power of totalitarian regimes and the human cost of ideological extremism. Read more at:
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-in-depth/april-17-1975-a-day-of-long-lasting-memories-
