The Khmer Rouge was a communist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During this time, the leader of the Khmer Rouge was Pol Pot.

Pol Pot, born as Saloth Sar, was a Cambodian revolutionary and politician. He became the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, which was the official name of the Khmer Rouge regime. Pol Pot's leadership was characterized by his radical ideology and ruthless tactics to establish an agrarian socialist society.

Under Pol Pot's rule, the Khmer Rouge implemented extreme policies that resulted in widespread suffering and the deaths of an estimated 1.7 to 2.2 million people. The regime aimed to transform Cambodia into a self-sufficient, classless society by abolishing modern institutions and imposing strict agrarian reforms.

Pol Pot's leadership style was authoritarian and brutal. He enforced strict discipline and centralized control over all aspects of Cambodian society. The regime forcibly relocated people from urban areas to the countryside, where they were subjected to forced labor and harsh living conditions. Intellectuals, professionals, and anyone perceived as a threat to the regime were targeted and often executed.

The Khmer Rouge's reign of terror came to an end in 1979 when Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia, overthrowing the regime. Pol Pot and the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders went into hiding, and the regime was officially dissolved in 1999. Pol Pot died in 1998, without facing justice for his crimes against humanity.

The legacy of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge is one of the darkest chapters in Cambodian history. The regime's brutal rule and policies resulted in the destruction of the country's social, economic, and cultural fabric. Cambodia has since been on a long path to recovery and healing, striving to rebuild and reconcile its past.

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