Cambodian Genocide
What happened inside Cambodia’s killing fields?
4.1 (23)
83 mins
Explore the events of the Cambodian genocide and the suffering it caused. Discover how forced relocation, harsh labor conditions, and systematic purges reshaped life in Cambodia. View how the tragedy remains one of the most severe examples of state-led violence in the 20th century.
Ep 1:
Skulls, Myths, and a Nation's Paradox
We open on Cambodia's haunting contradictions—5,000 skulls at Choeung Ek and a mythical unicorn hidden in the Cardamoms—and meet the man behind the horror: Saloth Sar, soon to become Pol Pot.
Ep 2:
The Teacher Who Became Brother Number One
From a privileged Cambodian childhood to radicalization in Paris, we trace Pol Pot's transformation into a revolutionary, and the chaos of war, coups, and American bombs that handed him an army.
Ep 3:
Year Zero: Erasing a Nation
April 17, 1975: Phnom Penh empties overnight as Pol Pot declares Year Zero. We follow the brutal agrarian dystopia and one girl's fight to survive starvation and forced labor.
Ep 4:
Inside S-21: Faces of the Damned
Inside the former school turned torture chamber, S-21, we uncover the bureaucratic machinery of paranoia and meet survivors and victims whose forced confessions sealed their fates.
Ep 5:
The System of the Killing Fields
We step into the Killing Fields themselves—a nationwide system of mass graves, silent executions, and a death toll so staggering it defies comprehension.
Ep 6:
Unlikely Refuge: Jungles, Kings, and Warnings from the Past
A strange irony emerges: the Khmer Rouge's jungle hideouts became an accidental wildlife sanctuary, while Angkor's ancient collapse offers an eerie ecological warning for today.
Ep 7:
Scars That Never Heal
Decades later, landmines and river pirates still haunt Cambodia's landscape—but amid the danger, survivors rebuild lives through resilience, silk, and quiet defiance.
Ep 8:
The Ripe Papaya: A Tyrant's End
Vietnam invades, the Khmer Rouge crumbles, and Pol Pot's final years unfold in betrayal, isolation, and a strikingly unceremonious death in the jungle.
Discussions (5)
Clint
Level 4 · 5 mo agoCalling Pol Pot a visionary leader is a massive stretch dude. He was just a paranoid failure who got handed a country. Nothing visionary about that.
Shirley
Level 8 · 5 mo agoI really DON'T think Pol Pot genuinely believed he was restoring Cambodia to greatness. He just wanted absolute control over the people. Calling him a visionary gives him way too much credit 🤔
Elmer
Level 6 · 5 mo ago>Dam after dam was built without spillways You cannot just build massive water infrastructure while totally ignoring basic engineering principles.
