Cambodia Today: 50 Years After the Khmer Rouge Regime

Phnom Penh street in 1973 — Life in Phnom Penh surrounded by the Khmer Rouge. Credit : Mjcd71 under CC BY-SA 4.0 license

April 17, 2025 marks fifty years since the start of the genocide by the Khmer Rouge, representing the darkest 3 years, 8 months and 20 days in Cambodian history. Fifty years ago, many survivors of the genocide are still alive today, and their testimonies continue to remind us of the reality and scale of the crimes perpetrated. What about now?

People walking on shopping street — Life in Phnom Penh in 1973 [Credit : Mjcd71 under CC BY-SA 4.0 license]

Busy street with cars, cyclo and motobikes — Life in Phnom Penh in 1973 [Credit : Mjcd71 under CC BY-SA 4.0 license]

Vietnam military enter in Phnom Penh 1979 — Vietnamese soldiers entering Phnom Penh in January 1979 [Credit : Sebbers10 under CC BY-SA 4.0 license]

Fifty years on, Cambodia has changed dramatically. The genocide, which took place from 1975 to 1979, claimed the lives of almost two million people - a quarter of the Cambodian population at the time - leaving the country in ruins and the population traumatized. There were no schools, no justice system, no currency, not even archives.
After the fall of the Pol Pot regime, part of the population fled the country, seeking refuge abroad, resulting in a sizeable Cambodian diaspora. Many Cambodians found asylum in various countries, including the USA, France and Canada.

A women and her baby in a cyclo — Cyclo trip of a women and her baby in Toul Tapeung [Credit : M M under CC BY-SA 2.0 license]

Rebuild

Those who had chosen to remain in Cambodia gradually returned to the abandoned towns. Many quickly moved into houses found empty. The previous allocation of housing was no longer respected, and private property no longer existed. The result was a new population, different from the pre-1975 one, mostly of rural origin, since the city population, considered the “new people”, had been exterminated.
In the tense context of the Cold War, and with the support of the international community - notably Vietnam, the Soviet Union and the United Nations - Cambodia began a painstaking reconstruction of its administration, as well as its educational and banking systems.

Monks at the preliminary hearings on Nuon Chea's and Ieng Thirith's fitness to stand trial — 30 Aug 2011: A number of Buddhist Monks from Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University attended the second of the preliminary hearings on Nuon Chea's and Ieng Thirith's fitness to stand trial. [Credit : Khmer Rouge Tribunal (ECCC) under CC BY 2.0 license]

Chum Mey (left) and Vann Nath (right), two survivors raising hands with a copy of the Duch-verdict — Chum Mey (left) and Vann Nath (right) after having received a copy of the Duch-verdict on 12 Aug 2010. They are two of only a handful survivors from the secret Khmer Rouge prison S21 where at least 12,273 people were tortured and executed. [Credit : Khmer Rouge Tribunal (ECCC) under CC BY 2.0 license]

Phnom penh landscape combining historic buildings and skyscrapers — Phnom Penh skyline 2022 [Credit : Mao Piseth under CC BY-SA 4.0 license]

Modernize

Since 1990, the country has accelerated its modernization, building stronger public institutions and attracting foreign investment. Where some countries are paralyzed by their own historical baggage, Cambodia has taken advantage of the institutional gap to dare and innovate.
Cambodia has a solid banking system overseen by the National Bank of Cambodia. And it is even piloting one of Asia's first national digital currencies, the Bakong, facilitating access to financial services for Cambodia's rural populations, in a context where access to traditional banks was historically restricted.

People dancing under the Khmer flag for the Khmer New Year celebration — Celebrating Khmer New Year 2025 at Wat Dhammararam Buddhist Temple, Sockton [Credit : instagram @sincerlysumaly]

Preserving

Today, 62% of Cambodians are under 35. They've never experienced war or the camps. For them, Cambodia is a growing country, where cafés and businesses are opening up, and where dreams are allowed. But these young people often dream of elsewhere. To Thailand, Korea, or even Europe. Not because they reject their country, but because salaries are low and opportunities limited. Many leave to work overseas to support their families, while remaining deeply attached to their homeland. The importance attached to their culture and identity is reflected in the way in which the Cambodian New Year is celebrated with fervor by the diaspora beyond the country's borders.
In addition, a growing number of Cambodians living abroad are choosing to return to Cambodia, driven by a desire to use the skills and experience they have acquired abroad to make an active contribution to Cambodia's development.

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