ABSTRACT
In discussing the relationship between Buddhism and human rights, I would first like to explain the central place and resilient nature of Buddhism within Cambodian culture and history. This focus has remained true, despite the savage destruction of the Khmer Rouge years (1975-1979). When they seized power, the Khmer Rouge made every effort to eliminate Buddhism. All Buddhist temples were closed, some were destroyed, while still others served as prisons, torture chambers, and even pigsties. Statues of the Buddha were shattered. Of about 65,000 Buddhist monks in Cambodia before the war, only about 3,000 survived. The rest were executed, or died of starvation and disease aggravated by conditions in forced-labor camps.
