ABSTRACT
In its heyday, over 600 years ago, the city of Angkor located in the north of modern day Cambodia boasted a civilized population of more than 1 million. At the same time, London was inhabited by less than 35,000. Today, tourists flock to see the remains of the temples, which represent Cambodia’s main tourist attraction. Khmer people are incredibly proud of their ancient heritage; yet the recent history of this ex-French protectorate shows tragedy, not glory. Over 500,000 civilians are estimated to have died during a secret and illegal anti-communist bombing campaign by the US during the second Indochina war. Out of the devastation, in 1975 the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot managed to take power and impose a brutal four-year regime of extreme socialism that killed around 1.7 million.
