ABSTRACT
Building on the argument from the previous chapter, the section investigates the Khmer Rouge cadres’ affinity for status symbols, especially gold watches, in Democratic Kampuchea. Despite years of communist indoctrination and the potential for punishment, the Khmer Rouge rank and file still coveted flashy jewelry and other frivolous goods that they did not have access to as rural peasants before the revolution. During the evacuations of the cities, soldiers stole gold watches, radios, and jewelry from the New people at gunpoint. The desire for these watches continued in the labor camps, with one broker describing them as the “hottest item in the exchanges.” This chapter documents the Khmer Rouge soldiers’ fascination with luxury items in contrast with their ideological training.
