ABSTRACT
As chaos and despair gripped the nation under the new regime’s radical policies, the population desperately needed to find ways to feed their families. This section traces the origins of the new economy, beginning with the bartering in the markets of the Angkorean empire and continuing through the panicked trading during the evacuation of Phnom Penh. While barter was allowed in some camps in the early days of the revolution, cadres eventually cracked down on trading. As a result, small networks of illegal bartering began to develop. New relationships were formed as individuals sought out potential trading partners, and informal underground exchanges started to form in villages throughout Democratic Kampuchea.
