ABSTRACT
Since money was abolished by the Khmer Rouge, Cambodian villagers experimented with different substitute currencies for trading purposes. Rice was the staple of the Khmer diet and the most abundant commodity in Cambodia. It served as a valuable source of food and doubled as the primary currency in the camps. Easy to transport, hide, and measure, rice became the basis for most of the transactions in Democratic Kampuchea. Gold was also highly valued in the labor camps, smuggled in by the New people from the cities. As the secondary currency in Democratic Kampuchea, gold’s worth varied by the aesthetic appeal of the bartered item, making it challenging for traders to negotiate its value in a complex and rapidly changing environment. This chapter discusses the role of rice and gold in the underground economy, as well as their impact on the social dynamics of the camps.
