The World

Asia/The East

History of Indochina

• Indochina= Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia

• French ruled from late 1800’s-WWII

• French colonists built plantations to extract rice and rubber

• Unrest grows among peasants

• Ho Chi Minh leads rebellious activities. Fled to Soviet Union

Japanese Invasion

• Japan invades Hong Kong, French Indochina, Malaya, Burma, Thailand, China, and the Philippines.

• French withdraw• Ho Chi Minh (with U.S.

aid) leads resistance against Japanese

• Japanese defeated in 1945

Independence: Communism vs. Democracy

• Vietminh: Organization created by Ho Chi Minh to liberate Vietnam of foreign rule.

• Sept. 2, 1945: Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent.

• French reoccupy southern Vietnam late 1945• U.S. gives French $1 billion in aid to defeat Ho

Chi Minh, a one-time ally. • French surrender after defeat at Dien Bien Phu

in 1954.

U.S. Involvement Deepens

• To halt spread of communism, U.S. provides economic and military aid to S. Vietnam.

• Corrupt S. Vietnamese government leads to rise of Vietcong and increased instability.

• U.S. commits 50,000 troops to Vietnam in 1965.• N. Vietnam capture Saigon on 4/30/75.

Cambodia and Laos during Vietnam War

• Both attempted to remain neutral• N. Vietnamese and Vietcong forces used Cambodia as a

base to attack S. Vietnam. • N. Vietnamese forces use Ho Chi Minh trail through Laos

to supply Viet Cong forces. • Laos sustains 10 years of heavy bombing from U.S.

forces attempting to destroy Ho Chi Minh trail. • U.S. secretly bombs N. Vietnamese and Viet Cong

strong holds in Cambodia. • In 1970, Pres. Nixon orders ground forces to invade

Cambodia.

Communist Growth

• Communist insurgents grow inside Cambodia and Laos.• Khmer Rouge=Combodian communists backed by N.

Vietnamese.• Phatet Lao= Laotian communists backed by N.

Vietnamese.• Khmer Rouge overrun existing army and gain control of

Cambodia.• Phatet Lao gain control of government with N.

Vietnamese help in 1975.

The Aftermath

• Re-education camps are created by KR and PL in Cambodia and Laos.

• An estimated 2-3 million Cambodians died under KR gov’t.

• Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978 and established a new gov’t.

• 600,000 Cambodians fled to Thailand.

The Reign of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979)

• A. Motto: “To keep you is no benefit; to destroy you is no loss.”

• B. Re-education camps: used to teach communist beliefs/brain wash; also exposed people who might resist.

• C. Commit acts of genocide; millions of Cambodians are executed.

• D. January 7, 1979: Vietnam seizes control of Cambodia, allowing thousands to flee.

• E. 1989-1990: Vietnamese troops promise to withdraw.

To Destroy You is No Loss

• A. A novel which chronicles Teeda Butt Mam’s family’s “nightmarish ordeal at the hands of the Khmer Rouge.” It details the family’s struggle to survive, facing re-education camps and the perilous journey from Cambodia, to Thailand, and eventually, to America.

The Killing Fields• A. A film based on the events

which led up to and follow the fall of Phnom Penh. The film’s plot revolves around two characters, Sidney Shanberg and Dith Pran.

• B. Sidney Shanberg: A reporter for the New York Times who is investigating U.S. involvement in “The Secret War.” While attempting to get into Thailand, he learns of a U.S. bombing of a Cambodian city. He decides to enter Cambodia to investigate.

• Dith Pran: A Cambodian photographer and reporter