Classified as one of the prime movers of Cambodian political history as well as the renaissance of the studies of international human rights in Cambodian contexts as well as in other humanitarian fields, Pol Pot is, inevitably, a man worth to be studied about.

Pol Pot was a man that steered the entire Cambodia into a utopian agrarian State, somehow considered as a duplicate of Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Such the patriotic policy has killed at least one million Cambodian innocent just in his political mandate between 1975 - 1978.

Answer is yet to be known, because grandfather Pol Pot already peacefully passed away in a tranquil woods and before his death, he never confessed that he committed any auto-genocide against his own citizens and fellow persons. Finally, the judgment is yet to be issued by the extraordinary chamber that Pol Pot is truly guilty of crime against humanity.

Why did he commit that? Is he guilty of auto-genocide or crime against humanity? If so who is this man?

Pol Pot’s atrocious accomplishment proved that he is an interesting man that the world is ignoring. Until today, information about him; general and analytic, is very condensed, since Cambodia is lack of writers in the field of politics and history as well as Cambodia’s dim image in the international view.

The entire content of this article is not thorough biographical writing about Pol Pot, and especially his political biography is not an intention, but just a very simple glance into his human life.

This article is to bring more global attentions to Cambodian political history: much more yet to be revealed.

I. Childhood

Despite his weirdness in human stereotype, characteristics and other such sentiments, Pol Pot was born in a human way like us. However, until today his real date of birth is still in conflict; North Korean radio announced that Pol Pot was born 1925 from ethic Khmer parents, and French colonial records prepared in Cambodia during the 1950s, stated that he was born May 25, 1928. So is it 1925 or May 25, 1928? David P. Chandler selects 1925, but I stand on the abstention in selecting any precise date for Pol Pot’s date of birth. Until now, we have no idea of Pol Pot’s real date of birth, because his parents as well as he, himself died before we can ask: “what is your son or your real date of birth?”

Pol Pot was born in Prek Sbauv village, less than two miles west of the provincial capital of Kompong Thom province, some ninety miles of the capital Phnom Penh.

Pol Pot was not his real name, Saloth Sar was, indeed, his real name since he was born. So from this time, take into mind that “Pol Pot and Salot Sar are just the same and one person.” But I like to use the name “Pol Pot” throughout the text.

II. Family Background

Pol Pot was the eighth of nine children. According to David P. Chandler, Pol Pot was quite from a well-to-do family. His father, named Pen Saloth, was a prosperous farmer with nine hectares of rice land, several draft cattle, and a comfortable tile-roofed house and his mother, Sok Nem, was widely respected in the district for her piety and good works.

Pol Pot’s family is somehow quite isolated from other families in the region; one reason was that his family was prosperous and secondly; palace connection. Pol Pot’s cousin was the consort of Prince Sisowat Monivong and bore Sisowat Monivong a son named Kossarak. Moreover, Pol Po’s older brother, Loth Suong, was also a palace clerk. So all of these show that Pol Pot did have strict relation with the palace.

Above all, Pol Pot does have very stringent palace connection and because of this merits, his scholarship for vocational studies in France was secured. Surprisingly, one wonder has left behind: Pol Pot inflicted corruption upon the royal families as his path to leadership from 1975 - 1979.

More needed to be curious above. As above-addressed, this article does not intend to cover the thorough biography of Pol Pot, but just to revoke another curiosity over Cambodian histories and state of affairs.

Extraordinary trial over Pol Pot’s and his immediate followers’ atrocities are impending: more challenges are impending and who should take part? Cambodia does need more public opinions and other kinds of contribution. Who know that your contribution would make a difference?

Lay Vicheka is a translator for the most celebrated translation agency in the Kingdom of Cambodia, Pyramid Translation Co.Ltd
vichekalayATyahoo.com