Behind the Killing Fields: A Khmer Rouge Leader and One of His Victims (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights)

In recent history, atrocities have often been committed in the name of lofty ideals. One of the most disturbing examples took place in Cambodia's Killing Fields, where tens of thousands of victims were executed and hastily disposed of by Khmer Rouge cadres. Nearly thirty years after these bloody purges, two journalists entered the jungles of Cambodia to uncover secrets still buried there. Based on more than 1,000 hours of interviews with the top surviving Khmer Rouge leader, Nuon Chea, Behind the Killing Fields follows the journey of a man who began as a dedicated freedom fighter and wound up accused of crimes against humanity. Known as Brother Number 2, Chea was Pol Pot's top lieutenant. He is now in prison, facing prosecution in a United Nations-Cambodian tribunal for his actions during the Khmer Rouge rule, when more than two million Cambodians died. The book traces how the seeds of the Killing Fields were sown and what led one man to believe that mass killing was necessary for the greater good. Coauthor Sambath Thet, a Khmer Rouge survivor, shares his personal perspectives on the murderous regime and how some victims have managed to rebuild their lives. The stories of Nuon Chea and Sambath Thet collide when the two meet. While Thet holds Chea responsible for the death of his parents and brother, he strives for understanding over revenge in order to reveal the forces that destroyed his homeland in the name of creating utopia. In this age of suicide bombers and terror alerts, the world is still at a loss to comprehend the violence of zealots. Behind the Killing Fields bravely confronts this challenge in an exclusive portrait of one man's political madness and another's personal wisdom. Gina Chon is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Sambath Thet writes for the Phnom Penh Post

In recent history, atrocities have often been committed in the name of lofty ideals. One of the most disturbing examples took place in Cambodia's Killing Fields, where tens of thousands of victims were executed and hastily disposed of by Khmer Rouge cadres. Nearly thirty years after these bloody purges, two journalists entered the jungles of Cambodia to uncover secrets still buried there.

Based on more than 1,000 hours of interviews with the top surviving Khmer Rouge leader, Nuon Chea, Behind the Killing Fields follows the journey of a man who began as a dedicated freedom fighter and wound up accused of crimes against humanity. Known as Brother Number 2, Chea was Pol Pot's top lieutenant. He is now in prison, facing prosecution in a United Nations-Cambodian tribunal for his actions during the Khmer Rouge rule, when more than two million Cambodians died. The book traces how the seeds of the Killing Fields were sown and what led one man to believe that mass killing was necessary for the greater good.

Coauthor Sambath Thet, a Khmer Rouge survivor, shares his personal perspectives on the murderous regime and how some victims have managed to rebuild their lives. The stories of Nuon Chea and Sambath Thet collide when the two meet. While Thet holds Chea responsible for the death of his parents and brother, he strives for understanding over revenge in order to reveal the forces that destroyed his homeland in the name of creating utopia.

In this age of suicide bombers and terror alerts, the world is still at a loss to comprehend the violence of zealots. Behind the Killing Fields bravely confronts this challenge in an exclusive portrait of one man's political madness and another's personal wisdom.

This is not a historical textbook about the Khmer Rouge regime, nor is it a story based solely on facts, for much of it comes from the perspective of Nuon Chea. This account delves inside the mind of a man who presided over violence in the name of creating utopia and is still able to rationalize the atrocities. It is our hope that this story transcends the Cambodian context to also tell the tale of a man who made the ultimate moral transformation a human being can make. Nuon Chea did not begin his life with a vision to destroy his nation. And the crimes perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge, like other tragic events in history, cannot be explained through ideology alone. The leaders of such regimes are shaped by their personal experiences, which permeate their policymaking. And their good intentions and their best theories can become horrifically perverted in practice Based on more than 1,000 hours of interviews with the top Khmer Rouge leader still living, Nuon Chea, Behind the Killing Fields follows the journey of a man who began as a dedicated freedom fighter and wound up accused of crimes against humanity. Known as Brother Number 2, Chea was Pol Pot's top lieutenant. Nuon Chea is now in prison, facing prosecution in a United Nations-Cambodian tribunal for his actions during the Khmer Rouge rule, when more than two million Cambodians died. The book traces how the seeds of the Killing Fields were sown and what led one man to believe that mass killing was necessary for the greater good Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 8 Chapter 1. Introduction 10 Chapter 2. The Faceless Father 18 Chapter 3. The New World Order 22 Chapter 4. The Lost Childhood 53 Chapter 5. The Vietnam Factor 56 Chapter 6. The Missing Brother 94 Chapter 7. The Enemies 97 Chapter 8. The Year Zero 136 Chapter 9. The Implosion 139 Chapter 10. The Rebuilding 155 Chapter 11. The Homecoming 159 Chapter 12. The Understanding 167 13. The Killing Fields 174 Bibliography 182 Index 184 Acknowledgments 192 Coauthor Sambath Thet, a Khmer Rouge victim, shares his personal perspectives on the murderous regime and how some victims have managed to rebuild their lives. The stories of Nuon Chea and Sambath Thet collide when the two meet. While Thet holds Chea responsible for the death of his parents and brother, he strives for understanding rather than revenge in order to reveal the forces that destroyed his homeland in the name of creating utopia Atrocities have always been committed in the name of lofty ideals. One of the most disturbing examples in recent memory took place in Cambodia's Killing Fields, where tens of thousands of victims were executed and hastily disposed of by Khmer Rouge cadres. Nearly thirty years after these bloody purges, two journalists entered the jungles of Cambodia to uncover secrets still buried there Introduction -- The Faceless Father -- The New World Order -- The Lost Childhood -- The Vietnam Factor -- The Missing Brother -- The Enemies -- The Year Zero -- The Implosion -- The Rebuilding -- The Homecoming -- The Understanding -- The Killing Fields. Gina Chon And Sambath Thet. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In this age of suicide bombers and terror alerts, the world is still at a loss to comprehend the violence of zealots. Behind the Killing Fields bravely confronts this challenge in an exclusive portrait of one man's political madness and another's personal wisdom. --Book Jacket Based on exclusive interviews with the top surviving Khmer Rouge leader, Nuon Chea, this book tells the story of a man who began as an idealistic freedom fighter and wound up involved in one of the worst atrocities of the twentieth century, Cambodia's Killing Fields.