| IntroductionMen are innately self-centred. | | | | proclaimed, “more than two thousands |
| Due to this characteristic, countless | | | | year of Cambodian history has end. A little |
| problems are flourished, and if there is no | | | | hostile glance into the politics of |
| any official institution to govern | | | | Democratic Kampuchea, one (especially one |
| men’s negative nature, the whole state | | | | living outside Cambodia) may think that |
| would steps toward anarchy. Single-mindedly | | | | Democratic Kampuchea did provide stability to |
| targets to offer possible benefits to its | | | | the people, because for nearly the whole of |
| people, nearly all government in the world is | | | | its reign, there were no serious internal and |
| divided between the three; executive, | | | | external upheavals. This stability was caused |
| legislative, and judicial. Professor George | | | | by removing all the human rights and even the |
| Mckenna, in one of his excerpts called | | | | natural rights of the Cambodian people only. |
| “Why Government,” claims that | | | | Such a compressed stability is not called |
| government has four basic compulsions to be | | | | “genuine stability”, because the |
| executed (McKenna, 1998, 7).Democratic | | | | government’s deployment of force to |
| Kampuchea, on other hand, drew a completely | | | | attain. For Plato, to attain the stability of |
| outlook from what Professor George Mckenna | | | | the whole state, each individual must have |
| has claimed above. All of the people who have | | | | stability in the soul as well (Forsyth & |
| survived the Pol Pot regime would refer to | | | | Soper, 1988, p. 24). Imagine, how could you |
| this government, as not to service the | | | | sleep if you didn’t have enough food? |
| people, but to enslave its own people, and | | | | How would you feel if you were convicted |
| some would even depict the leaders as "worse | | | | guilty without having a chance to protest |
| than Hitler" and a "genocidal maniac" | | | | back?III. Providing for The Common |
| (Chandler, 1999, p.4). And many have | | | | Defense?Government is an aggregate of similar |
| explained the ghost of three; Pol Pot, Ieng | | | | ideology, so that such an organization is |
| Sary and Kieve Samphan, as insane | | | | formed to service the people. James Madison |
| philosophers. A confidential CPK document | | | | claimed that because man is different from |
| asserted that the “expulsion of the | | | | angel; endless ambition, man is deem to be |
| population from Phnom Penh is a measure one | | | | curiously argumentative. We can draw an |
| will not encounter in any other | | | | equation from this that, government is |
| country’s revolution.” in a | | | | supposed to have the same mentality; one |
| similar vein, Ieng Sary told a German | | | | government could invade another government |
| correspondent in1976, “it is still too | | | | for beneficial or malicious purpose.As April |
| early to announce what we are doing in our | | | | Seventeen arrived, government soldiers were |
| country. Since our action is not based on | | | | told that the war had finished and all Khmer |
| models, we are learning in the course of the | | | | was to become brothers who should integrate |
| experiment (Chandler, 1991, p.204).” | | | | to get Kampuchea Krom back from Vietnam. And |
| Probably the only government whose philosophy | | | | one Special Centre Assembly for Cabinet |
| has totally molded Cambodian moral/legal | | | | Ministers and all zone/region secretary was |
| economic system into a complete earthly | | | | held. In that special meeting, among the |
| utopia, Democratic Kampuchea draws a lot of | | | | eight points stated by Pol Pot, seventh |
| curiosity from the world’s states and | | | | point; expel the entire Vietnamese minority |
| inhabitants.Democratic Kampuchea is the | | | | population, and eighth point; sending |
| government that ruled Cambodia from | | | | soldiers to the border especially to the |
| 1975-1979. This regime is governed by Pol | | | | Khmer-Vietnamese border (Ben Kiernan, 1985, |
| Pot, Ieng Sary and Kieve Samphan and other | | | | p.361-362). Ta Mok added that all place that |
| subordinates. This regime is notorious for | | | | has palm trees, is belonged to Khmer. |
| its “auto-genocide” which means | | | | Democratic Kampuchea constitution, Chapter I, |
| slaughtering its own people (having the same | | | | Article 1 which stated that “The State |
| nationality as the leaders). Democratic | | | | of Kampuchea is an independent, unified, |
| Kampuchea is considered as one of the | | | | peaceful, neutral, non-aligned, sovereign, |
| weirdest regimes in the world, due to its | | | | and democratic State enjoying territorial |
| destruction of its own nation and people. For | | | | integrity (Jennar, 1995, p.83)” also |
| years, the world has dramatically turned | | | | devote to defense Khmer territory and Khmer |
| their attentions to this 1975-1979 regime. | | | | people against foreign invasion in any form. |
| For better understand about Democratic | | | | However, do these all mean Democratic |
| Kampuchea government, I suggested:David P. | | | | Kampuchea did response to the third |
| Chandler (1999). Brother Number One.Ben | | | | obligation, thus worth called “a |
| Kiernan (1985). How Pol Pot Came To | | | | responsible government”?If not under |
| Power.David P. Chandler (1991). The Tragedy | | | | any form of foreign pressure, many has come |
| of Cambodian history.Or visit Documentation | | | | up with a rhetoric why people were forced to |
| Centre of Cambodia.Many questions are still | | | | bury their heads into giant collective farms, |
| remained unanswered; why the government | | | | in order to attain the yielding policy of the |
| killed too many people? Who was/were | | | | revolutionary organization? And how was the |
| responsible for the demises of over one | | | | annual farming yield vanished?Democratic |
| million Cambodian citizens? How would those | | | | Kampuchea was deemed to have a lot of |
| history traitors be punished? To answer many | | | | similarities to the Cultural Revolution of |
| of the questions above, a glimpse into | | | | Mao Zedong in between 1966-1976. Those |
| Democratic Kampuchea’s governance would | | | | similarities were seen in that Mao Zedong |
| dramatically benefit. Did Democratic | | | | forced all the Chinese schools to be closed, |
| Kampuchea do anything among the four to | | | | and after months, he encouraged the Red |
| fulfill what we call the obligations of the | | | | Guards to abolish all the traditional values |
| government?I. Establishing Justice?The term | | | | and bourgeois things, in order to test the |
| “justice” is extremely convoluted | | | | party’s followers by criticizing them. |
| to express in words. Socrates, Plato, | | | | The commanders ordered their subordinates and |
| Aristotle…etc, all have different | | | | soldiers to take control schools, factories |
| opinions for this term “justice”. | | | | and government agencies. Step by step, this |
| Not only amongst the people, different forms | | | | revolution moved to become stricter and |
| of government; capitalism, socialism, and | | | | stricter. Many elderly people were not only |
| democracy, also provide different | | | | mentally attacked but also physically |
| perspectives. We could define the word | | | | (cultural revolution, internet, p.1-2). Other |
| justice by presenting a figure of a blindfold | | | | resemblances were seen in turning all the |
| woman with a set of scales. The scales | | | | private property into state ownership and the |
| symbolize balance and fairness; the blindfold | | | | great leap forward approach. Ben Kiernan |
| stands for impartiality (McKenna, 1998, 7). | | | | wrote about Chinese financial aids to |
| “Justice does not necessarily mean | | | | Democratic Kampuchea that; in September 13, |
| treating everyone alike; otherwise all | | | | 1975 diplomatic source in Beijing claimed |
| workers would receive the same pay and all | | | | that China increased un-aligned financial |
| students would earn the same grade, | | | | military aids to Cambodia up to one billion |
| regardless of performance or effort. The | | | | USD and twenty millions USD as rewards. This |
| impartiality of justice is not completely | | | | was thought as the most impressive aids of |
| indiscriminate” (McKenna, 1998, 7). For | | | | China ever been given to any country |
| Aristotle’s perspective, just is | | | | (Chandler, 1991, p.260). David P. Chandler |
| “the proportional,” meaning that | | | | added that; most farmers, happy or unhappy, |
| each person should be given what is due to | | | | were owed to their creditor, China (Chandler, |
| him or her (McKenna, 1998, 8).Justice was | | | | 1991, p.239). Many new people saw the point |
| never been done in the Pol Pot regime. What | | | | that they had to work to feed themselves and |
| Pol Pot had promised that his regime would | | | | to increase the agrarian productivities. Such |
| bring the innovative circle for the people; | | | | a stance was diminished after the |
| justice, opportunity for the uneducated and | | | | 1975’s output was seen to deliver to |
| the poor, turning elite’s political | | | | far-away unloaded destination by government |
| power into people’s hands, etc, were | | | | trucks. In fact, the government delivered |
| been done very little. On the outset of its | | | | thousand of tones of rice to China to pay the |
| governance, Democratic Kampuchea divided | | | | debts. The 1976’s finished rice was to |
| people into two groups; “base | | | | be deliver as well, but due to excessive |
| people” and “new people”. | | | | demands from the government, starvation |
| This I would call the second apartheid, like | | | | became widespread (Chandler, 1991, p. |
| in South Africa. The new people had much | | | | 239).All the above evident has unveiled the |
| harsher living conditions and torture, | | | | Democratic Kampuchea that hadn’t |
| compared to the base people. Even in the | | | | protect people from foreign invasion at all. |
| one-party-one-candidate election, base people | | | | In contrast, people were enslaved to pay the |
| were not allowed to vote at all. Resulting | | | | debts of the government back to China.IV. |
| from this, one query has been arisen; why | | | | Promoting The General Welfare?Maslow asserted |
| Democratic Kampuchea had discrimination on | | | | that People desire for hierarchy of motives; |
| its own people? We can venture to answer the | | | | starting from physiological needs to safety |
| question that, because Pol Pot had long had | | | | needs to love needs, esteem needs, and |
| revengeful mentality.For the whole reigning | | | | finally self-actualization needs (Myers,1990, |
| period of Democratic Kampuchea, Cambodian | | | | 314). Besides the three chronological |
| people were forced to devote their lives to | | | | obligations of the government written above, |
| unpaid labour force to fulfill the earthly | | | | government is assigned to be the |
| “collective agrarian utopia” | | | | welfare-supplier to all the Cambodian |
| policy. CPK soldiers were taught the culture | | | | citizens. Business regulation, helping the |
| of detest toward Royal dynasties, | | | | disabled and orphans in the form of payments |
| intellectuals, the rich, and Sihanouk and Lon | | | | or shelters. For this purpose, varieties of |
| Nol’s adherents. Over the years, they | | | | institution, governmental organizations, and |
| has been trained to hate “enemies of | | | | non-governmental organizations have been |
| the organization” – the | | | | established to accelerate the process. |
| Americans, who bombed the country, the | | | | Constitution also claims the role of the |
| traitors allied to the Americans, and the | | | | government on this goal.Government should be |
| city-dwellers, who had refused to join the | | | | like a tree that unconditionally and |
| revolution. They were taught to relish their | | | | tirelessly provides shade to all who are in |
| resentments; a CPK cadre told Sophy “we | | | | need. Or like the parents who cater cares for |
| were so angry when we emerge from the forest | | | | the children. Government would always |
| that we didn’t want to spare even a | | | | heroically venture to sacrifice everything |
| baby in its cradle (Chandler, 1991, | | | | for the goods of its citizens, as Buth |
| p.253).” Before 1977-1978, revenge | | | | Savong, Cambodia’s Buddhist philosophy |
| between classes was widespread. One | | | | scholar, wrote in his book called “The |
| handwritten document, entitled ‘Who | | | | Lesson for Life”;In the dry season, |
| Leads the People’s War?’, | | | | absence of wind, in the middle of field, the |
| illustrates the absolute character of | | | | heat is enormously high, but the tree can |
| Democratic Kampuchea’s government with | | | | still bare such an ordeal respectfully.Look! |
| a veiled reference to | | | | Admire the tree that provides cool shade to |
| Sihanouk:…Therefore the only leaders of | | | | men and animals, always be tolerant to the |
| the people’s war are the layer of the | | | | sun’s ray, in accordance to her |
| people who experience the greatest | | | | nature.Likewise, the guardian/breadwinner is |
| expression, the greatest pain, and have the | | | | the comfortable shade of the other, he or |
| greatest anger are the most absolute in | | | | herself has to possess the quality of |
| waging war to exterminate the exploiting | | | | endurance, struggle for the hardship.Admire |
| classes, the imperialists, the feudalists and | | | | the parents! Both of them are the guardians |
| the capitalists. These layers of people are | | | | breadwinners of the child/children, how have |
| the toiler class. And the highest | | | | they endured the suffering (Buth Savong, |
| Organization, the top general command, the | | | | 2003, p.58)…Or like in the book |
| vanguard force, with the boldest line of | | | | entitled, “The Tao Inner Peace”, |
| attack for the toiler class, is the toiler | | | | Diane Dreher suggested the style of |
| Party, which is adorned with the greatest | | | | leadership through Taoist philosophy. In that |
| brilliance of Maxist-Leninist consciousness | | | | book, she stated that leader would resemble |
| and endowed with a political line and | | | | the water, which is always cool and |
| political standpoint of serving above all the | | | | timelessly beneficial.“The best people |
| interests of the producing class, and of the | | | | (government) are like water.They benefits all |
| nation...(Ben Kiernan, 1985, p.326)In | | | | things,And do not compete with them.They |
| September 1977, Pol Pot encouraged the | | | | settle in low places,…” (Dreher, |
| farming strata of people by comparing them to | | | | 1990,180).Democratic Kampuchea’s |
| the empire of Angkor Wat;Long ago we have | | | | general welfare was far below zero, people |
| Angkor. Angkor was built during the slaving | | | | were forced to live their lives back into the |
| era. Slaves like us built Angkor under the | | | | primitive tradition during |
| exploitation class so the royal people can | | | | antiquity.ConclusionGovernment is a mean to |
| live in happiness. If our people can built | | | | an end! There is no need at all, if men are |
| Angkor, they can do anything (Chandler, 1996, | | | | innately insightful, philosophical, |
| p.246).All the culture and tradition; | | | | psychologically enlightened. But since men |
| language, religion, clothing, food, etc, of | | | | are evil creatures, government is required to |
| ethnic minorities and even of Cambodian | | | | cease the upheavals of the people. The four |
| people were abolished, except the Khmer | | | | basic duties stated above, is initial answer |
| language was the only cultural item to be | | | | to the question “why |
| retained. Familyism was still seen among the | | | | government?”. Still government has many |
| top leaders of Democratic Kampuchea; | | | | more compulsions to be executed to be worth |
| relatives of the leaders were not to be | | | | called people’s government. Democratic |
| evacuated or tortured (Chandler, 1993, | | | | Kampuchea didn’t fill any among the |
| p.210). All people were not allowed to have | | | | four obligations as they did contract with |
| access to lawyers or judges at all, they were | | | | the people, while campaigning for popular |
| convicted by the Democratic Kampuchea’s | | | | support. Such a gang government is not |
| soldiers only, though Chapter 7, Article 9 | | | | supposed to last long, because they deploy |
| stated that “Justice is administered by | | | | forces to make people respect them.Professor |
| people’s courts, representing and | | | | Atiyah, in one of his edition called |
| defending the people’s justice, | | | | “Promises, Morals, and Law” wrote |
| defending the democratic rights and liberties | | | | that; A human being has only very limited |
| of the people, and condemning any activities | | | | capacity to improve his lot in the world when |
| directed against the people’s State or | | | | he acts entirely on his own. It is only by |
| violating the laws of the people’s | | | | exchanging his surplus goods, and the |
| State (Jennar, 1995, p.85).II. Ensuring | | | | products of his labour, with others, and by |
| Domestic Tranquility?Philosopher Reinhold | | | | thus joining with them in cooperative |
| Niebuhr noted that “every community | | | | activities that man has been able to create |
| seeks consciously and unconsciously to make | | | | the wealth which satisfies the wants of human |
| social peace and order the first goal of its | | | | race. No single person acting on his own |
| life” and he also added that “for | | | | could begin to make one-thousandth of the |
| the simple reason that chaos means | | | | goods which he uses in his daily life-the |
| nonexistence” (McKenna, 1998, 9). As | | | | food he eats, the house he lives in, the car |
| stated above, because men are innately | | | | or train in which he travels to work, are all |
| self-important, government is the compulsory | | | | the result of co-operation by an unimaginable |
| institution to cater domestic tranquility. | | | | number of people. So it is easy to agree that |
| Madison wrote that since men were no angels, | | | | anything which encourages or facilitates |
| we require some kind of armed umpire to keep | | | | human co-operation is, other things being |
| us from harming one another (McKenna, 1998, | | | | equal, of great utility (Atiyah, 1995, |
| 9). Professor George McKenna proclaimed that | | | | p.30-31). Democratic Kampuchea government is |
| coercion is the available source of the | | | | thought to be full of milk of self-interest; |
| government to stabilize the state (McKenna, | | | | turning the whole society to fit their needs. |
| 1998, 7), and no one can hold this source | | | | Perhaps now we can venture to answer the |
| besides the government, which is comprised of | | | | question why did Democratic Kampuchea last |
| people. What about the Democratic Kampuchea, | | | | too short? by using Professor Atiyah’s |
| had them done such an obligation?In May 1975, | | | | statements and because they turn the whole |
| a spokesman of Democratic Kampuchea publicly | | | | society into self-interest. |