New People (Cambodia)

New People (in Khmer: neak phnoe or neak thmei) were civilian Cambodians who were controlled and exploited by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia (officially then known as Democratic Kampuchea) from 1975 to 1979. Generally, anyone who was from an urban area was made a New Person and people from rural areas were made Old People.

New People were not allowed any property and they were forced to work at least 10 hours a day, and often more. Their food rations were so small they led to starvation. Disease was rampant and in 1976 it was estimated that 80% of the Cambodian population had malaria.[1]

One of the Khmer Rouge mottos, in reference to the New People, was "To keep you is no benefit. To destroy you is no loss."[2]

See also

References
  1. The Roots of Evil By Ervin Staub
  2. Soizick Crochet, Le Cambodge, Karthala, Paris 1997, ISBN 2-86537-722-9
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