ICC Note:
Forty years ago one quarter of the population of Cambodia was wiped out by the Khmer Rouge. One out of every three men were killed. There were 170,000 Christians in the country before the war. After the rule of the Khmer Rouge only a few thousand were left. Recently, through hard work, the Church is slowly growing again in Cambodia. One Bishop noted that the community was completely dispersed when they arrived in Cambodia. Now, the Bishop claims, there are 28 church communities in his prefect and they are active and growing in their faith.
11/9/2016 Cambodia (Rome Reports) – One of the most brutal modern genocides took place in Cambodia, 40 years ago. The Khmer Rouge murdered one out of three men, one quarter of the population. In four years, Pol Pot’s madness claimed the lives of 1.7 million people. The dictator established a medieval regime of terror and restlessly hunted Christians.
“The war, Pol Pot’s revolution sweeped everyone away. Bishops, religious women, and catechists were killed. The community was razed to virtually nothing. Many of the surviving Catholics never had any hope for peace in their country, and they had to emigrate to the United States, France, Europe, and Japan. Very few people stayed behind.”
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