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Other Genocides in the 20 th (and 21 st ) Century. Cambodian Genocide. Led by Pol Pot 1975-1979 2,000,000 deaths Used mass starvation in the “killing fields” (targets: educated, artists, monks, former govt. officials, and minorities) Diet=1 tin of rice (180 grams) per person every 2 days.
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Cambodian Genocide • Led by Pol Pot • 1975-1979 • 2,000,000 deaths • Used mass starvation in the “killing fields” (targets: educated, artists, monks, former govt. officials, and minorities) • Diet=1 tin of rice (180 grams) per person every 2 days. • Torture included pulling out fingernails, peeling off skin, etc.
Cambodian Genocide Background • Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge (an armed resistance movement) • Inspired by communism and Mao ZeDong • Claimed he was “purifying” society by removing capitalism, western culture, city life, and all western influences. • Cambodia was sealed off from outside world- $forbidden • Pol Pot deposed by Vietnam in 1979, he continued to lead resistance for next 17 years. • Died by heart attack before he could be tried for war crimes
Rwandan Civil War (1994) • Tutsis – • Held most of the power, but was only 15-20% of the population. • Were given special treatment better jobs, education. • Redistribution of land. • Hutu – • 80-85% of the population. • Mistreated by Tutsis. • Genocide – trying to kill off an entire ethnic group, religion, race, etc. • Hutu uprising – wanted a Hutu run government. • April-July 1994 • 500,000 Tutsis die. • Total death = 800,000 – 1,000,000.
Tribal Makeup – divided between Hutus and Tutsis. Hutus – 85% of the pop. Tutsis – 15% of the pop. Pre-1800s – Tutsi royal family ruled the area (held most of the wealth).
European Imperialism • 1800s – early 1900s – Rwanda controlled by Germany and then Belguim • Tutsis are favored over the Hutus by Europeans (over the years, creates tension btw. the two tribes)
Rwandan Independence • 1959 – Rwanda given ind. by Belgium • Elections held – Hutu majority wins the election. • Hutus use power to begin to take rights/power away from Tutsi minority. • Violence breaks out causing many Tutsis to flee the nation. • 1985 – Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) created by Paul Kagame to fight for Tutsi rights in Rwanda.
1990 – Civil war breaks out as RPF attacks Rwandan army. • 1993 – Civil war ends as RPF and Hutu govt. try to make peace. • Hutus in the army and govt. begin to gather arms and train militias in preparation for mass killings. • April 6, 1994 – Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana assasinated (plane shot out of sky)
Genocide Begins • Moderate members of the govt. are all killed by the radicals to prevent their blocking of the killings. • April – July 1994 – Tutsis and moderate Hutus are rounded up and killed. (1 million dead)
World’s Response? • VERY LITTLE IS DONE!!! • United States doesn’t want to get involved because of what happened in Somalia in 1993. • UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda is too small to accomplish anything. UN commander in Rwanda constantly asked for reinforcements.
Genocide Ends • RPF immediately resumes its attacks after hearing word of the genocide. • July 1994 – RPF seizes control of the capital ending the genocide. • 2 million Hutus flee Rwanda to neighboring nations. • Paul Kagame becomes President of Rwanda in 2000 (still is today). • Trials held in Rwanda to punish those who participated in the genocide.
Genocide in former Yugoslavia • Location: Bosnia-Herzegovina • 1992-1995 • 200,000 deaths • Comprised of three main ethnic groups: • Serbs (Orthodox Christians) • Croats (Catholics) • Muslims • Muslims and Croats were massacred by Bosnian Serbs
Background: Bosnia • Serbs led by Slobodan Milosevic and Karadzic • Bosnian Muslims were put into concentration camps, gunned down and females were raped • Serbs referred to their policy as “Ethnic Cleansing” • UN was not allowed to intervene, watched atrocities • One day in 1993, 8,000 Muslims were executed by Serbs at a UN Safe Haven • US led a NATO supported bombing raid • Nov. 1, 1995 Peace talks were attended by Milosevic and others
Darfur, Sudan (2003) • Aggressors • Sudanese government. • Janjaweed – Arab nomads. • Victims • Black African ethnic groups from southern Darfur. • Cause – nomads have invaded southern Darfur for access to better land. • As many as 450,000 dead from violence & disease.
Darfur (Sudan) • Culture is divided between those of Arab background and those of African background. • Arabs control the government and have used this power to oppress the black population. • Janjaweed – Arab militia supported by the govt. have attacked black villages in Darfur (over 450,000 dead, thousands of women and girls raped, over 2.5 million displaced refugees) • International Court has issued a warrant for Pres. Omar al-Bashir. • Not enough action on the part of the world to stop this genocide.