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