50: Phnom Penh

 50 years ago today (April 17,1975) the Fall of Phnom Penh happened in Cambodia when the Communist Khmer Rouge took over the Capital.

With the upcoming Communist Victory the United States evacuated 82 Americans, 159 Cambodians, and 35 Other Nationals to U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Thailand.

600 Foreigners (including American Citizens) and 1,000 Cambodians fled to the French Embassy in Phnom Pehn for safety when the Khmer Rouge took over the city.

All Cambodians (except Cambodian Women married to Foreign Men, but not Cambodian men married to Foreign Women) were handed over to the Khmer Rouge by the French where most were later murdered.

On April 30, 1975 the Khmer Rouge let the Foreigners leave the Embassy by truck to the Thai Border.

While ending the Cambodian Civil War (1967-1975) it started the Cambodian Genocide led by Pol Pot.

A few hours after entering Phnom Pehn the Khmer Rouge ordered all Residents of the Capital (2.5 Million People including 20,000 Patients from the Hospitals) to evacuate the City.

At least 3,000 People died as a direct result of the evacuation.

The Khmer Rouge did the same to every Cambodian Town and City.

The Khmer Rouge then went about murdering their own Citizens.

Anyone who spoke French (Cambodia was a French Colony from 1887-1954), anyone with an Education, all Teachers, anyone wearing glasses, Ethnic Chinese, Ethnic Vietnamese, Catholics, etc.

From 1975-1979 the Khmer Rouge murdered at least 2 Million Men, Women and Children.

The Cambodian Genocide ended when the Communist Vietnamese entered Phnom Pehn on January 7, 1979.

The Khmer Rouge continued to fight from the jungles until 1989.

Pol Pot died in 1998 without being brought to justice for his crimes.

There were no Diplomatic Relations between the United States and Cambodia from 1975-1991.