23. A Surprisingly Mild Leader for a Horrific Organization
The Khmer Rouge’s leader, Pol Pot, was a walking contradiction. A monster, he was also a charismatic figure who had given little indication of what he would become. Born into a prosperous family, he received an elite education in Cambodia’s best schools, before moving to Paris, France, where he joined the French Communist Party. Upon returning to Cambodia, he became a college professor, teaching French and Geography, and was beloved by his students as a “very kind man“.
In those days, he frequently lectured on the themes of human decency and kindness, and was described as: “an attractive figure. His deep voice and calm gestures were reassuring. He seemed to be someone who could explain things in such a way that you came to love justice and honesty and hate corruption“. Some students remembered him as “calm, self-assured, smooth featured, honest, and persuasive, even hypnotic when speaking to small groups“. Many of those students became his most enthusiastic Khmer Rouge followers, and were among the most ruthless executioners of what came to be known as the Cambodian Genocide.
