Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on recent world history and political movements in Southeast Asia. Khmer Rouge was the name of a radical Communist organisation that came to power in the nineteen seventies and carried out one of the most brutal experiments in social engineering of the twentieth century. The question asks students to identify the country with which this movement is associated, a fact often tested in general knowledge and history examinations.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The key term in the question is Khmer Rouge.
- Options list several Southeast Asian countries, including one whose main ethnic group is called Khmer.
- The learner is expected to know basic information about the region politics and conflicts.
- No dates are given, so the answer depends mainly on name recognition.
Concept / Approach:
Khmer Rouge was the Communist movement that ruled Cambodia under the leadership of Pol Pot. The word Khmer refers to the dominant ethnic group in Cambodia, and this provides a strong clue. During its rule, the Khmer Rouge attempted to create an agrarian utopia by evacuating cities and forcing people into rural labour, leading to mass deaths. To answer the question, students should link the word Khmer with Cambodia and choose that option rather than other Southeast Asian countries which had different revolutionary groups or political histories.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Identify Khmer Rouge as a political and military movement from Southeast Asia.
2. Recall that Khmer is the name of the majority ethnic group in Cambodia and is often used to describe Cambodian language and culture.
3. Remember that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia in the nineteen seventies and were responsible for the Cambodian genocide.
4. Look at the options and see that Combodia, which is a variant spelling of Cambodia, clearly matches this connection.
5. Choose Combodia as the correct answer, rejecting other neighbouring countries that had different revolutionary movements.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, learners can recall that history books and documentaries describe the Khmer Rouge regime specifically in the context of Cambodia, with its capital Phnom Penh, and mention the mass killings in the Cambodian countryside. Vietnam is known for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Communists, Thailand has had its own set of military regimes and political struggles, and Burma and Laos have different revolutionary histories. Only Cambodia is consistently linked with the name Khmer Rouge in all mainstream sources, confirming the correctness of this association.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Vietnam had its own Communist movement led by Ho Chi Minh and later the Viet Cong, but these were not called Khmer Rouge.
Thailand experienced military rule and political unrest but did not have a movement named Khmer Rouge.
Burma, now Myanmar, has seen military juntas and ethnic conflicts but the term Khmer Rouge is not applied to its political groups.
Laos had a Communist movement called Pathet Lao, not Khmer Rouge, and is therefore not the correct answer.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake comes from generalising that any radical movement in Southeast Asia must relate to Vietnam because of its prominent war history. Another issue is simple unfamiliarity with the word Khmer, which may cause random guessing. To avoid these errors, students should firmly remember that Khmer is a key word for Cambodia and that Khmer Rouge refers specifically to the Cambodian Communist regime. Writing down a small mental pair such as Khmer Rouge Cambodia can help fix the association for exams.
Final Answer:
The correct answer is
Combodia (Cambodia).
Discussion & Comments