There is a scholarly consensus that the Cambodian genocide which was carried out by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Pol Pot in what became known as the killing fields was a crime against humanity . Legal scholars Antoine Garapon , David Boyle and sociologist Michael Mann and professor of Political Science Jacques Semelin all believe that the actions of the Communist Party of Kampuchea can best be described as a crime against humanity rather than genocide . In 1997 the co prime ministers of Cambodia sought help from the United Nations in seeking justice for the crimes perpetrated by the communists during the years from 1975 to 1979 . During the month of June that same year Pol Pot was taken prisoner during an internal power struggle within the Khmer Rouge and offered up to the international community . However , no country was willing to seek his extradition . The policies enacted by the Khmer Rouge led to the deaths of one quarter of the population in just four years
Cambodian genocide
Cambodian genocide
Crimes against humanity under Communist regimes