Why Did They Kill? Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide by Alexander Laban HintonReview by: Lucian W. PyeForeign Affairs, Vol. 84, No. 2 (Mar. - Apr., 2005), p. 169Published by: Council on Foreign RelationsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20034330 .

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Why Did They Kill? Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide. BY ALEXANDER LABAN HINTON. University of California Press, 382 Pp. $ss.00 (paper, $21.95).

In this study of a once-peaceful Bud dhist society that got so caught up with

Marxism that it came to see virtue in violence and honor in auto-genocide, Hinton goes further than most accounts of the horrors of Pol Pot's regime in exploring the cultural factors that made Cambodians in the Khmer Rouge will ing to kill so many other Cambodians.

His sophisticated argument, based on subtle analysis of the Khmer language and extensive anthropological study, shows how Cambodian culture attached great importance to power, patronage, status, and honor; perceived humiliation legitimates anger and retribution, creating the potential for disproportionate revenge. Suddenly finding themselves part of a new elite, young Khmer Rouge recruits

were encouraged to dwell on past affronts to their dignity and that of their families and to show no mercy in seek ing retribution against "class enemies" and others perceived as threats. The extraordinary power in Hinton's analysis stems from his readiness to confront hard questions and his skill in elucidat ing the elements in Cambodian culture that made genocide possible. Although he is careful to keep his analysis focused on the Cambodian case, his insights also help explain genocides in general.

F O R E I G N A F FA I R S March/April2005 [16 9 ]

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