the Khmer RougeKhmer Rouge, the /ˌkmeə ˈruːʒ, kəˌmeə- $ kəˌmeər-/ an extreme left-wing military organization which took control of the government of Cambodia in 1975, under its leader Pol Pot. Around 3 million Cambodians are believed to have been killed under Khmer Rouge rule, which continued until 1979. → see also Killing Fields, The