"I did not join the resistance movement to kill people, to kill the nation. Look at me now. Am I a savage person? My conscience is clear"

Pol Pot, as the leader of the Khmer Rouge and orchestrator of one of the twentieth century's most brutal genocides, often struggled to reconcile his self-image with the atrocities perpetrated under his regime. By claiming he did not join the resistance movement to kill people or destroy the nation, he deliberately distances himself from responsibility for the violence and devastation that ensued. He frames his initial intent as noble, joining a resistance not for personal gain or malice, but for a greater cause. The implication is that the losses experienced, and the suffering inflicted, were unintended byproducts rather than calculated policies.

In confronting the accusations against him, Pol Pot raises the question of personal morality by asking, "Am I a savage person?" This rhetorical question seeks to humanize himself, denying the monstrous persona history has attributed. He appeals to an audience's sense of reason and empathy, suggesting that outsiders' perceptions may be distorted or exaggerated compared to his own self-perception. By interrogating the idea of savagery, he simultaneously admits awareness of the enormity of the crimes associated with his name while refusing culpability for them.

The final assertion, "My conscience is clear", serves as both a denial and a rationalization. Despite the evidence of mass killings, forced labor, starvation, and widespread suffering under his rule, he professes no personal guilt or remorse. This reflects a profound capacity for self-justification and perhaps a refusal to fully acknowledge the consequences of his leadership. It hints at the disassociation or ideological justification often seen in architects of totalitarian regimes, who view their actions as necessary sacrifices for an envisioned ideal. The statement reveals both the psychological mechanisms of denial and the complexities involved in grappling with collective trauma and personal accountability after large-scale atrocities.