1: Aimed at creating an agrarian utopia , it would instead prove one of the worst genocides of the modern era , resulting in the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians -- about a quarter of the country 's population -- over the next four years . 2: For decades after the Khmer Rouge were driven from Phnom Penh by Soviet-backed Vietnamese forces in January 1979 , the regime 's crimes were seldom spoken about , let alone attempts made to seek redress for victims . 3: At least 1.7 million people were killed in the subsequent four years , before the regime was driven out .
1: at least 1.7 million Cambodians 2: victims 3: At least 1.7 million people