(c.1925–98), Cambodian communist leader of the Khmer Rouge, prime minister 1976–9; born Saloth Sar. During his regime the Khmer Rouge embarked on a brutal reconstruction programme in which many millions of Cambodians were killed. Overthrown in 1979, Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge in a guerrilla war against the new Vietnamese-backed government until his official retirement in 1985.