Following the end of the Vietnamese War in 1975, the Communist regime persecuted those who had supported the defeated South Vietnamese government. South Vietnamese officials, members of the military as well as other individuals who were suspected to be supportive of the South Vietnamese Republic were forced to undergo ideological re-education in so-called re-education camps that functioned mainly as work camps. Many people spent years there before they were released, others died from torture, malnutrition, sickness, hard labour or murder. The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia had similar re-education camps. Many people fled the countries fearing these re-education camps.