Cambodia History
During the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries, the Indianised states of Funan and Chenla coalesced in what is now present-day Cambodia and southwestern Vietnam. These states are assumed by most scholars to have been Khmer. For more than 2,000 years, Cambodia absorbed influences from India and China, passing them on to other Southeast Asian civilizations that are now Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. The Khmer Empire flourished in the area from the 9th to the 13th centuries. Around the 13th century, Theravada Buddhism was introduced to the area through monks from Sri Lanka.
From then on, Theravada Buddhism grew and eventually became the most popular religion. The Khmer Empire declined yet remained powerful in the region until the 15th century. The empire's center of power was Angkor, where a series of capitals was constructed during the empire's zenith. Angkor could have supported a population of up to one million people. Angkor, the world's largest per-industrial settlement complex, and Angkor Wat, the most famous and best-preserved religious temple at the site, are reminders of Cambodia's past as a major regional power. [edit] Dark ages of Cambodia After a long series of wars with neighboring kingdoms, Angkor was sacked by the Ayutthaya Kingdom and abandoned in 1432 because of ecological failure and infrastructure breakdown. The court moved the capital to Lovek where the kingdom sought to regain its glory through maritime trade. The attempt was short-lived however, as continued wars with the Ayutthaya and Vietnamese resulted in the loss of more territory and Lovek being conquered in 1594. During the next three centuries, the Khmer kingdom alternated as a vassal state of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and Vietnamese kings, as well as short-lived periods of relative independence.[citation needed] 
The Rise and Fall of Angkor
In 790, the Khmer ruler Jayavarman II came to power. His reign signaled the beginning of golden age of the Khmers. His dynasty, based around the city of Angkor, lasted from the ninth century to the fifteenth century. The rulers of Angkor Kingdom saw themselves as davarajas, or god-kings.The kings of Angkor strove to outdo one other by expanding their territory and building splendid monuments and public works. One of the greatest monarchs was Suryavarman II, who built the temple complex of Angkor Wat. At its greatest extent, the Angkor empire controlled much of present-day mainland Southeast Asia. After the death of its last great ruler, Jayavarman VII, Angkor began to fall apart. The final blow came in 1431, when Siam (Thailand) conquered the last capital, Angkor Thom. Cambodia's royal capitals were alternately subject to Siamese or Vietnamese invasion or interference for almost five centuries 
Civil War in Cambodia ( Khmer Rouge)
The political events of the last 5 years had prepared the ground for the Khmer Rouge victory in 1975: the excessive corruption and incompetence of Lon Nol's government, the intermittent USA bombing in Cambodia during 1969-73 that killed around 150,000 peasants, the American and South Vietnamese invasion of Southeastern Cambodia that drove the North Vietnamese troops deeper into the country and the support showed by Sihanouk to the Khmer Rouge led many Cambodian's to believe that they would be better off under the Pol Pot led party. At the beginning the Khmer Rouge had been dependent of their Vietnamese allies, but as they grew stronger and gained support in the countryside, they became more independent and their ideological line took a different approach: they pursued an indigenous communism based in the agrarian Chinese Cultural Revolution (as opposed to the more Soviet style communism followed by the Vietnamese), supported by strong nationalist feelings. Despite their earlier collaboration Cambodian communism was embedded in strong anti-Vietnamese feelings. Agrarian Utopia In 1975, after a long civil war against Lon Nol's army, the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh and were greeted by effusive crowds that believed the end of the war and warship would finally be over. Nothing further from reality, the new regime (Democratic Kampuchea) would be the most brutal in Cambodian history. Next day the Khmer Rouge started evacuating all the cities and relocating all their citizens to the country side. Cambodia was reinvented into a radical agrarian utopia: all foreign influences, capitalism, western culture, religion and modern life were abolished. Embassies were closed, foreign expelled, newspapers, radio and television stations were closed, health care and education eliminated, money and markets banned. Children were removed from their parental guard and put in communal camps. Cambodia was taken back to "year zero". 
The 1980s can be summarised as the civil war fuelled by the USA, China and the ASEAN nations, between the People's Republic of Cambodia and opposition groups, amongst which the Khmer Rouge were the only serious organized fighting force. The country was heavily mined by both sides and deforestation took its toll in the countryside. In 1989 the dismemberment of the eastern block forced an already wretched Vietnam to withdraw from Cambodia.
The departure of the Vietnamese cleared the way for the pacification process of the country. In 1990 the UN put forth a plan for free and democratic elections to take place in 1993. The refugees started to be repatriated to the country. However the Khmer Rouge grew more intransigent and refused to be desarmed as part of the democratic process. Amid the escalating of violence the FUNCIPEC party headed by Sihanouk's som prince Ranariddh won 58 seats in the elections, closely followed by the Cambodian's People Party. This last party was gradually becoming the dominant force in the country. In 1994 the Khmer Rouge, politically and economically isolated, started desintegrating. The darkest chapter of Cambodian history was finally over, and Cambodia slowly entered a new politcal stage that has shaped present-day Cambodia. |
History always begins with legends. Here an Indian Brahmin named Kaundinya married Soma, the Funan queen and that was the beginning of the dynasties of the Funanese kings. The name Funan derives from the Chinese rendition of the old Khmer word bnam (meaning mountain). It is unknown until today what the Funanese called themselves.
Harder facts come from the first century B.C. when some city states likely with an austro-asiatic Mon population allied. The new kingdom centered in the lower Mekong delta. Its capital city Vyadharapura (town of the hunters) has not been found until today. We know about the strong Indian influences in language, law and religion at that time. Funan was an important station on the ocean routes and it regulated the sea trade between India and China by its efficient navy. Oc Eo was the most greatest seaport. The earliest facts date to the mid-3rd century A.C. At that time Funan reached its furthest extent under the rule of king Fan Shi Man. Nearly all the neighbour states in Thailand, Malaysia and southern Burma collapsed. Only the giant Chinese Empire had the strength to act as political counterbalance. Funan collapsed in the sixth century and was replaced by the Chenla kingdom. The cradle of Chenla laid in the region of Wat Phu in the south of Laos with its capital city Bhavapura. The last Funanese king Bhavavarman married a princess from the royal family of Chenla and they became the founders of the first Khmer empire. [More Information] The French and World War II
In 1864, Norodom Became King. In 1884, the French persuaded King Norodom to accept protectorate status for Cambodia, saving the country from being divided between its two neighbors. Cambodia became part of French Indochina, along with Laos and Vietnam, and gained stability. The French did little develop Cambodia as part of its colony of Indochina; however, they did build roads and establish rubber plantations in the country. Japanese force briefly occupied Cambodia during World War II (1939-1945)after the war,the French reclaimed Indochina, and 1945, France granted Cambodia autonomy.
The Khmer Rouge killed an estimated 2 million Cambodians in a four year period. Deadly purges were conducted to "purify" the society. At the beginning they were aimed at the elements of the "old society": teachers, intellectuals, doctors, lawyers, wealthy people, Buddhist monks, police, former government officials and the educated. Towards 1967-68 the party became obssesed with the idea of enemies infiltrating into the party ranks and the bloody purges were carried out against party cadres.
Malnutrition and disease claimed a big number of deaths. The regions were given unrealistic quotas of rice that have to be sent to Phnom Penh and more often than not people would be left with no food in order to meet the quotas. Starvation along with lack of medical care (there were no trained people and no medicines) proved fatal, and by 1977 the country could not sustain itself due to the high percentage of death. However, delusions of grandeur of the regime led them to raid Vietnamese villages in order to gain control of the Mekong delta. The poorly equipped Khmer troops were not match for the Vietnamese forces, and the results were catastrophic. Pol Pot responded with more purges within his party members and a number of them escaped to Vietnam. Amongst them was Heng Samrin, a militar whom the Vietnamese chose to replace Pol Pot, who was becoming a nuisance for them. In 1979 dissident Cambodians assisted by around 90,000 Vietnamese soldiers invaded Cambodia and Pol Pot's regime fleed to neighbouring Thailand. Despite the antivietnamese feelings of Cambodians, Vietnamese occupation was eagerly welcomed. 
The Vietnam Occupation or People's Republic of Cambodia was the new regime formed by a heterogenous group of communists and non communist exiles that with the help of 90,000 Vietnameses troops had overthrown Pol Pot's regime. After the Vietnamese troops took Phnom Penh in 1979 the Khmer Rouge fleed to the Thai border and the country was left in chaos and confussion. Millions of Cambodians that had been relocated by force started wandering around the country in search of the families and friends, and hunderds of thousands sought help in the refugees camps along the Thai border.
As a result of this disorganization the fields were left unnatended and in 1979-80 a widespread famine proliferated over the country. The images of starving Cambodians were widely published in the world and an umprecedent aid campaign took place. However, Cambodia was going to be the victim of the international political status quo once more, and the newly stablished People's Republic of Cambodia (a pro Hanoi government headed by Hen Samrin) was not recognised by the international community (except the eastern block and its allies). Little help was offered to reconstruct the country that was left in tatters by the Khmer Rouge. Instead, the international help was diverted to the refugee camps along the Thai border. Isolation of the People's Republic of Cambodia As the Vietnamese consolidated in the country the Khmer Rouge, assisted by China and other ASEAN nations, regrouped and started a guerrila figthing against the Phnom Penh government. They were not the only armed group; the USA assisted and armed other non communist groups that wanted to fight the government. The three major opposition groups (the Khmer Rouge, Prince Sihanouk's Funcipec party and Son Sann's party) signed a coalition against the government in 1982 and Sihanouk served as head of the coalition. |
Brief history of Pol Pot
Pol Pot, who become responsible for the deaths of over two million of his own people, was born Saloth Sar in a small Cambodian village about 140 kilometers north of Phnom Penh. His date of birth is uncertain although French records give it as May 25, 1928. At age six he went to live with his brother at the Royal household in Phnom Penh. Here he learned Buddhist precepts and discipline. At age eight he went to a Catholic primary school, where he remained for six years. It was here that he picked up the basics of Western culture, as well as the French language.
In 1949, Pol Pot went to study in Paris on a government scholarship. It was here that he got his introduction to Communism, joining the French Communist party. After four years of exposure to Stalinist Communism he returned to Cambodia in 1953. Within a month he had joined the Communist resistance, becoming a member of Indochina Communist Party (IHC) which was dominated by the Viet Minh.
The 1954 Cambodian elections saw the Communist throw in support with the Democrats. The Democrats were soundly defeated, however, by the incumbent Government of Paris Sihanouk who know held absolute power. Pol Pot now took up a post as a teacher in a private college. He also spent his time recruiting the educated classes to the Communist cause. The Government, however, began a Communist crackdown and Pol Pot was forced to flee to the jungle hiding from the police.
Over the ensuring years the communist bide their time as they built up their strength for take-over attempt. They were bolstered by the North Vietnamese who were waging warfare against the Cambodian Government. A major Vietnamese victory in 1971 allowed the Communist to take control of the certain areas of the country.
In 1973 the communist launched a major attack on the Government but this was halted by American bombing.
A final Communist assault began on January 1, 1975. This time they were victorious. On April 17, Communist forces entered Phnom Penh. Within 24 hours they had ordered the entire city evacuated. This process was repeated in other cities resulting in more than 2 million Cambodian being forced out their homes. Many of them starved to death.
Pol Pot was now prime Minister of Cambodia, which he promptly renamed Kampuchea. In August, 1976 he unveiled his Four Year Plan, which detailed the collectivization of agriculture, the nationalization of industry and the financing of the economy through increased agricultural exports. This plan caused untold misery to the nation with many thousands dying in the paddy fields. Crops needs to feed the population were marked for export. Malnutrition was rampant, made worse by the Communist insistence on traditional Cambodian medicine. Pol Pot also started the infamous S-21 interrogation center where more than 20,000 men, women and children were tortured to death.
Throughout 1976 and '77 skirmishes with Vietnam continued. In December 1977 The Vietnamese made real inroad in Kampuchea. Pol Pot, however, held on for other year. By January 1979 the Vietnamese forces had actually reached Phnom Penh. The Kampuchea Government fled train while Pol Pot was taken by helicopter to Thailand. His last public appearance was an interview in December 1979. For the next 19 years he remained in exile in the jungle. Pol Pot died in 1998.
Pol Pot, who become responsible for the deaths of over two million of his own people, was born Saloth Sar in a small Cambodian village about 140 kilometers north of Phnom Penh. His date of birth is uncertain although French records give it as May 25, 1928. At age six he went to live with his brother at the Royal household in Phnom Penh. Here he learned Buddhist precepts and discipline. At age eight he went to a Catholic primary school, where he remained for six years. It was here that he picked up the basics of Western culture, as well as the French language.
In 1949, Pol Pot went to study in Paris on a government scholarship. It was here that he got his introduction to Communism, joining the French Communist party. After four years of exposure to Stalinist Communism he returned to Cambodia in 1953. Within a month he had joined the Communist resistance, becoming a member of Indochina Communist Party (IHC) which was dominated by the Viet Minh.
The 1954 Cambodian elections saw the Communist throw in support with the Democrats. The Democrats were soundly defeated, however, by the incumbent Government of Paris Sihanouk who know held absolute power. Pol Pot now took up a post as a teacher in a private college. He also spent his time recruiting the educated classes to the Communist cause. The Government, however, began a Communist crackdown and Pol Pot was forced to flee to the jungle hiding from the police.
Over the ensuring years the communist bide their time as they built up their strength for take-over attempt. They were bolstered by the North Vietnamese who were waging warfare against the Cambodian Government. A major Vietnamese victory in 1971 allowed the Communist to take control of the certain areas of the country.
In 1973 the communist launched a major attack on the Government but this was halted by American bombing.
A final Communist assault began on January 1, 1975. This time they were victorious. On April 17, Communist forces entered Phnom Penh. Within 24 hours they had ordered the entire city evacuated. This process was repeated in other cities resulting in more than 2 million Cambodian being forced out their homes. Many of them starved to death.
Pol Pot was now prime Minister of Cambodia, which he promptly renamed Kampuchea. In August, 1976 he unveiled his Four Year Plan, which detailed the collectivization of agriculture, the nationalization of industry and the financing of the economy through increased agricultural exports. This plan caused untold misery to the nation with many thousands dying in the paddy fields. Crops needs to feed the population were marked for export. Malnutrition was rampant, made worse by the Communist insistence on traditional Cambodian medicine. Pol Pot also started the infamous S-21 interrogation center where more than 20,000 men, women and children were tortured to death.
Throughout 1976 and '77 skirmishes with Vietnam continued. In December 1977 The Vietnamese made real inroad in Kampuchea. Pol Pot, however, held on for other year. By January 1979 the Vietnamese forces had actually reached Phnom Penh. The Kampuchea Government fled train while Pol Pot was taken by helicopter to Thailand. His last public appearance was an interview in December 1979. For the next 19 years he remained in exile in the jungle. Pol Pot died in 1998.
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