Country Background Notes, 1990-93
Background Notes, 1990
Background Notes: Cambodia
PA/PC
Source: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public
Affairs
Date: Dec 15, 199012/15/90
Category: Country Data
Region: Southeast Asia
Country: Cambodia
Subject: Cultural Exchange, Resource Management,
Military Affairs, History, International Organizations,
Trade/Economics, Regional/Civil Unrest
[TEXT]
Official Name: Cambodia
PROFILE
Geography
Area: 181,040 sq. km. (69,900 sq. mi.); about the size of Missouri.
Cities: Capital-Phnom Penh (pop. 400,000 est.). Other cities-
Battambang, Siem Reap, Kompong Cham, Kompong Som, Kompong
Thom. Terrain: Central plain drained by the Tonle Sap (Great Lake)
and Mekong and Bassac Rivers. Heavy forests away from the rivers
and the lake, mountains in the southwest (Cardamom Mountains) and
north (Dangrek Mountains) along the border with Thailand. Climate:
Tropical monsoon with rainy season June-Oct. and dry season Nov.-
May.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective: Cambodian(s), Khmer. Population:
(1989) 6.8 million. Avg. annual growth rate: 2.2%. Births: 39
births/1000 population (1989). Deaths: 17 deaths/1000 population .
Infant mortality: 131 deaths/1000 live births. Life expectancy: 47
years male/50 years female. Ethnic groups: Cambodian 90%;
Chinese and Vietnamese 5% each; small numbers of hill tribes,
Chams, and Burmese. Religions: Theravada Buddhism 95%; Islam;
animism; atheism. Languages: Khmer (official) spoken by more than
95% of the population, including minorities; some French still
spoken. Literacy: approximately 50%.
Government
Government is disputed between the resistance groups of the
National Government of Cambodia (NGC)-which formerly called
itself the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK)-
and the Vietnamese-installed authorities in Phnom Penh: the
People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK)-which now calls itself the
State of Cambodia. No single authority controls the entire country.
Administrative subdivisions: 19 provinces and municipalities.
Independence: November 9, 1953. Constitution: PRK: April 30,
1989. Elections: None.
Political parties and leaders: NGC: umbrella organization for
the three resistance groups, including National United Front for an
Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia
(FUNCINPEC) led by Prince Norodom Sihanouk; Khmer People's
National Liberation Front (KPNLF) led by Son Sann; and the Party of
Democratic Kampuchea (the Khmer Rouge) ostensibly led by Khieu
Samphan (all since July 1982); PRK: Kampuchean People's
Revolutionary Party (KPRP), the Communist party installed by
Vietnam in 1979, led by Heng Samrin, KPRP General Secretary and
Chairman of the Council of State since 1981, and Hun Sen, Chairman
of the Council of Ministers since 1985.
Diplomatic Relations: NGC: Brunei, China, Egypt, Indonesia,
Malaysia, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Yugoslavia;
PRK: Vietnam, Laos, Soviet Union, most East European countries,
India, Libya, Cuba, Nicaragua, Seychelles, and the Saharan
Democratic Arab Republic.
Flag: NGC-two horizontal blue bands, divided by a wider red band on
which is centered a white stylized representation of Angkor Wat;
PRK-a red field with five stylized yellow towers.
Economy
GDP: $570 million (1984). Per capita GDP: $90 (1984). Natural
resources: Timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese and
phosphate, hydroelectric potential from the Mekong River.
Agriculture: About 4,848,000 hectares (12 million acres) are
unforested land; all are arable with irrigation but less than two
million hectares are cultivated. Products: Rice, rubber, corn, meat,
vegetables, dairy products, sugar, flour. Industry: Types-rice
milling, fishing, wood and wood products, textiles, cement, some
rubber production (largely abandoned since 1975).
Trade:
Exports: $3 million (1986)-natural rubber, rice, pepper,
wood; Major partners: Vietnam, USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, India;
Imports: $17 million (1986)-international food aid, fuels, consumer
goods; Major Partners: Vietnam, USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, India.
Exchange rate: Approximately 400 riels = $1 (1990).
Economic Aid: Unknown amount from USSR and Eastern Europe to
areas under PRK control. Some humanitarian aid from the UN and
private groups. UN relief efforts coordinated by the Secretary
General's Special Representative for Kampuchean Humanitarian
Assistance provide more than $58 million per year in assistance
(cash and in-kind contributions) for displaced Cambodians along the
Thai-Cambodian border.
Membership in International Organizations:
UN and some of its specialized agencies, including the World Bank
and International Monetary Fund (both unattended since 1975); Asian
Development Bank (ADB); Group of 77; World Federation of Trade
Unions (WFTU);
PRK: none.
HISTORY
Although Cambodia had a rich and powerful past under the
Hindu state of Funan and the Kingdom of Angkor, by the mid-19th
century the country was on the verge of dissolution. After repeated
requests for French assistance, a protectorate was established in
1863. By 1884, Cambodia was a virtual colony; soon after it was
made part of the Indochina Union with Annam, Tonkin, Cochin-China,
and Laos.
France continued to control the country even after the start of
World War II through its Vichy government. In 1945, the Japanese
dissolved the colonial administration, and King Norodom Sihanouk
declared an independent, anti-colonial government under Prime
Minister Son Ngoc Thanh in March 1945. This government was
deposed by the Allies in October. Many of Son Ngoc Thanh's
supporters escaped and continued to fight for independence as the
Khmer Issarak.
Although France recognized Cambodia as an autonomous
kingdom within the French Union, the drive for total independence
continued, resulting in a split between those who supported the
political tactics of Sihanouk and those who supported the Khmer
Issarak guerilla movement. In January 1953, Sihanouk named his
father as regent and went into self-imposed exile, refusing to
return until Cambodia gained genuine independence.
Full Independence
Sihanouk's actions hastened the French government's July 4,
1953 announcement of its readiness to "perfect" the independence
and sovereignty of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Full independence
came on November 9, 1953, but the situation remained unsettled
until a 1954 conference was held in Geneva to settle the French-
Indochina war .
All participants, except the United States and the State of
Vietnam, associated themselves (by voice) with the final
declaration. The Cambodian delegation agreed to the neutrality of
the three Indochinese states but insisted on a provision in the
ceasefire agreement that left the Cambodian government free to
call for outside military assistance should the Viet Minh or others
threaten its territory.
Neutral Cambodia
Neutrality was the central element of Cambodian foreign
policy during the 1950s and 1960s. Sihanouk announced the policy
in 1955 and reaffirmed it in refusing to join the Southeast Asia
Treaty Organization (SEATO). This policy, and Cambodia's close
relations with communist countries, was unwelcome to its
neighbors, Thailand and South Vietnam, resulting in a break in
diplomatic relations with both nations. By the mid-1960s, parts of
Cambodia's eastern provinces were serving as bases for North
Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong (NVA/VC) forces operating against
South Vietnam, and the port of Sihanoukville was being used to
supply them. As NVA/VC activity grew, the United States and South
Vietnam became concerned, and in 1969, the United States began a
series of air raids against NVA/VC base areas inside Cambodia.
Throughout the 1960s, domestic politics polarized. The
middle class opposed Sihanouk's foreign policy and resented his
increasingly autocratic rule, as did the leftists including Paris-
educated leaders such as Son Sen, Ieng Sary, and Saloth Sar (later
known as Pol Pot), who led an insurgency under the clandestine
Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK). Sihanouk called these
insurgents the Khmer Rouge, literally the "Red Khmer." But the
1966 national assembly elections showed a significant swing to the
right, and Gen. Lon Nol formed a new government, which lasted until
1967.
During 1968 and 1969, the insurgency worsened, and Prince
Sihanouk became increasingly alarmed at the growing NVA/VC
presence in eastern Cambodia and growing anti-Vietnamese
sentiment. Sihanouk's diplomatic efforts to persuade the
Vietnamese to leave were unsuccessful. In August 1969, Sihanouk
asked Gen. Lon Nol to form a new government, which began to
exclude the prince from decision-making. Under increasing pressure
from conservatives in the national assembly, Sihanouk went abroad
for medical treatment in January 1970.
The Khmer Republic and the War
In March 1970, the National Assembly withdrew its
confidence from Sihanouk, declared a state of emergency, and gave
full power to Prime Minister Lon Nol. Son Ngoc Thanh announced his
support for the new government. On October 9, the Cambodian
monarchy was abolished, and the country was renamed the Khmer
Republic.
Hanoi rejected the new republic's request for the withdrawal
of NVA/VC troops and began to reinfiltrate some of the 2,000-
4,000 Cambodians who had gone to North Vietnam in 1954. They
became a cadre in the insurgency. Prince Sihanouk joined with the
insurgents to form the Royal Government of the National Union of
Kampuchea (RGNU) in exile in Beijing. The prestige of his name
assisted the insurgents in attracting new recruits from the
peasantry, but control of the movement rested with the communist
party under the nominal leadership of Khieu Samphan-of the Paris-
educated faction of the Communist party, rather than a Hanoi
returnee.
The Khmer Republic initially enjoyed broad support from the
middle classes in the cities and towns, but much of the peasantry
was politically apathetic or loyal to Prince Sihanouk. The United
States moved to provide material assistance to the new
government's armed forces, which were engaged against both the
Khmer Rouge insurgents and NVA/VC forces. In April 1970, US and
South Vietnamese forces entered Cambodia in a campaign aimed at
destroying NVA/VC base areas. Although a considerable quantity of
equipment was seized or destroyed, NVA/VC forces proved elusive
and moved deeper into Cambodia. NVA/VC units overran many
Cambodian army positions while the Khmer Rouge expanded their
small-scale attacks on lines of communication.
The Khmer Republic's leadership was plagued by disunity
among its three principal figures: Lon Nol, Sihanouk's cousin Sirik
Matak, and National Assembly leader In Tam. Lon Nol remained in
power in part because none of the others was prepared to take his
place. In 1972, a constitution was adopted, a parliament elected,
and Lon Nol became president. But disunity, the problems of
transforming a 30,000-man army into a national combat force of
more than 200,000 men, and spreading corruption weakened the
civilian administration and army and drained the enthusiastic urban
support so prevalent just after Sihanouk was deposed.
The insurgency continued to grow, with supplies and military
support provided by North Vietnam. But inside Cambodia, Pol Pot
and Ieng Sary asserted their dominance over the Vietnamese-
trained communists, many of whom were purged. At the same time,
the Khmer Rouge forces became stronger and more independent of
their Vietnamese patrons. By 1973, the Khmer Rouge were fighting
major battles against government forces on their own, and they
controlled nearly 60% of Cambodia's territory and 25% of its
population. At the same time, concern about continued US support
began to affect the republic's morale.
The government made three unsuccessful attempts to enter
into negotiations with the insurgents, but by 1974, the Khmer Rouge
were operating as divisions, and virtually all NVA/VC combat
forces had moved into South Vietnam. Lon Nol's control was reduced
to small enclaves around the cities and main transportation routes.
More than 2 million refugees from the war lived in Phnom Penh and
other cities.
On New Year's Day 1975, communist troops launched an
offensive which, in 117 days of the hardest fighting of the war,
destroyed the Khmer Republic. Simultaneous attacks around the
perimeter of Phnom Penh pinned down republican forces, while
other Khmer Rouge units overran fire bases controlling the vital
lower Mekong resupply route. A US-funded airlift of ammunition
and rice ended when Congress refused additional aid for Cambodia.
Phnom Penh and other cities were subjected to daily rocket attacks
causing thousands of civilian casualties. Phnom Penh surrendered
on April 17-5 days after the US mission evacuated Cambodia.
Democratic Kampuchea
Many Cambodians welcomed the arrival of peace, but the
Khmer Rouge soon turned Cambodia-which it called Democratic
Kampuchea (DK)-into a land of horror. Immediately after its
victory, the new regime ordered the evacuation of all cities and
towns, sending the entire urban population out into the countryside
to till the land. Thousands starved or died of disease during the
evacuation. Many of those forced to evacuate the cities were
resettled in "new villages," which lacked food, agricultural
implements, and medical care. Many starved before the first
harvest, and hunger and malnutrition-bordering on starvation-were
constant during those years. Those who resisted or who questioned
orders were immediately executed, as were most military and
civilian leaders of the former regime who failed to disguise their
pasts.
Prince Sihanouk returned from exile with members of the
RGNU, but the communist party held all significant power. Within
the CPK, the Paris-educated leadership-Pol Pot, Ieng Sary, Nuon
Chea, and Son Sen-was in control. A new constitution in January
1976 established Democratic Kampuchea as a communist "people's
republic", and a 250-member "Assembly of the Representatives of
the People of Kampuchea" (PRA) was selected in March to choose the
collective leadership of a State Presidium, the chairman of which
became the head of state. Sihanouk resigned as head of state on
April 4, and RGNU Prime Minister Penn Nouth announced the
resignation of the RGNU cabinet April 6. On April 14, after its first
session, the PRA announced that Khieu Samphan would chair the
State Presidium for a 5-year term. It also picked a 15-member
cabinet headed by Pol Pot as prime minister. Prince Sihanouk was
put under virtual house arrest.
The new government sought to restructure Cambodian society
completely. Remnants of the old society were abolished and
Buddhism suppressed. Agriculture was collectivized, and the
surviving part of the industrial base was abandoned or placed under
state control. Cambodia had neither a currency nor a banking
system. The regime controlled every aspect of life and reduced
everyone to the level of abject obedience through terror. Torture
centers were established, and detailed records were kept of the
thousands murdered there. Public executions of those considered
unreliable or with links to the previous government were common.
Few succeeded in escaping the military patrols and fleeing the
country.
Solid estimates of the numbers who died between 1975 and
1979 are not available, but it is likely that hundreds of thousands
were brutally executed by the regime. Hundreds of thousands more
died of starvation and disease (both under the Khmer Rouge and
during the Vietnamese invasion in 1978). Estimates of the dead
range from 1 to 3 million, out of a 1975 population estimated at 7.3
million.
Democratic Kampuchea's relations with Vietnam and Thailand
worsened rapidly as a result of border clashes and ideological
differences. While communist, the CPK was fiercely anti-
Vietnamese, and most of its members who had lived in Vietnam
were purged. Democratic Kampuchea established close ties with
China, and the Cambodian-Vietnamese conflict became part of the
Sino-Soviet rivalry, with Moscow backing Vietnam. Border clashes
worsened when Democratic Kampuchea's military attacked villages
in Vietnam. The regime broke relations with Hanoi in December
1977, protesting Vietnam's attempt to create an "Indochina
Federation." In mid-1978, Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia,
advancing about 30 miles before the arrival of the rainy season
brought a halt to the Vietnamese advance.
In December 1978, Vietnam announced formation of the
Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KUFNS) under Heng
Samrin, a former DK division commander. It was composed of
Khmer communists who had remained in Vietnam after 1975 and
Khmer Rouge officials from the eastern sector-like Heng Samrin and
Hun Sen-who had fled to Vietnam from Cambodia in 1978. In late
December 1978, Vietnamese forces launched a full invasion of
Cambodia, capturing Phnom Penh on January 7 and driving the
remnants of Democratic Kampuchea's army westward toward
Thailand.
The Vietnamese Occupation
On January 10, 1979, the Vietnamese installed Heng Samrin as
head of state in the new People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). The
Vietnamese army continued its pursuit of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge
forces. At least 600,000 Cambodians displaced during the Pol Pot
era and the Vietnamese invasion began streaming to the Thai border
in search of refuge. The international community responded with a
massive relief effort coordinated by the United States through
UNICEF and the World Food Program. More than $400 million was
provided between 1979 and 1982, of which the United States
contributed nearly $100 million. At one point, more than 500,000
Cambodians were living along the Thai-Cambodian border and more
than 100,000 in holding centers inside Thailand. Currently, there
are approximately 300,000 Cambodian displaced persons and
refugees residing in camps in Thailand.
Vietnam's occupation army of as many as 200,000 troops
controlled the major population centers and most of the countryside
from 1979 to September 1989. The Heng Samrin regime's 30,000
troops were plagued by poor morale and widespread desertion.
Resistance to Vietnam's occupation continued, and there was some
evidence that Heng Samrin's PRK forces provided logistic and moral
support to the guerrillas.
A large portion of the Khmer Rouge's military forces eluded
Vietnamese troops and established themselves in remote regions.
The non-communist resistance, consisting of a number of groups
which had been fighting the Khmer Rouge after 1975-including Lon
Nol-era soldiers-coalesced in 1979-80 to form the Khmer People's
National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF), which pledged loyalty
to former Prime Minister Son Sann, and Moulinaka (Movement pour la
Liberation Nationale de Kampuchea), loyal to Prince Sihanouk. In
1979, Son Sann formed the Khmer People's National Liberation Front
(KPNLF) to lead the political struggle for Cambodia's independence.
Prince Sihanouk formed his own organization, FUNCINPEC, and its
military arm, the Armee Nationale Sihanoukienne (ANS) in 1981.
Warfare followed a wet season/dry season rhythm after 1980.
The heavily-armed Vietnamese forces conducted offensive
operations during the dry seasons, and the resistance forces held
the initiative during the rainy seasons. In 1982, Vietnam launched a
major offensive against the main Khmer Rouge base at Phnom Melai
in the Cardamom Mountains. Vietnam switched its target to civilian
camps near the Thai border in 1983, launching a series of massive
assaults, backed by armor and heavy artillery, against camps
belonging to all three resistance groups. Hundreds of civilians were
injured in these attacks, and more than 80,000 were forced to flee
to Thailand. Resistance military forces, however, were largely
undamaged. In the 1984-85 dry season offensive, the Vietnamese
attacked base camps of all three resistance groups. Despite stiff
resistance from the guerrillas, the Vietnamese succeeded in
eliminating the camps in Cambodia and drove both the guerrillas and
civilian refugees into neighboring Thailand. The Vietnamese
concentrated on consolidating their gains during the 1985-86 dry
season, including an attempt to seal guerrilla infiltration routes
into the country by forcing Cambodian laborers to construct trench
and wire fence obstacles and minefields along virtually the entire
Thai-Cambodian border.
Within Cambodia, Vietnam had only limited success in
establishing its client Heng Samrin regime, which was dependent on
Vietnamese advisors at all levels. Security in some rural areas was
tenuous, and major transportation routes were subject to
interdiction by resistance forces. The presence of Vietnamese
throughout the country and their intrusion into nearly all aspects of
Cambodian life alienated much of the populace. The settlement of
Vietnamese nationals, both former residents and new immigrants,
further exacerbated anti-Vietnamese sentiment. Reports of the
numbers involved vary widely with some estimates as high as 1
million. By the end of this decade, Khmer nationalism began to
reassert itself against the traditional Vietnamese enemy.
In 1986, Hanoi claimed to have begun withdrawing part of its
occupation forces. At the same time, Vietnam continued efforts to
strengthen its client regime, the PRK, and its military arm, the
Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (KPRAF). These
withdrawals continued over the next 2 years, although actual
numbers were difficult to verify. Vietnam's proposal to withdraw
its remaining occupation forces in 1989-90-the result of ongoing
international pressure-forced the PRK to begin economic and
constitutional reforms in an attempt to ensure future political
dominance. In April 1989, Hanoi and Phnom Penh announced that
final withdrawal would take place by the end of September 1989.
The military organizations of Prince Sihanouk (ANS) and of
former Prime Minister Son Sann (KPNLAF) underwent significant
military improvement during the 1988-89 period and both expanded
their presence in Cambodia's interior. These organizations provide
a political alternative to the Vietnamese-supported People's
Republic of Kampuchea [PRK] and the murderous Khmer Rouge.
After two regional peace efforts, Prince Sihanouk, Son Sann,
and Hun Sen (Prime Minister of the Phnom Penh regime) met in
Jakarta in May 1989 to try to find a formula for national
reconciliation. Hun Sen proposed including key leaders of the
resistance groups under the PRK mantle, through their participation
in a mostly cosmetic National Reconciliation Council to oversee
eventual elections. Prince Sihanouk and the other resistance
leaders rejected this proposal as legitimizing the Phnom Penh
regime and allowing the continuation of its unilateral control,
which they felt was not likely to result in a free and fair election
process.
From July 30 to August 30, 1989, representatives of 18
countries, the four Cambodian parties, and the UN Secretary General
met in Paris in an effort to negotiate a comprehensive settlement.
They hoped to achieve those objectives seen as crucial to the future
of post-occupation Cambodia: a verified withdrawal of the
remaining Vietnamese occupation troops, the prevention of the
return to power of the Khmer Rouge, and genuine self-determination
for the Cambodian people.
The Paris Conference on Cambodia was able to make some
progress in such areas as the workings of an international control
mechanism, the definition of international guarantees for
Cambodia's independence and neutrality, plans for the repatriation
of refugees and displaced persons, the eventual reconstruction of
the Cambodia economy, and ceasefire procedures. However,
complete agreement among all parties on a comprehensive
settlement remained elusive. In early 1990, the negotiating
process continued through consultations with a view toward
finalizing a comprehensive solution by reconvening the Paris
Conference in the future.
By late September 1989, the Vietnamese announced that they
had withdrawn the last 50,000 of their troops from Cambodia.
However, this withdrawal was not verified by a credible monitoring
force. Nonetheless, with the Vietnamese occupation no longer a
primary concern, the crucial issue for the future is the ability of
the four principal Cambodian political factions-the non-communists
(consisting of Prince Sihanouk's FUNCINPEC and Son Sann's KPNLF),
the Vietnamese-sponsored Phnom Penh regime, and the Khmer Rouge
-to establish a national reconciliation process.
GOVERNMENT
Although driven from Phnom Penh in 1979, the government of
Democratic Kampuchea continued to function in areas it controlled
near the Thai border. Pol Pot was nominally replaced as leader of
the regime by Khieu Samphan but continued to serve as commander-
in-chief of its army. In September 1985, Pol Pot announced his
retirement from the Khmer Rouge. Many observers believe he is
still its principal leader. The Khmer Rouge have made an effort to
convince the Cambodian people, as well as the rest of the world,
that they have changed their policies. Buddhism has been revived,
to a degree, and private agriculture encouraged. In Khmer Rouge
areas, the society remains controlled thoroughly from the top. In
1981, the Communist Party of Kampuchea was formally dissolved,
although most observers believe it has continued as the clandestine
group it was before 1975. In its place, a Party of Democratic
Kampuchea was created as the public political arm of the Khmer
Rouge.
In June 1982, the members of ASEAN (Association of
Southeast Asian Nations) promoted agreement between the Khmer
Rouge and the two principal non-communist resistance groups, the
KPNLF and FUNCINPEC, to form a loose coalition. The newly formed
Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK) included
Prince Sihanouk as President and chief of state, Son Sann as prime
minister and head of government, and Khieu Samphan as vice
president of foreign affairs. Since 1982, Prince Sihanouk has, on
several occasions, resigned and then resumed his position as
president. The CGDK changed its name to the National Government
of Cambodia (NGC) in 1990.
The 1976 constitution is no longer in effect. Four
coordinating committees-defense, finance and economy, culture and
education, and health and social affairs-act as ministries with
representatives from each group. Each faction remains autonomous,
administering civilian camps loyal to it and maintaining its own
armed forces. The coalition has been organized to coordinate
resistance efforts and support implementation of a peaceful
solution to the Cambodian problem. It is not intended to be a
government of an independent Cambodia, which will have to be
chosen by the Khmer people after a settlement.
The Heng Samrin regime is a Vietnamese-style "people's
republic." Originally the "People's Republic of Kampuchea," it
changed its name formally to the State of Cambodia in 1989. A
single party, the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP),
controls the regime, and its general-secretary, Heng Samrin, is also
chairman of the Council of State. Particularly influential in the
regime is Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hun Sen. Until late
1989, real power rested with Vietnam, which maintained advisors
at every level of government who made or approved all major
decisions. Although Vietnamese influence is now less visible, the
regime remains closely linked to Hanoi.
A national assembly was "elected" in 1981. All candidates
were selected by the KPRP and reportedly approved by the
Vietnamese. The regime has restored the pre-1975 system of
provinces. A constitution was promulgated in 1981 and revised on
April 30, 1989. While liberalized, the constitution retains a one-
party state, which Prince Sihanouk considers unacceptable.
PEACE EFFORTS
ASEAN has led international opposition to Vietnam's invasion
and occupation of Cambodia. The 1981 UN-sponsored International
Conference on Kampuchea brought together 83 countries as
participants or observers. The conference declaration called for the
withdrawal of all foreign forces and the restoration of Cambodian
independence and self-determination through internationally
supervised elections. This formula for a settlement has been
included in successive UN General Assembly resolutions since 1979,
which were adopted by large majorities, including the United
States, Japan, China, Western Europe, and the majority of
nonaligned nations. In 1989, the ASEAN-sponsored resolution
passed by an increased margin of 124 in favor, 17 against, and 12
abstaining.
While insisting on the central elements of the ICK formula
(complete withdrawal and self-determination) the ASEAN countries
have been flexible in their approach to Cambodia. They have
designed several initiatives which address the security concerns of
all of Cambodia's neighbors. The 1983 ASEAN "Appeal on
Kampuchea" suggested a phased withdrawal of Vietnamese troops,
an international peacekeeping force, and reconstruction aid for
areas evacuated by Vietnam.
In March 1986, Prince Sihanouk expanded on this formula by
announcing an eight-point peace proposal. His plan called for a
two-phase withdrawal of Vietnamese forces, a ceasefire,
internationally supervised free elections, UN observation, and
international reconstruction efforts throughout Cambodia and
Vietnam. From 1987 to 1989, a series of meetings between Prince
Sihanouk and Phnom Penh leader Hun Sen were held to address
settlement issues directly.
ASEAN added momentum to the ongoing diplomatic efforts
through its Jakarta Informal Meeting (JIM) process. These
meetings, in July 1988 and February 1989, brought together the
parties most directly involved in the Cambodian conflict-the four
Cambodian parties, Vietnam, Laos, and the six ASEAN members. The
JIM process helped to narrow differences on the wide range of
issues involved in a comprehensive agreement.
Eighteen governments, the four Cambodian parties, and a
representative of the UN Secretary General, joined together in an
international conference on Cambodia in Paris in August 1989 to
begin detailed negotiations regarding a comprehensive settlement.
The conference was suspended at the end of that month, largely over
the issue of how the Cambodian groups would share power until
elections were held.
After the Paris conference, Secretary of State Baker
suggested the five permanent members of the UN Security Council
could play a useful role in formulating a solution that could be
presented to the Cambodians. As a result, the five-China, France,
the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States-met six
times between January and August 1990 in Paris and New York to
discuss how the United Nations could play an enhanced role in
Cambodia as part of the settlement process. Agreement on
expanded UN involvement, as proposed by, among others, Australian
Foreign Minister Gareth Evans in November 1989, could help
overcome differences among the Cambodian parties and lead to a
resumption of the Paris conference later in 1990. Diplomatic
efforts are continuing-on the regional level in Jakarta and
internationally at the United Nations.
ECONOMY
The Cambodian economy, badly damaged by the war and nearly
destroyed under the Khmer Rouge, has only slowly begun to recover.
Adverse weather conditions contributed to the exhaustion of food
reserves in 1983. Further weather problems in 1984, as well as
threats to Cambodian security, resulted in large subsistence
shortfalls in 1985. GNP per capita in 1986 was among the lowest in
the world. Production of rice, the staple crop, has recovered from
the levels of 1979-80, but in 1986 Phnom Penh announced that the
rice harvest would meet only 80% of the country's needs and
appealed to the world for emergency assistance. The food situation
has improved since that time, but there are still occasional
shortages not only in rice, but also in meat, vegetables, dairy
products, sugar, and flour. Extensive damage to the irrigation
system, on which rice production depends, has only begun to be
repaired. There has been limited recovery in the production of
rubber, sugar, and other crops. Industry is also beginning to
recover.
Since 1987, increased emphasis has been placed on private
sector economic activities, as well as on the family economy, with
individual inheritance rights restored by constitutional reforms in
1989. In addition, since 1988, many of Cambodia's nationalized
industries have been allowed to operate with limited autonomy
from the state planning system. Following the example set by
Vietnam and Laos, the Phnom Penh regime is in the process of
preparing a foreign investment law aimed at attracting Western
investors. While there has been some movement toward systemic
reform-particularly in the areas of land-tenure rights for farmers
and movement toward the beginnings of a free market economy-
Cambodia's economic profile continues to be geared toward war
priorities, with many markets dependent on goods smuggled in from
Thailand and Singapore to augment depressed domestic output.
Although hard statistical data is unavailable, trade with Vietnam
and other countries since 1987 has expanded rapidly, specifically in
the area of joint ventures.
Cambodia's cities and towns remain underpopulated. Basic
services, such as electricity and water, are erratic. The Heng
Samrin regime has attempted to restore the educational system and
has announced great success in its literacy and primary education
campaigns. Health conditions remain poor.
Since the end of the 1979-81 emergency period, Western aid
to Cambodia has fallen off, with most governments refusing to
offer development assistance to what they see as an unlawfully
imposed regime in Phnom Penh. Limited aid from the Soviet Union
and Eastern Europe has been directed at basic infrastructure
projects and has made little impact on the bulk of the population
outside the towns. UN agencies such as UNICEF provide limited
assistance, and a number of private organizations are also active in
Cambodia.
TRAVEL NOTES
Travel to areas of Cambodia under the control of the PRK
requires the permission of that regime. The Department of State
strongly advises against travel to Cambodia because of continuing
military unrest. There is no US Mission in Phnom Penh.
Principal Government Officials
National Government of Cambodia:
President: Prince Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister/ Head of Government: Son Sann
Vice President for Foreign Affairs: Khieu Samphan
People's Republic of Kampuchea:
Chairman, Council of State: Heng Samrin
Chairman of the National Assembly: Chea Sim
Chairman, Council of Ministers and Foreign Minister: Hun Sen
The Splendors of Angkor
Over a period of 300 years, between 900 and 1200 AD, the
Khmer Kingdom of Angkor produced some of the world's most
magnificent architectural masterpieces on the northern shore of the
Tonle Sap, near the present town of Siem Reap. The Angkor area
stretches 15 miles east to west and 5 miles north to south. Some
72 major temples or other buildings dot the area.
The principal temple, Angkor Wat, was built between 1112 and
1150 by Suryavarman II. With walls nearly one-half mile on each
side, Angkor Wat portrays the Hindu cosmology with the central
towers representing Mount Meru, home of the gods; the outer walls,
the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat, the oceans beyond.
Angkor Thom, the capital city built after the Cham sack of 1177, is
surrounded by a 300-foot wide moat. Construction of Angkor Thom
coincided with a change from Hinduism to Buddhism. Temples were
altered to display images of the Buddha, and Angkor Wat became a
major Buddhist shrine.
During the 15th century, nearly all of Angkor was abandoned
after Siamese attacks, except Angkor Wat, which remained a shrine
for Buddhist pilgrims. The great city and temples remained largely
cloaked by the forest until the late 19th century when French
archaeologists began a long restoration process. France established
the Angkor Conservancy in 1908 to direct restoration of the Angkor
complex. For the next 64 years, the conservancy worked to clear
away the forest, repair foundations, and install drains to protect
the buildings from the most insidious enemy: water. After 1953,
the conservancy became a joint project of the French and Cambodian
Governments. Some temples were carefully taken apart stone by
stone and reassembled on concrete foundations.
Nearly 70,000 tourists visited Angkor in 1970, but the
spreading war forced abandonment of the conservancy in 1972.
Angkor has suffered some damage since that time, and the forest
has reclaimed parts of the complex. Since 1975, few visitors have
been able to tour Angkor, although the Heng Samrin regime made
some effort to preserve the buildings from the forest and has begun
promoting tourism to the area.
REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS
Since 1975, thousands of Cambodians have fled first the
terror of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, and then the attack and
occupation of their country by Vietnamese military forces. More
than 200,000 were admitted to Thailand as refugees before the
border was closed in 1980. International assistance efforts for this
group have centered on relief and resettlement. More than 140,000
refugees have been resettled in the US.
From 1980 to 1985, Cambodians who arrived along the Thai-
Cambodian border lived in a series of camps on both sides of the
border. By 1985, border attacks had forced 225,000 of these people
into Thailand. A limited resettlement program to facilitate family
reunification for border hmer with close family in the United States
has been underway since 1985 for this group. More recently,
Vietnamese and PRK efforts to seal the border have restricted the
number of new arrivals. The Royal Thai Government, the UN Border
Relief Operation (UNBRO), the International Committee of the Red
Cross, and private voluntary agencies provide basic food, shelter,
and medical care to the more than 300,000 who remain in camps.
UNBRO coordinates the relief efforts and plans to spend more than
$58 million on relief efforts in 1990. In FY 1990, US contributions
in cash and commodities to UNBRO's relief efforts amounted to the
equivalent of $10.6 million.
US-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS
The United States recognized Cambodia on
February 7, 1950, and between 1955 and 1963 provided $409.6
million in economic grant aid and $83.7 million in military
assistance. This aid was used primarily to repair damage caused by
the first Indochina war, to support internal security forces, and for
the construction of an all-weather road to the seaport of
Sihanoukville (now Kompong Som), which gave Cambodia its first
direct access to the sea and access to the southwestern
hinterlands.
Relations deteriorated in the early 1960s. The US Agency for
International Development mission was ordered out of the country
in 1963, and a government-inspired mob sacked the US Embassy in
1964. Diplomatic relations were broken by Cambodia in May 1965
but were reestablished on July 2, 1969. US relations continued
after the establishment of the Khmer Republic until the US mission
was evacuated on April 12, 1975. During the 1970-75 war, the
United States provided $1.18 billion in military assistance and
$503 million in economic assistance.
The United States has not recognized a government in
Cambodia since 1975 and condemned the brutal character of the
Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979. At the same time, the
United States opposed the military occupation of Cambodia by
Vietnam and supports ASEAN's efforts to achieve a comprehensive
political settlement of the problem. Since 1985, the United States
has given both political and economic support to the non-communist
groups led by Prince Sihanouk and Son Sann. In 1989, Congress
appropriated $5.5 million for non-lethal assistance to the non-
communist forces.
After Vietnam's 1979 invasion of Cambodia, the United States
worked with interested parties-specifically the ASEAN countries-
in pursuit of three key objectives: verified withdrawal of
Vietnamese occupation forces from Cambodia, genuine self-
determination for the Cambodian people, and the prevention of a
return to power of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.
While Prince Sihanouk and ASEAN have said that Khmer Rouge
elements should participate in the transitional political process
until elections are held, the United States remains unalterably
opposed to any Khmer Rouge return to power and views a
comprehensive political settlement as the most effective way of
assuring that the Khmer Rouge will be contained.
Published by the United States Department of State, Bureau of
Public Affairs, Office of Public Communication, Washington, DC ,
November 1990. Series Editor: Peter Knecht. Department of State
Publication 7747. Background Notes Series -- This material is in
the public domain and may be reprinted without permission;
citation of this source is appreciated. For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402. (###)