Thursday 29 May 2014
1975, the Cambodia Civil War ends as the Khmer Rouge capture Phnom Pehn and the Cambodian Government surrenders.
You will probably know the Khmer Rouge for the Cambodian genocide but their attempts at agricultural reform and complete self sufficiency led to widespread famine and death from lack of medical care. The death toll is far larger than that of the killing fields.
Their reign did not last long and was ousted as Vietnamese forces along with defectors from Cambodia drove the Khmer rouge west. Vietnam had intervened due to a history of border tension and risk of invasion from the Khmer Rouge. Cambodia was now under the control of the Vietnamese and defecting forces.
The support for the defectors, now known as the People's Republic of Kampuchea, given by the Vietnamese led to the Vietnamese themselves being invaded by china a a punishment. Both sides eventually claimed victory.
The People's Republic of Kampuchea failed to gain UN support with the US, UK and Chinese intervention and later their opposition from the previous government would give rise to 3 rebel factions, one of which was the former khmer rouge, still led by pol pot. The UK and US supported the two non-pol pot factions.
Vietnam withdrew in 1989 but not before it allowed the government it had set up to gain a significant foothold with strong military forces, however after a decade of fighting there was still no winner. In 1991 a treaty was signed between the pro-Vietnamese government and the Khmer Rouge but was violated when in 1992 the khmer rouge resumed fighting and boycotted an election.
After internal struggles, the setting up of a new Khmer Rouge called the Provisional Government of National Union and National Salvation of Cambodia in 1994. The Khmer Rouge now fought the new Cambodian government which included the former pro-Vietnamese Communists as well as the Khmer Rouge's former non-Communist and monarchist allies, there was a mass defection in 1996. Pol Pot was arrested and imprisoned by the Khmer Rouge after the monarchist factions in the new government appealed to the Khmer Rouge to stop the fighting, though they refused to deal with Pol Pot which led to bloody factional fighting within the Khmer Rouge and in 1998 and 1999 the final supporters of the Khmer rouge surrendered, apologized for the genocide and the Khmer Rouge ceased to exist.
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