Kampuchea - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

History

Old Protectorate French integrated into the French Indo-China, Kampuchea obtained its independence the November 9th 1953, at the end of the Guerre of Indo-China. Become a Constitutional monarchy (since 1947) directed by the king Norodom Sihanouk, the country pursues a policy of neutrality with regard to the Guerre of Vietnam, but supports actually the Democratic republic of Vietnam as of 1966, letting forward by its territory of the troops and the supplies bound for the National front for the release of Vietnam. Then, the Contentieux Khméro-Vietnamese begins from the frontier incidents which pushed the Vietnameses to pass the border in 1979.

Confronted, as from 1967-68, with an insurrection fomented by the Khmer Rouge - communist rebels of inspiration Maoist -, with an economy which goes from evil in worse under the weight of corruption, Norodom Sihanouk, must be solved to entrust the August 14th 1969 the direction of the government to the general Lon Nol, its military pillar, known for its anticommunism and its inclination with the market economy, in exchange of the resumption of the American assistance. The March 18th 1970, Lon Nol, pushed by prince Sirik Matak, of the branch Sisowath competitor, Sihanouk shift in displacement abroad (Moscow and Beijing). Become combined the United States, Kampuchea is then integrated into the strategy of Endiguement of the Communisme in Southeast Asia.

With the support of China, the Khmer Rouges start a true war against the governmental forces. In addition to this civil war, the country is involved in the war of Vietnam. As of 1970 the Khmer Rouges are on the way to gain, but the United States intervenes and saves temporarily the republican mode (April-June 1970). But when in 1973 the United States disengages area, their strike air did not succeed in stopping the communist threat. The Khmer Rouges of Pol Pot, supported by communist China take Phnom Penh the April 17th 1975 and install an authoritarian regime Maoist.

The “Angkar” (organization) of the Khmer Rouges then applies a maximalist, more radical policy still than that of Soviet and Maoists, in particular aiming at purifying the country of urban civilization. The cities, with the image of Phnom Penh in the night from April 17th to 18th 1975, are emptied their inhabitants, sent in rehabilitation in the campaigns. Systematic tracking of the old elites, " identifiées" because speaking about the foreign languages or carrying glasses (for example), added to the mines, malnutrition and the diseases leads to massacres of mass and a humane catastrophe of political origin. The figuring of the number of victims is a difficult work and on which the historians did not arrive yet to a consensus. The figure of 1,7 million direct and indirect victims is most commonly allowed.

Certain intellectuals would like that this “ self-destruction khmère ” is recognized by the the United Nations like a Génocide, but it does not correspond to the definition of a Génocide, since the selection criteria of the victims did not correspond to a national group, ethnic, racial or religious (article 6 of the International penal court).

In 1979, Vietnam invades Kampuchea, causing the collapse of the mode of the Khmer Rouges. The authorities Vietnameses install a government close to their interests and reorganize the country according to the Laotian and Vietnamese model. A Guérilla gathering various movements energy of the Khmer Rouges to the royalist movement supported by the Thailand makes rage in the country then.

After the departure of the forces of Vietnam in 1989 and the sending of forces of UNO to the beginning of the year 1990, the mode will find little by little a pretense of autonomy while remaining regularly denounced for its infringements of the human rights. Current the Prime Minister Hun Sen, placed at the capacity by Vietnam, has directed the country for this period, and was maintained with the capacity thanks to three successive doubtful elections in a obvious climate of political violence. The principal opponent, Sam Rainsy, took refuge in Paris in 2005. King Norodom Sihanouk, become again Head of the State, abdicated one second time in 2004 with the profit of his son junior Norodom Sihamoni, former ballet dancer and ambassador of Kampuchea near UNESCO in Paris.

Kampuchea is confronted today with a series of painful choice. Its economy, which still depends very largely on the international assistance (in 2001, a third of the budget of the State came international givers), suffers from a very important corruption (country classified 151e on 163 of the Indice of perceptions of corruption Transparency International in 2006). Many traffics (invaluable stones, wood, dies of prostitution, drugs) in direction of the adjoining countries and a poor legal system of quality penalize economic development. Other problems inherited the Khmer Rouge disaster obèrent also the development of the country as the question of the grounds (the land registration is still far from being finalized) or education, the education system having been completely destroyed by the Khmer Rouges (teaching assassinated, etc).

Since his arrival the Hun Sen Prime Minister approached at the same time to China and especially the United States. Thus, two American naval bases were open in any discretion a few years ago close to Sihanoukville and the American embassy, recently built in the center of Phnom Penh, surprises by its width. Who more is, a policy of intensive anglicisation of the country was also undertaken since the accession of Mr Hun Sen to the capacity. For example the " will be quoted; Gendarmeries nationales" become " Stations" organizes; , the plates of identity of the police officers transcribed in English (the old ones, in French, are sold at the black-market), the administration which passed to English or the post office (the stamps do not mention any more " Kingdom of Cambodge" , but " Cambodia")… The French language is not practiced almost any more nor included/understood in the population, especially in the more young age brackets. English truly became essential to circulate in the country, even in the hotels or trade belonging to French, or of French tradition, where the language of Molière is not practiced any more.

Currently the tourist sector and the textile (presence of international large chains of loan to be carried) are the principal providers of currencies of the country.

Policy

See also: Political of Kampuchea

Politicians :

Chea Sim: President of the Party of the Kampuchean people (PC), former minister for the Interior of the Popular republic of Kampuchea, set up by the Occupying army Vietnamese.
Cheng Heng : Former head warden become president of the National Assembly of Sihanouk, then First President of the Republic khmère anti-Sihanouk
Ieng Sary: Brother n°3 of the Khmer Rouge Communist regime, radical former Communist sometimes pro sometimes antivietnamien. After the secret agreement with Hun Sen, become rich owner established in his Stronghold of Païlin
Fernandez Sosthène Secretary of State to the National security
Hun Sen: former proletarian wire of peasant, militiaman Khmer Rouge, of summary formation, then last in the Vietnamese camp, he is Prime Minister since 1984. Richissime, it establishes around him a troop of obliged, allies and persons in charge of the principal Institutions of the Kingdom.
In Tam: last President of the National Assembly of the SRN and dignitary of the Mode of Sihanouk. It is him which had resulted in 1970 the National Assembly in voting the dismissal of its Chief prince Sihanouk, Head of State in title
Khieu Samphan: President of the democratic Kampuchea of the Communist regime of the Khmer Rouges
Long Boret: Prime Minister for the Republic khmère
Lon Nol: President of the Republic khmère (1970-1975)
Lon Not: little brother of Lon Nol (Republican)
Monireth Sissovath: uncle of Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Ranariddh: one of wire of Norodom Sihanouk, former president of the royalist Party FUNCINPEC, former President of the National Assembly of Kampuchea.
Nuon Chea: chair of the National Assembly of democratic Kampuchea, brother n°2 of the Communist regime of the Khmer Rouges
PEN Nouth: one of the Prime Ministers for the mode of Sihanouk (Sangkum Reastr Niyum or the popular socialist Community, paternalist and authoritative mode set up by Norodom Sihanouk)
PEN Sovan: He was the 1st Prime Minister (1979-81) for the Communist regime set up by the RS of Vietnam, after the victory of the Vietnameses over the mode Maoist of Pol Pot.
Pol Pot: (of its true name Saloth Sar) first person in charge or brother n°1 of the Khmer Rouge Communist regime
Ros Samay: one of the leaders of the Khmer Communist party of obedience Vietnamese
Sam Sundoeun: former president of the Communist youth of the RPK and former member of the central committee of the km No. It broke with the Communist party of obedience Vietnamese to join the opposition party. Elected official appointed in 1998, it left the PSR of which it finds the president dictatorial, to found his organization “Liberal Vision”.
Its Ngoc Thanh: Khmer of Cochinchine says Krom, it was Prime Minister after the takeover in 1945 by the Japanese in French Indo-China.
Sam Rainsy: wire of Sam Sary, a dignitary of the mode of Sihanouk become “treacherous” in consequence of conflict between him and Sihanouk, President of the party which bears its name
Its Sann: Khmer Krom. Economic council and Prime Minister of Sihanouk, he was the first governor of the national Banque of Kampuchea. Become president of the Buddhist Democratic party in 1993, after having directed the fight against the occupation Vietnamese and having chaired the Khmer Face of release national of Kampuchea
Its SEN: Khmer krom, Chief of the red army khmère. He was assassinated with all his family by the henchmen of Pol Pot
Your Mok (known as the Butcher ): senior officer of the Communist regime Khmer Rouge, one of the principal persons in charge of the Kampuchean Genocide between 1975 and 1979, successor of Pol Pot after the setting with the variation of the N°1 Brother in 1997, deceased in 2006.
Tea Banh: general, Minister for defense. Communist of origin thaïe of the PC.

Political parties (represented with the National Assembly) :

PC or Prachéachon (Left the Kampuchean people), (Chea Sim and Hun Sen).
Funcinpec (United front for neutral, peaceful and co-operative Kampuchea), (in the past directed by the prince Norodom Ranariddh, dislocated its functions in 2006).
PSR (Started from Sam Rainsy), (Sam Rainsy).

Political parties (Others): About thirty

At the time of the legislative elections of the July 26th 1998, the PC or Prachéachon (Left the Kampuchean people, with Hun Sen) gained 41,42% of the voices, and obtained 64 seats out of the 122 which compose the National Assembly. Funcinpec (United front for neutral, peaceful and co-operative Kampuchea, of the prince Norodom Ranariddh) collected 31,70% of the voices, and obtains 43 seats. The PSR (Started from Sam Rainsy) (Sam Raincy), obtains 14,75 of the voices and 15 seats. If the PC holds the absolute majority with the Parliament, an unfortunate article of the Constitution of 1993 obliges the formation of the government in the majority of the two-thirds, therefore requires a coalition government. Linked, the opposition would have been victorious. Overcome, it holds the winner as an hostage.

The next elections, very awaited, will take place in 2008. The Kampuchean constitution prohibited very clearly the Prime Minister from aspiring to a third mandate. Mr Hun Sen will not be able to thus represent himself.

The Kampuchea is member of ASEAN (Association off Southeast Asian Nations)

Subdivisions

Geography

Hydrography

The capital, Phnom Penh, is located on the principal river of the country, the Mekong, on the level of its delta. This river takes its source in Tibet and crosses half is Kampuchea before joining Vietnam where it is thrown at sea of China. More the big lake of the country is the Tonlé Sap (into Kampuchean, big lake) formed by the flood of a vast plain during the rain season (approximately 300 km ² at the time of the dry season, and up to 10.000 km ² at the time of the season of high waters).

Climate

The temperatures spread out between 10°C and 38°C. Kampuchea is under the influence of a tropical climate at “alternate seasons”. The rains spread out May at November. The dryness, as for it, is almost absolute between December and April.

Economy

Demography

Culture

Others

Quelques figures on Kampuchea in 2005

Population: 13.124.764 inhabitants (in 2003). 0-14 years: 41,25%; 15-64 years: 55,28%; + 65 years: 3,47% (in 2001)
Surface: 181.035 km ²
Density: 69 hab./km²
Land borders: 2.572 km (Vietnam 1.228 km; Thailand 803 km; Laos 541 km)
Littoral: 443 km
Ends of altitude: 0 m > + 1.813 m (Phnom Aoral)
Life expectancy of the men: 55 years (in 2001)
Life expectancy of the women: 59 years (in 2001)
Growth rate of the population: 2,25% (in 2001)
Birth rate: 33,16 ‰ (in 2001)
Death rate: 10,65 ‰ (in 2001)
infantile Death rate: 65,41 ‰ (in 2001)
Fertility rate: 4,7 children/woman (in 2001)
Rate of migration: 0? (in 2001)
Independence: November 9th 1953 (old French protectorate)
Telephone lines: 21.800 (in 1998)
Cellphones: 80.000 (in 2000)
Radios: 1,34 million (in 1997)
Television stations: 94.000 (in 1997)
Users of Internet: n.c.
Many suppliers of access Internet: 2 (in 2000)
Roads: 35.769 km (including 4.165 tarred km) (in 1997)
Railways: 603 km
inland Waterways: 3.700 km
Many airports: 19 (including 6 with tarred tracks) (in 2000)

Codes

Kampuchea has as codes:

CAMWOOD, according to the Code list country of the CIO,
KHM, according to the standard ISO 3166-1 (code list country), code alpha-3,
K, according to the international Code list of the number plates,
KHM, according to the Code list countries used by NATO, code alpha-3,

See too

" the books généraux"

DELVERT.J, Kampuchea, Which I know

On the Kampuchean policy

VANDY. K, 1993, Kampuchea or the policy without the Kampuchean ones, ED. Harmattan, Paris, 157 p.

THION.S, 1989, Some constancies of the Kampuchean political life, in Kampuchean Businesses, 1979-1989, Asia Discusses, n°5, ED. Harmattan, p.224-247.

PONCHAUD.F, 1994, social Economic realities and, faces of the Khmer people, in political and social Problems, No 716, p 39-42.

On the Kampuchean traditional Social organization

OVESEN.J, TRANKELL.IB, OJENDAL.J, Social organization and power structures in Rural Cambodia, Uppasa Research Carryforwards in Farming Anthropology, n°15, 1996.

LUCO.F, 2002, Between tiger and crocodile, anthropological approach on the traditional and new practices of treatment of the conflicts in Kampuchea, UNESCO, Phnom Penh, p.15-21.

MARTIN. MY, 1992, the farming community khmère and the democratic process, in Review FPH, p 129-142.

NEPOTE.J, 1997, Relationship and social organization in modern and contemporary Kampuchea, some aspects and some application of the models them governing, CNRS, Center of Anthropology of China of the South and the Indochinese Peninsula, CDRCK, Thesis, 224 p.

EBIHARA.M.M, 1968, Svay, has Khmer village in Cambodia, Thesis, Columbia University, Red. University Microfilms, has XERGH Compagny, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 705p. Version paper available to the GRET Kampuchea.

FOREST.A, 1992, the worship of the protective geniuses “neakta” in Kampuchea, ED. Harmattan, Paris, p.15.

Internal bonds

Kampuchea Evening, Kampuchean daily newspaper.

External bonds

Official site of the Kampuchean government
Kampuchea, history, memory Ina Files Tele
France Culture File impressing of France Culture, with debates, documentary, interviews, etc Partly podcastable.

Beats-smg: Kambuodža Be-X-old: Камбоджа Simple: Cambodia Zh-classical: 柬埔寨 Zh-min-nan: Kampuchea Zh-yue: 柬埔寨

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