1985 Chronology
Of Cambodian History Abbreviations on this page
Jan. 9, 1985
US issue a Directive 158 concerning its
policy toward Southeast Asia (The Kampuchea Problem). After losing a series of bases
along Cambodia-Thai border, Son Sann, leader of KPNLF, said at a news
conference that his forces would turn to hit-and-run guerrilla tactics
against the Vietnamese because they were not strong enough to fight a
conventional war. Jan. 14, 1985
The 8th PRK
National Assembly end its 4-days session in Phnom Penh. Hun Sen is formally elected prime
minister. Jan. 21, 1985
Soviet Party delegation led by
Ivan Kovalenko, deputy head of International Department of USSR Party Central
Committee, left Phnom Penh after 7-days visit. The delegation met with Premier Hun Sen and Yos Por, head of
PRK-USSR Friendship Association. Jan. 31, 1985
PRK and French Red Cross
associations signed a cooperation agreement on restoration of
Anti-tuberculosis Institute, in which the French would help construct a new
90-bed building for the institute and send laboratory equipment and medical
workers. Feb. 3, 1985
CGDK held
its fifth cabinet meeting under chairmanship of Prince Sihanouk with Son Sann
and Khieu Samphan also participated.
The meeting was held at the Khmer Rouge’s stronghold of Phnom Malai. Feb. 6, 1985 Feb. 9, 1985
Prince Sihanouk received the
credentials of ambassadors from Senegal, North Korea, Bangladesh and
Mauritania in Phnom Malai. March 9, 1985
Phnom Penh news agency SPK
announced the reshuffling of cabinet: Finance Minister Chan Phin was named to
serve concurrently as minister for local and foreign trade, while the
departing Minister Tang Saroem would head the Ministry for Economic and
Cultural Cooperation with Foreign Countries; Ma Sabun was named to head the
Ministry for Social Action and Invalids; Deputy Defense Minister Tea Banh
became minister of Communications, Transport and Posts, replacing Khun Chhy
who was named designate minister attached to the offices of the Council of
Ministers. PRK PM Hun Sen outlines six
requirement for Kampuchean settlement: (1) Elimination of Pol Pot forces by
political and military fields; (2) withdrawal of Vietnamese troops after Pol Pot
is eliminated; (3) free and supervised elections can be held immediately if
certain individuals and groups join PRK against Pol Pot gang; (4) creation of
peaceful coexistence and stability among SE Asian countries with different
social and political regimes; (5) cessation of all interference by countries
outside the region; and (6) creation of international guarantees and
supervision of above agreements. March 28, 1985
PRK Ministry of Defense and Vietnam
announced a partial withdrawal of some of 15,000 Vietnamese troops from
Kampuchea beginning early April. April 3, 1985
CGDK announced in Bangkok it
had decided to form a joint permanent body to improve coordination among the
three resistance groups. April 23, 1985
PRK announced a bounty program
for defectors from the resistance groups.
The payment for individual was 200-1000 Riels, documents 500-1000
Riels, weapons 200-1000 Riels. Prince Sihanouk, who was in
Pyongyang, said he had decided to resign as president of the CGDK, citing
poor health. April 24, 1985
The UN special envoy in charge
of coordination humanitarian aid to Kampuchea departed Phnom Penh after
6-days visit to assess the country food situation. May 2, 1985
Japan appointed Shintaro
Yamashita, official in the Japanese embassy to Bangkok, as charge d’affairs
ad interim for CGDK. Cambodian
resistance had urged Japan to name an ambassador to its government. May 6, 1985
PRK delegation led by Bou
Thang departed Phnom Penh for Moscow to attend the 40th
anniversary of the defeat of Germany in World War II. The day was also celebrated in Phnom Penh. May 15, 1985 US Sen. Murkowski introduces S.AMDT.123;
Sen. Dole introduces S.AMDT.143 May 19, 1985
A
USSR military delegation headed by Lt. Gen. V.S. Nechayev arrived in Phnom
Penh for a visit. May 21, 1985
Sierra Leone granted diplomatic
recognition to the CGDK. May 30, 1985
UN Economic and Social Council
passed a draft resolution on violation of human rights in Kampuchea and other
countries. Vietnam UN Ambassador Le
Kim Chung denounced the vote as a gross interference in the internal affairs
of a sovereign country. June 1, 1985
A Vietnam Party-State
delegation headed by Truong Chinh arrived in Phnom Penh for a 5-days goodwill
visit. June 27, 1985
A CGDK official, Gen. Dien Del,
announced plan for the creation of a single command for the ANS and KPNLAF,
which had a combined force of about 25,000. July 1, 1985
The second annual Indochina
Planning Conference opened in Phnom Penh to work out a Five Year Plan
(1986-90). Kampuchea represented by
Chea Soth, Vietnam by Vo Van Kiet and Laos by Sali Vongkhamsao. July 3, 1985
Prince Sihanouk, in Beijing,
expressed strong support for the Thai’s proposal of indirect talks to settle
Kampuchea problem. He said the
proposal was similar to the formula used with the Viet Minh at the 1954
Geneva Conference. July 8, 1985
ASEAN, at its 18th
ministerial meeting in Kuala Lumpur, issued a joint statement reaffirm its
4-pionts position for settling Kampuchea problem: (1) withdrawal of foreign
forces from Kampuchea; (2) establish a UN supervisor and control commission;
(3) national reconciliation base on self-determination; and (4) UN supervised
elections. U.S. Secretary of State George
Shultz met with top CGDK leaders in Bangkok and condemned Vietnamese
occupation of Kampuchea. Present at
the meeting were Prince Ranariddh, representing Prince Sihanouk; Gen. Sak
Sutsakhan, KPNLAF Commander-in-Chief; and Dr. Abdul Gaffar, a senior KPNLF
official. July 9, 1985
The U.S. House of Representatives,
in vote of 288-122, approved amendment authorizing $10 million for FY 1986
and 1987 for military and economic aid to the non-communist resistance in
Kampuchea. July 18, 1985
CGDK official Ieng Thirith and
delegation arrived in Nairobi to attend Conference on UN Decade for
Women. PRK FM Hun Sen sent message to
UN Secretary General Perez de Cuellar protesting the presence of CGDK
delegation. Vietnam Ambassador to Thailand
Tran Quan Co dismissed idea of a direct of indirect meeting between Vietnamese
and Prince Sihanouk. Aug. 1, 1985
Malaysian Deputy FM abdul
Kadir Shiekh said the Soviet Union ruled out any direct role for itself in
settlement of the Kampuchean problem. Aug. 3, 1985
Prince Ranariddh told journalists
he had just spent four days in the resistance held area and was encouraged by
the spirit even though medical and other services in the pro-Sihanouk
villages were very poor. Aug. 16, 1985
The 11th
Indochinese Foreign Ministers Conference ended its 2-days session in Phnom
Penh. On Kampuchea issue, the
ministers said they find acceptable to the idea of Hanoi and Jakarta acting
as respective “interlocutors” to get negotiations started. Aug. 20, 1985
Prince Sihanouk said he would not
meet with Heng Samrin or anyone from the PRK to discuss peace in Kampuchea,
and Son Sann also rejected face-to-face talks with Hun Sen. Both said they must deal with the
Vietnamese if a meaningful political settlement was to be reached. Aug. 24, 1985
Gen. Sak Sutsakhan, KPNLAF
Commander-in-Chief, was named commander-in-chief of the newly formed Joint
Military Command with Gen. Teap Ben of the National Sihanoukist Army (NSA),
as his deputy. Gen. Toan Chay (NSA) was
named JMC Chief of Staff with Dr. Abdul Gaffar (KPNLF) as his deputy. Khmer Rouge issued an
announcement saying, (1) National Army of Democratic Kampuchea High Military
Committee was abolished; (2) Defense chief Son Sen had been named chairman of
the High Command of the NADK; and (3) Pol Pot had retired from his military
duties, and he was taking a position of Chairman of the High Institute for
National Defense, a research and development organ. Aug. 28, 1985
Prince Sihanouk chaired the
CGDK Council of Ministers meeting in Kampuchea; and received the credentials
of new envoys from China and Bangladesh. Sept. 23, 1985
PRK Council of State decreed
compulsory military service in Kampuchea.
Five years of service was required for all males between 18 and 30
years of age. Oct. 5, 1985
PRK launched an ambitious
effort to expand and develop the Kampuchean People’s Army, political
commissar Cheang Am told an interviewer.
The officer corps would be drawn from the remaining Issarak army. Oct. 10, 1985
Phnom Penh’s new shopping center
(former central market) officially opened, offering food, art objects,
household articles, and other consumer goods. Oct. 13, 1985 Oct. 17, 1985
PRACHEACHON, KPRP official
newspaper, began its publication in Phnom Penh, editing by Mme. Som Kimsuor -
a Party Central Committee member. Oct. 18, 1985
Lon Nol, the former president
of the Khmer Republic, died in a Fullerton, Calif., hospital at age 72. He had been in poor health since suffering
a stroke in 1971. Nov. 6, 1985
Vietnamese forces were
reported move a large number of troops toward Thai-Kampuchean border in
anticipation of the start of another dry season offensive against resistance
forces. Nov. 10, 1985
Italian PM Bettino Craxi
assured Prince Sihanouk, on tour in Europe, that his government would
continue to support the CGDK as the sole legal government of Kampuchea. Nov. 15, 1985
PRK State Council named Tep Hen
as new ambassador to Vietnam and Sok An as ambassador to India. CGDK VP Khieu Samphan, in an
interview upon his return from UNGA meeting in New York, predicted heavy
Vietnamese dry season offensive against resistance forces. Dec. 7, 1985
CGDK top leaderships, Prince
Sihanouk, Khieu Samphan and Son Sann, arrived in Beijing for a 4-days
official consultations with Chinese officials, including Deng Xiaoping. Dec. 27, 1985
Son Sann, CGDK prime minister
and KPNLF president, said the factional dispute within the coalition
government would be resolved very soon.
Intensive maneuvering and political infighting within the resistance
organization had embroiled for sometimes, with which much of it was blamed on
Son Sann. PRK and Vietnam signed a
“treaty on principles for settling border problems” between the two
countries. NA Chairman Chea Sim
signed for Kampuchea and FM Nguyen Co Thach for Vietnam. Dec. 28, 1985
CGDK issued a statement
denouncing the border treaty concluded by the PRK and Vietnam, saying the
agreement in fact abolishes the border between Kampuchea and Vietnam and that
it was signed by the PRK under duress. 1986 Chronology Of Cambodian
History Abbreviations on this page Jan. 2, 1986
The Khmer Rouge radio reported
Pol Pot as saying that he would withdraw from all military and political
activities if Vietnamese troops were withdrawn from Kampuchea. Jan. 13, 1986
U.S. authorized $3.5 million in
non-lethal aid for two non-communist resistance forces, KPNLF and FUNCINPEC. PRK and USSR signed in Phnom
Penh a protocol on economic aid and trade cooperation for 1986-90. Jan. 29, 1986
CGDK ambassador to the UN Ngo
Hac Team, in a new conference in Geneva, claimed that Vietnam had sent
700,000 of its citizen to settle in Kampuchea, and the newcomers were moving
into the best areas of the country. Feb. 3, 1986
Phnom Penh observed 56th
anniversary of Indochinese Communist Party and 7th anniversary of
Kampuchea-Vietnam Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation. Feb. 21, 1986
PRK President Heng Samrin
departed Phnom Penh for Moscow to attend the 27th CPSU Congress
and meet with CPSU Gen. Sec. Mikhail Gorbachev. March 5, 1986
CGDK Minister of Health
Thiounn Thoeun issued a statement charging Vietnamese forces of employing
chemical warfare in Kampuchea. March 10, 1986
UN Human Rights Commission, at
its 42nd session, adopted resolution calling for withdrawal of
foreign forces from Kampuchea. March 18, 1986
PRK Council of State announced
several high level reassignments and appointments: former Interior Minister Khang
Sarin was appointed president of People’s Supreme Court; former Deputy
Minister of Education Chan Min to be chief judge of PSC; Deputy Minister of
Interior Ney Pena was promoted to Minister of Interior; First Deputy Minister
of Finance Chhay Than was promoted to minister; Central Committee member Say
Chhum became Minister of Agriculture; and former Agriculture Minister Kong
Sam Ol to became cabinet member in charge of agriculture and rubber
plantation. April 7, 1986
Prince Sihanouk and Prince
Monique left Beijing for Pyongyang. (FAB #3) April 10, 1986
Prince Sihanouk met with North
Korean President Kim Il Sung, who assured the Korea’s full support of the
Prince’s 8 Point Peace Proposal. (FAB #3) July 1, 1986
Prince Sihanouk left Pyongyang
for Beijing to begin his latest diplomatic rounds. July 7, 1986
Indian charge d’affairs in
Phnom Penh said his government had signed an agreement to help restore Angkor
Wat, which would began in October. July 10, 1986
The new DK ambassador to
Pakistan, Chan Youran, presented his credentials to President Mohammed Ziaul
Haq. PRK announced the death of Le
Duan and declared a 5-days mourning.
President Heng Samrin would lead a delegation to Duan’s funeral on
July 13. In Beijing, Prince Sihanouk
expressed condolences on Duan’s death but said it would not bring any change in
Vietnam’s policy toward Kampuchea. July 11, 1986
European Parliament adopted a
resolution supporting CGDK 8-points peace proposal and condemned human rights
violations in Kampuchea. July 16, 1986
The Third Plenum of the fifth
KPRP Central Committee Congress concluded its 7-days session in Phnom Penh. July 22, 1986
ASEAN countries launched their
annual campaign for UN support for their position on Kampuchea, with special
delegations visited Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. July 24, 1986
CGDK Vice-President Khieu
Samphan ended a 7-days visit to Zambia. July 30, 1986
PRK Minister of Agriculture
Kong Sam Ol made an urgent appeal for aid to alleviate food shortages cause
by a 6-week long food. A Nicaraguan delegation led by
Henry Ruiz concluded a 2-days friendship visit to Phnom Penh. The delegation met with Heng Samrin and
Say Phuthang. Aug. 2, 1986
Prince Sihanouk arrived in
Singapore for meeting with FM Dhanabalan and other officials. Dhanabalan proposed additions to the CGDK
8-point proposal, in which all fighting forces must be disarmed and
peacekeeping forces be stationed in Kampuchea after Vietnamese withdrawal. Aug. 5, 1986
Prince Sihanouk said China
supports plan to reduce Khmer Rouge forces to the size of ANS and KPNLF
forces. Aug. 8, 1986
Indonesia FM Mokhatar
Kusumaatmaja endorsed Australia FM Bill Hayden’s proposal to put Pol Pot on
trial. Aug. 16, 1986
Prince Sihanouk addressed
Foreign Correspondents Club in Bangkok, expressing pessimism on possibilities
for a negotiated settlement or that next generation of Vietnamese leaders
would be more reasonable about Kampuchea. Aug. 19, 1986
PRK National Assembly
delegation led by Chairman Chea Sim arrived in Moscow for a friendship visit. Prince Sihanouk arrived in
Jakarta for a 4-days visit. Aug. 27, 1986
Prince Sihanouk, in Bangkok,
told news reporters Khmer Rouge earlier in the month attached an
ANS-controlled village in Siem Reap province, killing 2 villagers, 2 ANS and
5 KPNLF soldiers and evacuated the entire village. The PRK Education Ministry
concluded a 5-days conference at Kampuchean-Soviet Friendship Institute of
Technology at which three documents were studied: vocational training in
general education; ideology, politics and revolutionary ethics training; and
education management at the provincial and municipal level. Sept. 6, 1986
Prince Sihanouk, Khieu Samphan
and Son Sann arrived in Beijing for high level CGDK meeting. Sept. 17, 1986
Hun Sen sent message to UN
reiterating his government opposition to CGDK 8-points proposal, calling for
international trial of “Polpotists” and unseating the CGDK delegation. KUFNCD National Council issued
directive on Phchum Ben and Kathen festivals, urging they be occasions to
remember victims of Pol Pot. Sept. 26, 1986
Delegates from news agencies
in 14 socialist countries arrived in Phnom Penh on tour. They were received by PM Hun Sen and
visited the Tuol Sleng museum and Angkor Wat. Thai Supreme Command
Information Office said the situation along the Thai-Kampuchea border had
become more violent, and claimed that more than half million land-mines were
being planted by the PRK and Vietnamese troops. Oct. 3, 1986
PRK President Heng Samrin met
with Andrei Gromyko in Moscow to discuss foreign policy and Soviet economic
development assistance to the PRK.
Nov. 2, 1986
ASEAN sent Canberra an
official letter expressing its dissatisfaction over the opening of an
Australian office in Phnom Penh to oversee Australian humanitarian aid to
Kampuchea. Nov. 4, 1986
PRK and USSR signed a two-year
agreement, in which USSR would help develop the PRK’s institutions of
education, publishing, television and radio broadcasting, information
dissemination, and culture. Nov. 8, 1986
PRK PM Hun Sen said the CGDK
still caused real difficulties for the Phnom Penh regime but no longer
threatens its existence, and that he hoped but not expect any political
settlement to Kampuchea conflict in the near future. Nov. 11, 1986
Khmer Rouge and ANS announced
plans to launch their first joint military operation inside Kampuchea. Prince Sisowath Sirirath said the
agreement was reached between Prince Sihanouk and Khieu Samphan during their
stay in New York. Nov. 27, 1986
PRK PM Hun Sen told journalist
in Moscow that his government position on the settlement of Kampuchea
conflict remains unchanged; it should be pursued in negotiations between the
Indochinese and ASEAN states. Dec. 3, 1986
UN announced the closing of
its special office to coordinate Kampuchea humanitarian aid, citing the lack
of fund. Dec. 10, 1986 Dec. 16, 1986
PRK President Heng Samrin met
with a top Kremlin official, Yegor Ligachov, in Hanoi where the two were
attending the CPV Sixth Congress.
Abbreviations on this page Jan. 12, 1987
CGDK President Prince Sihanouk
met with Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu in Bucharest where Prince
Sihanouk made a week-long visit. Jan. 22, 1987
Heng Samrin told a Cuban
journalist that the PRK ready to establish a demilitarized zone along the
Thai-Kampuchean border under international supervision and control but
Thailand consistently had rejected the idea. Jan. 28, 1987
An East German delegation
arrived in Phnom Penh for an official visit; the delegation signed a number
of documents with the PRK. Soviet Committee for
Television and Radio Broadcasting delegation concluded a 9-days visit with
signing of a cooperation protocol with its PRK counterpart in Phnom Penh. Jan. 30, 1987
ASEAN protested the invitation
of PRK to participate in a UNESCO congress by the UNESCO Commission for
Geologic Map of the World due to be held Feb. 9-13 in Paris. ASEAN representatives to UNESCO met with
the CGMW Sec. Gen., who apologized for the error and said CGMW would not
invite the PRK to the coming or future meeting. Feb. 3, 1987
USSR embassy in Beijing
released a statement rejecting Prince Sihanouk’s call for direct talks
between CGDK, USSR and Vietnam on Kampuchea.
The statement said proposed talks should be put to the PRK government
in Phnom Penh. Feb. 8, 1987
The top political commissars
of the three Indochinese armies - PAVN’s Lt. Gen. Nguyen Quyet, LPA’s Lt.
Gen. Osaken and KPRAF’s El Vansarat - concluded a 3-days meeting in Phnom
Penh on the Party’s role in the military. Feb. 16, 1987
PRK Ministry of Education
formally opened a branch of the Moscow-based Pushkin Russian Language
Institute at the PRK-USSR Friendship Institute of Technology in Phnom Penh. Feb. 18, 1987
PRK and Poland signed a 1987
trade agreement in Phnom Penh, in which Kampuchea was to export rubber,
timber, furniture, soybeans, sesame and other farm products in exchange for anti-rust
paint, soldering-rods, sewing machines, boat engines, raw materials for
medicine and other consumer goods. Feb. 24, 1987
Four Thai fishing boats and 80
crewmembers were seized by PRK soldiers near Chao Island off Kampuchean
coast.
Indonesian FM Mokhtar
Kusumaatmaja said ASEAN had received no new official peace initiatives from
Vietnam during the past few months.
He said the sticking point in solving the Kampuchea conflict remain
getting Vietnam to agree to discuss peace with all elements of the CGDK. March 17, 1987
PRK and USSR signed in Phnom
Penh a protocol on the dispatching of Soviet specialists and materials to
Kampuchea. The specialists would
assist Kampuchea in geological research and in improving various branches of
the industry. March 27, 1987
Son Sann and Gen Sak
Sutsakhan, in a show of unity, paid a visit to a border refugee camp
together, and issued a statement saying their year-long rift was now over. April 3, 1987
PRK protested the agreement
signed in Bangkok on March 25 between CGDK, ASEAN nations, Japan and China to
establish a coordinating committee to develop Kampuchea offshore oil
resources. April 6, 1987
PRK National Assembly issued a
statement endorsing Syria’s protest of alleged atrocities committed by Israel
in the Golan Heights. April 8, 1987
The third Indochinese Civil
Aviation Conference concluded its 3-days session in Phnom Penh. April 12, 1987
Son Sann criticized Vietnam for
violating human rights, destroying Buddhism and national tradition of
Kampuchea. April 19, 1987
PRK Foreign Trade Bank issued
a communiqué authorizing overseas Cambodian and foreigners to transfer money
to their relatives and friends in Cambodia. April 24, 1987
Prince Ranariddh claimed he
received a letter from PRK PM Hun Sen proposing direct talks with him
anywhere; however, the prince said he cannot agree to such talk because the
problem was not just Cambodians by between Cambodia and Vietnam. April 25, 1987
A delegation of the Cuban
Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation arrived in
Phnom Penh for the third session with its Kampuchean counterpart. An agreement on cooperation for 1987-88
was signed, under which Cuba would send more technical experts and doctors to
Kampuchea and train Kampuchean students. May 5, 1987
A KPNLF communiqué conceded
for the first time that the rebel organization had only 8004 armed combatants
in contrast to a previous statement claiming more than 20,000 soldiers. May 7, 1987
Prince Sihanouk announced he
was taking a leave of absence for one year in reaction to an April 26 Khmer
Rouge attack on ANS forces, killing 2 and wounding 12 others, and he would
extend it for another year or indefinitely if the Khmer Rouge continue to
violate human rights in their camps as reported by international human rights
groups. May 12, 1987
A delegation of Vietnam
Ministry of Supply departed Kampuchea after a 5-days visit. An agreement was signed in which Vietnam
would help Kampuchea in transporting gasoline and expanding a fuel station at
Russei Keo capable of holding 6,500 cubic meters of fuel. May 13, 1987
CGDK PM Son Sann concluded his
3-days visit to Site 2 camp. He
expressed support for Indonesian proposal of unofficial meeting of all four
Kampuchean factions by said Vietnam must talk with the CGDK first. June 3, 1987
Amnesty International released
a report detailing brutal and systematic torture of political prisoners in
PRK prisons and human rights abuses in camps controlled by the Khmer Rouge
and KPNLF. June
12, 1987
PRK
and USSR signed an agreement on economic cooperation, under which the USSR
would assist Kampuchea in establishing three maintenance stations for
tractors and other agricultural machines and provide nine mobile repair
shops. The agreement also calls for
45 Kampucheans to be sent to the USSR for professional and technical training
over a three-months period. July 1, 1987
PRK PM Hun Sen met with USSR
FM Eduard Shevardnadze in Moscow.
Both discussed Soviet-Kampuchea relations and related issues. July 3, 1987
Indian FM Natwar Singh arrived
in Phnom Penh for a 4-days and met with his PRK counterpart Kong Korm and
President Heng Samrin, who told Indian correspondent that India could play a
crucial role in a Kampuchea settlement. July 19, 1987
U.S. Secretary of State George
Shultz, in Singapore, said the selection of Pham Hung as Vietnam PM and Vo Chi
Cong as president seemed to snuff out hope for Hanoi flexibility in solving
Cambodian problem and added that U.S. and ASEAN would continue the strategy
of supporting Cambodian non-communist resistance forces and isolating Vietnam
economically and diplomatically. July 28, 1987
PRK President Heng Samrin met
with Soviet leader Michail Gorbachev in Moscow. Both discussed Soviet-Kampuchean relations and related issues. Aug. 27, 1987
PRK announced a Declaration of
National Reconciliation Policy, which calling for an independent,
non-aligned, prosperous Kampuchea without the threat of Pol Pot
genocide. It was seen an overture to
the resistance forces. Aug. 29, 1987
CGDK leaders, Prince Sihanouk,
Son Sann and Khieu Samphan, arrived in Beijing for a 5-days visit. Oct. 8, 1987
PRK issued a “Declaration on a
Political Solution to the Kampuchean Problem”, calling for: (1) a
PRK-Sihanouk meeting; (2) complete withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from
Kampuchea simultaneously with the halt of aid and sanctuary for the
resistance forces; (3) general election with foreign observers in order to
establish a coalition government; (4) negotiations with Thailand to establish
a secure and peaceful border between the two country; and (5) an
international conference to guarantee the agreement reached. [Statement in
Cambodian and English] Oct. 14, 1987 Oct. 21, 1987
PRK government devalued the
Riel against the U.S. dollar from R30-$1 to R100-$1. Oct. 28, 1987
PRK President Heng Samrin, PM
Hun Sen and other officials departed Phnom Penh for Moscow to attend the 70th
anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. Nov. 17, 1987
PRK and USSR signed a 1988
trade and payment agreement. Nov. 28, 1987
Three PRK cabinet ministers
were elevated to the rank of vice premier: Say Chhum of Agriculture, Tea Banh
of Communication, Transportation and Posts, Kong Sam Ol - minister attached
to the Council of Ministers. Dec. 4, 1987 Dec. 5, 1987
The first national congress of
Kampuchean Journalists Associations concluded a 3-days session in Phnom
Penh. The KJA elected Som Kimsuor
(editor of Pracheachon) as its president, Khieu Kanharit (editor of Kampuchea)
and Em Sam An (director of SPK) as vice-presidents. It also selected a 17-person executive committee. Dec. 24, 1987
The People’s National Bank of
Kampuchea put into circulation a new five and ten Riel bank notes, in an
effort to deal with an increasingly serious problem of counterfeit currency
circulating in the country. Dec. 30, 1987
PRK FM Kong Korm was relieved
of his post and appointed Minister for Social Development and Culture. PM Hun Sen assumed the vacated post. Dec. 31, 1987
PRK and Afghanistan signed a
treaty of friendship and cooperation in Phnom Penh. 1988 Chronology Of Cambodian
History Abbreviations on this page Jan. 2, 1988
PRK PM Hun Sen telegram to Prince
Sihanouk in Paris “…I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of Samdech’s
telegram dated December 30th 1987….I am ready to pay a visit to
Samdech and to pursue our dialogue in France before Samdech’s
departure.” Prince Sihanouk replied
to the Premier’s telegram “….your telegram dated January 2nd 1988,
I have the honor to let you know that I will received you in France for a
second round of talks on Cambodia on a date that you would like to choose.” (FAB #27) Jan. 3, 1988
Prince Sihanouk, in Paris,
said he would meet with PM Hun Sen this month in France, not in Pyongyang as
previously announced, citing the request by French PM Jacques Chirac for him
(Prince Sihanouk) to remain in France until the end of the month. (FAB #27) Jan. 5, 1988
CGDK PM Son Sann appealed to
the Kampuchean people to pray for Vietnamese troops withdrawal from Kampuchea
on the ninth anniversary of the Vietnamese capture of Phnom Penh. Prince Sihanouk’s aid, in
Paris, said the second round of talks between the Prince and PM Hun Sen would
start around January 20th. Jan. 11, 1988
SPK announced the departure of
PM Hun Sen from Phnom Penh for a second round of talks with Prince Sihanouk. (FAB #27) Jan. 14, 1988
Thai PM Prem Tinsulanonda, in the
opening statement at the ASEAN summit in Manila, urged Vietnam “to take
ASEAN’s proffered solution seriously and get down to genuine exploration with
Prince Sihanouk of the terms of a political settlement to the Kampuchean
problem. It is unrealistic for
Vietnam to avoid talking directly with Prince Sihanouk if it is truly seeking
a political solution.” (FAB #27) Jan. 16, 1988
CGDK PM Son Sann appealed “to
all supporters of the Kampuchean cause to continue their sanctions against
the Vietnamese aggressors to prevent the subjugation of the Kampuchea people,
as these measure are essential to our present struggle for survival.” (FAB #27) Prince Sihanouk and Son Sann
met in Paris to discuss their differences, especially, Son Sann’s refusal to
negotiate with PRK without Vietnam’s participation and Vietnamese promise in
writing to withdraw its troops from Cambodia. Vietnamese FM Nguyen Co Thach,
in Ho Chi Minh City, said that talks between opposing Kampuchean leaders
starting in Paris tomorrow could “create conditions for a breakthrough.” He also said the resistance group did not
control a single district of Kampuchea and that their attacks were “just a
skin disease, not a cancer.” (FAB #27) Jan. 20, 1988
Prince Sihanouk and PRK PM Hun
Sen met for second round of talks in Saint Germain-en-Laye, France. Jan. 23, 1988
Thai FM Siddhi Savetsila,
talking to the Nation Review, said that he had not seen any real sign of
Hanoi’s readiness to accept a political solution to the Kampuchean conflict. Jan. 24, 1988
PRK, for the first time,
officially said it was willing to deal with Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu
Samphan. Vice-premier Chea Soth,
however, said the offer did not extend to Pol Pot or to other certain unnamed
Khmer Rouge figures, and his government would have no objection to Prince
Sihanouk as the chief of state in some new coalition government. Jan. 25, 1988
PRK PM Hun Sen, in Phnom Penh,
said he and Prince Sihanouk would meet in Pyongyang in April, again in Paris
at the end of 1988, and for the fifth time in New Delhi in 1989. Jan. 26, 1988
KPNLF’s Bangkok office, in a
statement to news agencies, said “the KPNLF views the formation of a two-party
government envisaged at the second round of talks between Prince Sihanouk and
PM Hun Sen in France, if realized without negotiations with the CGDK and all
parties concerned, as falling within the Vietnamese ploy.” Prince Sihanouk, however, said his latest
idea of a new governing system in Kampuchea would be a quadripartite rather
than a bipartite one, and it would be an interim government. (FAB #27) Jan. 27, 1988
Thai FM Siddhi, in his address
to the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, said on the Kampuchean
problem “so far, there seems to be no sign yet of the light at the end of the
tunnel…. the talks probably will
continue to drag on without any significant breakthrough.” (FAB #27) Jan. 28, 1988
PRK PM Hun Sen arrived in
Hanoi from Moscow for meetings with Vietnam FM Nguyen Co Thach and to report
on session with Prince Sihanouk in France. Jan. 30, 1988
Prince Sihanouk, in Beijing,
announced his resignation as president of CGDK, citing Son Sann and KPNLF’s
hostility “the KPNLF and its President have not hesitated to unjustly accuse
me of ‘national treason’ by playing the games of the Vietnamese
colonialists”, and named his son Prince Ranariddh as his representative to
the CGDK. Prince Sihanouk also
cancelled his upcoming meeting in Pyongyang with PRK Premier Hun Sen. (FAB #27) Feb. 1, 1988
Khieu Samphan and Son Sann,
according to Xinhua News Agency, sent an appeal to Prince Sihanouk in Beijing
urging him “to continue his post as president of Democratic Kampuchea and
continue to lead the CGDK.” (FAB #28) Feb. 2, 1988
Indonesian FM, Mochtar
Kusumaatmadja, said the meeting between Prince Sihanouk and PRK PM, Hun Sen,
in France did not produce great results, but the two leaders did allow the
two opposing sides to discuss their own affairs for the first time. (FAB#28) Feb. 3, 1988
Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman, Li Jinhau, at a weekly briefing, expressed her government
support of Prince Sihanouk’s effort to open a dialogue with Vietnam, “as a
major party on the question of Kampuchea, Vietnamese should talk with Prince
Sihanouk and the relevant parties concerned in Kampuchea,” asked about
proposals that the Khmer Rouge be disarmed as part of a peace process, the
spokeswoman said, “while Vietnam still persists in its aggression and
occupation of Kampuchea, how could the patriotic troops and people of
Kampuchea lay down their arm?” In an
interview with the Nation Review in Bangkok, Son Sann said that Prince
Sihanouk would go to France again to meet the Vietnamese after the Prince
meeting in Beijing with Chinese leaders.
Son Sann also said Hanoi would propose a two-party government between
the Vietnamese-backed PRK and the Sihanoukist faction, with the Prince as
Head of State, but Prince Sihanouk would reject the offer and would instead
suggest a four-party government to include the other Khmer resistance
factions. Feb. 4, 1988
Radio Hanoi quoted spokesman
Trinh Xuan Lang as saying that Vietnam welcomed Prince Sihanouk’s resignation
from his post of President of CGDK. But
Lang added that despite Prince Sihanouk’s appeal for Vietnam to join future
peace talks, Hanoi would not participate until Cambodians warring factions
had reached an agreement among themselves. Feb. 5, 1988
The Soviet official news
agency Tass reported that USSR leader, Mikhail Gorvachev, met with Indonesian
FM, Machtar Kusumaatmadja, in Moscow to discuss international issues
including the Kampuchea conflict. Feb. 6, 1988
Khmer Rouge leader, Khieu
Samphan, arrived in Beijing to ask Prince Sihanouk to reverse his decision of
resigning from the presidency of CGDK. Feb. 8, 1988
Prince Sihanouk met in Beijing
with Khieu Samphan, who later said he expected the Prince to resume his
leadership position in the CGDK. Feb. 11, 1988
The CGDK held it cabinet
meeting attend by Son Sann, Khieu Samphan, Prince Ranarridh and other
officials; the meeting issued a communiqué refusing to acknowledge Prince
Sihanouk’s resignation. Feb. 10, 1988
Prince Sihanouk, in a
statement to the French newspaper Le Monde, said China was unhappy over his
peace talks with the Vietnam-backed government of PM Hun Sen and hoped his
bid to seek a solution through negotiation would fail. Feb. 17, 1988
Prince Sihanouk issued a
statement denying the rumor, which he blamed on the anti-Sihanouk Khmer Bleu
in Paris, that he received $50,000 from Hun Sen and Vietnam, accepted the
post as PRK president and would return to Phnom Penh soon. (FAB #44) Feb. 22, 1988
PRK PM Hun Sen, in an interview
with a journalist in Phnom Penh, said it would not matter at all if the KPNLF
does not participate in future peace talks or in a future coalition
government. He also added that Son
Sann’s KPNLF faction does not even deserve consideration; the group is
self-destructing and would dissolve itself. Sponsored by 22 Non-Aligned
countries and introduced by Pakistan, the UN Human Rights Commission meeting
in Geneva passed a resolution demanding for the ninth successive year that
foreign troops get out of Cambodia and Afghanistan. The Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Belarussia, Ethiopia, and East
Germany voted against the resolution, while Algeria, Cyprus, India, Iraq,
Nicaragua and Nigeria abstained. Feb. 25, 1988
Prince Sihanouk again, in
Beijing, denied rumor that he had signed a secret agreement with the PRK to
return to Phnom Penh to serve as Head of State. (FAB #44) Feb. 26, 1988
Indonesian FM, Mochtar
Kusumaatmadja, told journalists in Jakarta that Prince Sihanouk would again
lead the CGDK but would not formally take the title of President, which
enable the Prince to have more room to maneuver to meet with Vietnam, which
refused to talk with the leadership of the CGDK. Feb. 29, 1988
Prince Sihanouk issued a
statement announcing his resumption of the presidency of the CGDK. March 10, 1988
The Bangkok Post published a
report obtained from resistance’s sources, saying two KPNLAF commanders, Chea
Chhut and Liv Ne, would be relieved from their duties at the request of the
U.S., who accused the two of human rights violations. (FAB #29) March 11, 1988
PRK PM Hun Sen sent a telegram
to Prince Sihanouk expressing his satisfaction at the Prince’s decision to
resume talks and his intention for the next meeting with Prince Sihanouk. (FAB #29) PRK announced plans to
establish the University of Phnom Penh which consists of 11 facilities:
mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, philosophy,
education, Cambodian literature, Russian/Occidental language and literature,
and Vietnamese/Oriental language and literature. March 16, 1988
Speaking to Singaporean
reporters in New Delhi, India, the visiting Singapore PM, Lee Kuan Yew, said
with the Cambodian conflict were on the course towards the Vietnamese
withdrawal, the next major problem was how to prevent the Khmer Rouge from
returning to a dominant position in the next Cambodian government. (FAB #29) March 18, 1988
Prince Ranariddh, ANS
Commander-in-Chief, accompanied by Princess Marie Ranariddh and two officials
paid a friendly visit to Singapore as guest of Singapore second Minister of
Defense Brigadier General Lee Hsien Loong. (FAB #28) March 29, 1988
Vietnamese FM Nguyen Co Thach,
in an interview, ruled out a meeting with Prince Sihanouk but said he would correspond
with the Prince if necessary. Thach
also said half of the original Vietnamese forces in Kampuchea had left the
country and that the remaining would leave in the next three years. April 2, 1988
The Bangkok Post reported that
international relief workers at “SITE TWO CAPM” were to have armed escorts
following a shoot-out in which 2 persons were killed and 3 relief workers
were held at gunpoint. Prince Sihanouk wrote a letter
to PM Hun Sen explaining his refusal to meet for third round of talks saying,
“the government of PRK cannot do anything without authorization of Hanoi.
[Text of the letter] April 5, 1988
The new Indonesian FM, Ali
Alatas, assured Thailand and other Asean countries that the planned informal
meeting in Jakarta to solve the Cambodian problem had not lost its relevance.
(FAB
#30) April 11, 1988
The 44th session of
ESCAP was held in Jakarta, Indonesia; CGDK sent a 7-members delegation to the
conference: Chak Sarik and Truong Mealy (FUNCINPEC); Pech Bun Ret and Kheang
Khaon (Khmer Rouge); and Bou Say, Son Soubert and Ok Sereisopheak (KPNLF). (FAB #29) April 12, 1988
Prince Sihanouk announced that
he had turned down a personal appeal from the PRK PM Hun Sen to resume peace
talks. (FAB #30) April 13, 1988
A DK delegation to the 44th
session of ESCAP, in Jakarta, led by Bun Say, was received by the new
Indonesian FM, Ali Alatas, whom informed the delegation that Indonesia,
despite the change of foreign minister, would continue to promote the
Cocktail party idea, in order to settle the Cambodian problems. (FAB #30) April 16, 1988
The Soviet Deputy FM, Igor
Rogachev, said his country couldn’t pressure Vietnam to withdraw its troops
from Cambodia because Vietnam is a sovereign country and nobody can dictate to
it. (FAB
#30) April 18, 1988
The Press Trust of India
reported that Vietnamese leaders have suggested to Indian PM, Rajiv Gandhi,
that a round of talks on the war in Cambodia be held in New Delhi. (FAB #30) April 28, 1988
Vietnamese Deputy FM, Tran
Quang Co, said that his country refused to discuss peace with Prince
Sihanouk. (FAB #30) April 29, 1988
Soviet Deputy FM, Igor
Rogachev, said that the quickest way to end nine years of conflict in
Cambodia would be for Cambodian warring factions to start direct talks. (FAB #30) May 6, 1988
Vietnam’s proclaimed
withdrawal of 20,000 troops from Cambodia last year was genuine and not a simple
troop rotation according to Major Timothy Pfister, spokesman for the U.S.
Pacific Commander-in-Chief. (FAB #31) May 16, 1988
Thai Permanent Secretary of
Foreign Affairs M.R. Kasemsamosorn Kasemsri, in a TV interview, said Thailand
would not ask the USSR to pressure Vietnam to pull out its forces from
Cambodia. He added that the
forthcoming trip to the USSR of Thai PM Prem Tinsulanonda was aimed at
finding a peaceful solution to the Cambodian conflict which had threatened
Thailand’s security for more than nine years. (FAB #31) May 18, 1988
A Conference on Cambodia,
organized by the Center for the study of the European Reality, was held in
Rome, Italy. Attended the Conference
were Prince Sirivudh, representing FUNCINPEC-France, and Ek Sereywath,
representing the Office of the Personal Representative of Prince Sihanouk in
Cambodia and Asia. (FAB #29) Thai PM Prem Tinsulanonda
urged the Soviet Union to play a “constructive role” in solving the Cambodian
conflict, which had “violently destabilized” the Southeast Asian region in
the last nine years. (FAB #31) June 27, 1988
CGDK President Prince
Sihanouk, in the area controlled by ANS, received credentials from six
ambassadors: (1) Taki Ould Sidi of Mauritania; (2) Dzon Siroka of Yugoslavia;
(3) Mohammed Magdi Sabri El Gheriany of Egypt; (4) Abdorahamane Sow of
Guinea; (5) Farooq Sobhan of Bangladesh; and (6) Akran M. Saki of Pakistan. (FAB #30) July 10, 1988
Prince Sihanouk, in Bangsaen,
Thailand, issued a statement announcing his resignation as President of DK.
[Text of the statement] (FAB #31) July 25, 1988
The Jakarta Informal Meeting
(JIM) was held in the City of Bogor, Indonesia, from July 25-28. The purpose of JIM was to provide a
framework for informal discussions among the parties directly involved and
other concerned countries in the search for a comprehensive solution to the
Cambodian conflict. (FAB #31) July 27, 1988
The
four Cambodian parties representative, Prince Ranariddh of FUNCINPEC, Son
Sann of KPNLF, Khieu Samphan of DK and Hun Sen of PRK, met with Prince
Sihanouk. (FAB
#31) Aug. 8, 1988
U.S. House of Representatives
passed a resolution H.J.RES.602 declaring that all parties seeking a
settlement of the conflict in Cambodia, including the U.S., should have among
their highest priorities the restoration of an independent Cambodia and the
protection of the Cambodian people from a return to power by the Khmer
Rouge. Calls on Vietnam to withdraw
its forces from Cambodia and deny haven to the Khmer Rouge. Declare that the U.S. and the
international community should use all means available to prevent a return to
power of Pol Pot. Oct. 6, 1988
U.S. House of Representatives
passed a resolution H.CON.RES.303,
among others, urging the Vietnamese government to cease its occupation of
Cambodia. Nov. 3, 1988
The UN General Assembly
adopted a resolution A/RES/43/19
reiterating its call for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from
Cambodia. Nov. 14, 1988
Directive Number 319
concerning U.S. policy toward Indochina. [---]
Abbreviations on this page Jan. 23, 1989
A 10-member Thai parliamentary
delegation arrived in Phnom Penh for the first visit of Thai
legislators. The delegation met with
Dep. PM Chea Soth, NA Chairman Chea Sim and NA Vice-Chairman Mat Ly. Jan. 25, 1989
PRK PM Hun Sen arrived in
Bangkok for a 2-days unofficial visit with top Thai officials. Feb. 10, 1989
Thai PM Chatchai Chunhavan announced
that his government would legalize import of logs from Kampuchea to help
alleviate Thai shortage resulting from a nation-wide logging ban. Feb. 14, 1989
PRK Council of Ministers
approved the creation of an 11-member Khmer-Thai economic cooperation
commission chair by Defense Minister Tea Banh. Feb. 18, 1989
PRK National Assembly amended
Articles 15, 16 and 17 of its Constitution on property tenure and the
inheritance of landed property distributed by the state. It was interpreted as the legalization of
private land ownership. Feb. 26, 1989 U.S. President
George Bush meets with Prince Sihanouk in Beijing. March 1, 1989
PRK Sec. Gen. Of Kampuchea Red
Cross, My Samedy, arrived in the U.S. for a 3-weeks visit. March 23, 1989
The PRK State Council created
the Commission for Amending the Constitution chair by NA Chairman Chea Sim. March 29, 1989
A U.S. Congressional
delegation headed by Stephen Solarz, Chairman of House Sub Committee on Asia
and Pacific, arrived in Phnom Penh.
They met with PRK PM Hun Sen to discuss JIM II talks. April 13, 1989
A relic of the Buddha, reputed
to be one of his bones, was enshrined in the stupa in front of the Phnom Penh
railway station. The ceremony was
attended by Heng Samrin, Hun Sen and other high-ranking officials. April 18, 1989
The CGDK was banned from the
Southeast Asian Game in Malaysia next August, following rejection of its
appeal to the International Olympic Committee. The ASEAN countries were warned of reprisals if they allow the
CGDK to participate. April 21, 1989
A 25-member Thai parliamentary
delegation arrived in Phnom Penh for a 4-days visit. The delegation met with PRK Defense
Minister Tea Banh and PM Hun Sen, who said general elections would be held in
November and asked Thailand not to aid the CGDK after Vietnamese troops
withdrawal. April 30, 1989
PRK National Assembly ratified
the revised constitution; the country was renamed from People’s Republic of
Kampuchea to THE STATE OF CAMBODIA (SOC). The new
national anthem and a new flag were adopted; and the death penalty was
abolished. May 3, 1989 May 6, 1989
SOC PM Hun Sen met with Thai
PM Chatchai Chunhawan in Bangkok following the JIM II talks in Jakarta. Phnom Penh residents
celebrated the lifting of city’s 10 pm curfew, which was in effect since
1979. May 18, 1989
The Sino-Soviet summit in Beijing
concluded and issued communiqué declaring “on the Cambodian issue, the two
sides recalled the decision on the total withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from
Cambodia by September this year,…..the countries concerned should gradually
reduce and end all military aid to any Cambodian warring faction. The China and USSR affirmed that they will
make every effort for an early, fair, and suitable solution to the Cambodian
issue by political move….” May 22, 1989
Romanian Amb. Angelo Miculescu is invited by the Chinese Foreign Ministry to discuss issues including Cambodia, in which the Chinese made its position clear in order to solve Cambodia's problem. [Read more] May 23, 1989
A delegation of Vietnam Ministry
of Finance concluded its 8-days Cambodia visit, after holding working
sessions on financial cooperation between the two countries. May 27, 1989
Im Tam, former Khmer Republic
prime minister, visited Kampuchea. He
met with President Heng Samrin and NA Chairman Chea Sim during his 4-weeks
stay. June 1, 1989 U.S. President George Bush remarks following discussions with British PM Margaret Thatcher in London, Cambodia problem was discussed. [The remark] June 9, 1989 U.S. Press Secretary Fitzwater issues statement on
President Bush's meeting with Indonesia President Soeharto; situation in
Cambodia was discussed. [Statement] June 20, 1989 The first squadron of MIG-21
jet fighters pilot by Cambodian landed at Pochentong airfield. They were greeted by President Heng Samrin
and Deputy Defense Minister Pol Saroeun in a ceremony. June 28, 1989
CGDK PM Son Sann warmed the SOC and foreign oil
companies that the announced agreement on exploration and exploitation of
offshore oil sites was considered null and void by the CGDK. July 3, 1989
A 5-months course on administration and judiciary for 178
cadres ended in Phnom Penh. The
school had trained 2,300 cadres in administration and judiciary since first
established in 1982. July 5, 1989
The KPRP Central Committee week-long 9th
Plenum, chaired by General Secretary Heng Samrin, concluded in Phnom Penh. July 6, 1989
SOC Dep. FM Bo Rasi ended a 3-days visit to Uganda. July 10, 1989
SOC PM Hun Sen received in Phnom Penh Chhang Song,
Chairman of Samakom Khemarak Sangkruos and former Khmer Republic minister of
information. The premier commended
Chhang Song for his opposition to U.S. military aid to Cambodian
non-communist resistance groups. July 11, 1989
The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in
Washington court against the U.S. State Department for denial of a
nonimmigrant visa to Khieu Kanharith, editor of Kampuchea newspaper. U.S. Assistance Sec. Of State for East Asia and the
Pacific Richard Solomon arrived in Bangkok and met with Thai PM Chatchai
Chunhawan. The two discussed U.S.
lethal aid to Prince Sihanouk and Son Sann, and Thailand’s new business
approach to Indochina. July 20, 1989
US
Sent. Murkowski, Pell, Robb introduce S.AMDT.380, S.AMDT.381, S.AMDT.382
amememnt to establish policy concerning the provision of assistance to free
and modern Cambodia.
July 21, 1989
The U.S. Senate approved the idea of the Bush administration providing arms to Cambodian non-communist resistance forces. It also called for a coalition government in Cambodia with Prince Sihanouk and Son Sann factions assuming a leading role. U.S. President George Bush remarks at a Ceremony
Commemorating Captive Nations Week. [The remark] July 23, 1989
A 5-days international seminar on the “phenomenon of
genocide and the prevention of the genocidal Pol Potist’s return to power in
Cambodia” concluded in Phnom Penh, attended by some 130 foreign observers and
specialists. July 25, 1989 July 28, 1989 U.S. President George Bush remarks on the Signing of
National POW/MIA Recognition Day Proclamation. [The remark] July 29, 1989
Costa Rica Deputy FM Rivera concluded a 4-days visit to
Cambodia during which the two countries established formal diplomatic
relations. Rivera called on Thailand
to stop providing sanctuary to Cambodian resistance forces and advocated an
empty seat for Cambodia in the U.N. until a new government was established
through elections. SOC PM Hun Sen stopped in Moscow en route to Phnom Penh
from Paris and met with USSR Dep. FM Anatolity Adamishin. “THE KILLING FIELDS” film premiered in Phnom Penh
attended by 600 diplomats and government officials, the film’s director
Roland Joffe, journalist Sydney Schanberg, Dith Pran and Haing Ngor. Aug. 5, 1989
The Killing Fields movies open in Phnom Penh. Aug. 7, 1989
A 15-member UN fact-finding team arrives in Phnom Penh in
preparation for a possible UN peace-monitoring mission in Cambodia. Aug. 27, 1989
FUNCINPEC announces the resignation of Prince Sihanouk as the head of the organization. Aug. 30, 1989 An International Conference on Cambodia (Paris Conference), held in Paris from July 30-Aug. 30, is suspended. The conference fails in bridging differences among the Cambodian warring factions and their backers over a peace agreement. Sept. 1, 1989 U.S. President George Bush remarks following discussions
with Japanese PM Toshiki Kaifu, in which Cambodia issue is discussed. [The remark] Sept. 3, 1989
KPNLF launches a major recruitment campaign at Site II
refugee camp in anticipation of future increased fighting. Oct. 10, 1989
A group of Americans leads by Edmund Muskie, former U.S. Secretary of State and Senator, visit Phnom Penh and meet with PM Hun Sen. Oct. 12, 1989 US Rep. Richardson introduces H.AMDT.276 Oct. 13, 1989 U.S. President George Bush remarks at a White House
briefing for members of the Asian-American Voters Coalition. [The remark] Oct. 16, 1989
Soviet economic aid officials arrived in Phnom Penh for
a 9-days of discussions with SOC officials, including Soviet assistance in
the fields of communication, radio, television, water supply and health care. Oct. 23, 1989
Kampuchean People’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (KPRAF) renamed to Cambodian People’s Armed Forces
(CPAF). A delegation from the Washington based Indochina Policy
Forum Institute, let by former U.S. Senator Dick Clark, visited Phnom Penh
and met with SOC PM Hun Sen. Oct. 30, 1989
A dusk to dawn curfew (9pm-5am) was ordered for Phnom
Penh in an effort to tighten security in the city following the fall of
Pailin to the Khmer Rouge. Nov. 1, 1989
A leading Thai newspaper, The Nation, opens its news bureau in Phnom Penh, first Asian newspaper to do so. Nov. 6, 1989 U.S. Press Secretary Fitzwater issues statement on
President George Bush's meeting with Gen. John W. Vessey on POW/MIA Affairs.
[Statement] Nov.
16, 1989
UN General Assembly passed resolution A/RES/44/22, by the vote of
124-17 with 12 abstentions, calling for, among others, a comprehensive
settlement of the Cambodian problem, no return to power of the Khmer Rouge. Nov. 22, 1989
Cambodian and Sweden Red Cross signed an agreement, under which the Sweden would assist the Kompong Chhnang provincial hospital, by sending doctors, provide medicine, construct and restore buildings; and provided medical books to newly graduated doctors and pharmacists. Nov. 24, 1989 U.S. Press Secretary Fitzwater issues statement on
President George Bush's meeting with British PM Margaret Thatcher; Cambodia
issue is discussed. [Statement] Nov. 28, 1989
SOC Ambassador to Moscow Hor Namhong and USSR FM Eduard
Shevardnadze signed a 1990 trade and payments protocol in Moscow. Dec. 2, 1989
Prince Sihanouk endorsed efforts to establish a
Cambodian UN trusteeship as a means of restoring peace and order to the
country. Dec. 7, 1989
British diplomat Andrew George arrived in Phnom Penh for
a 10-days visit, despite U.S. objections that it would send the wrong
signals. Dec. 9, 1989
Text of a new proposed Constitution for Cambodia was
released by the CGDK in Bangkok. It was
written in Paris and officially endorsed last June by Prince Sihanouk, Son
Sann and Khieu Samphan. Dec. 12, 1989
A Japanese “peace boat” arrived in Kompong Som
port. Its 350 passengers visited
Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. Dec. 25, 1989
CGDK denounced Vietnam Embassy in Phnom Penh efforts to
register Vietnamese citizens in Cambodia as part of a conspiratorial effort
to keep track of all Vietnamese in the country.
|
All
Rights Reserved
| GO TO HOMEPAGE | PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE | Sign Quest-book |