Chronology
of Cambodian History, 1995-1999
1995
Chronology of Cambodian History
Abbreviations
on this page
Feb. 6,
1995
Sam Rainsy is expelled from FUNCINPEC steering
committee.
Feb. 24,
1995
Mines Awareness Day is
celebrated for the time in Cambodia.
After decades of war, Cambodia is spoilt with millions of
landmines, which are claiming victims every day.
April 6,
1995
US Rep. Rohrabachur
introduces H.R.1451
July 11,
1995
The US House of Representatives passes Bill H.R.1642, extending
Cambodia unconditional Most Favored Nation (MFN) trading status.
July 20, 1995
Cambodia reopens her embassy in Washington DC,
twenty years after it closed following the fall of Phnom Penh in 1975. Mr.
Var Huoth is ambassador.
Aug. 10,
1995
Cambodia and
International Development Association signed in Phnom Penh an agreement
relating to development credit. [Agreement in English
French]
Sept.
21, 1995
Testimony of Winston Lord, US Assistant Secretary of
State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, on Cambodia before the House
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
Sept. 29,
1995
Cambodia and Thailand
sign an agreement on the establishment of border
committees.
Oct. 11,
1995
Cambodia and
International Development Association sign in Phnom Penh an agreement
relating to development credit. [Agreement on Power rehabilitation in English
French]
[Economic rehabilitation in English
French]
Nov. 9,
1995
Khmer Nation Party is
found.
Nov. 21,
1995
Prince Norodom Sirivudh is stripped of his parliamentary
immunity and arrested on charges of plotting to assassinate the second PMs
Hun Sen.
Dec. 18,
1995
Cambodia ratified UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change. [30822]
Dec.
19, 1995
Prince Sirivudh is released from prison and sent into
exile.
1996
Chronology Of Cambodian History
Abbreviations
on this page
Jan. 24,
1996
King Sihanouk signs into law Krams, establishing the
Ministry of Defense; Ministry of
Foreign Affair and International Cooperation; Ministry of Culture and
Fine Arts; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery; Ministry of Commerce; Ministry of Social
Action, Labor and Veteran Affairs; Ministry of Religious Affairs; Ministry
of Rural Development; Ministry of Economy and Finance; Ministry of Education,
Youth and Sports; Ministry of Environment;
Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy; Ministry of Information; Ministry
of Interior; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Planning; Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications; Ministry of Tourism; Ministry of Public Works and
Transport; Ministry of Women’s Affairs; The Office of the Council of Ministers;
The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation; The State Secretariat of Civil
Service; and The State Secretariat in Charge of the Relation with the
National Assembly.
Jan. 25, 1996
US Rep. Bereuter introduces H.RES.345
Feb. 22, 1996
Prince Sirivudh is sentenced, in absentia, to ten years
imprisonment on charge of plotting to assassinate Second PM Hun Sen.
Feb. 26, 1996
Heng Ngor, who received Oscar Award
for his portray of Dith Pran in the Killing Fields, is killed in a robbery
at his resident in California.
Feb. 28, 1996
UN
General Assembly adopted a resolution A/RES/50/178
expressing grave concern about the atrocities that continue to be
committed by the Khmer Rouge; serious violations of human rights and calls
on the Govt. of Cambodia to prosecute the perpetrators. The Council
expressed its grave concern about the reluctance of the Cambodian courts
to charge members of the military and other security forces for serious
criminal offences.
March 26, 1996
British de-miner Christopher Howes and his
interpreter Houn Huot are abducted by Khmer Rouge in Preah Ko Chase
village, 17 km from Angkor Wat. The rest of the team, 24 Cambodian
de-miners, are also abducted but released a few hours later.
US House of
Representatives passed a resolution H.RES.345 concerning the deteriorated
situation in Cambodia by (1) urging the Secretary of State to make human
rights concerns among the primary objectives in bilateral relations with
Cambodia; (2) urging the Secretary of State to closely monitor
preparations for upcoming Cambodian elections in 1997 and 1998 and attempt
to secure the agreement of the Cambodian Govt. to full and unhindered
participation of international observers for these elections; (3) urging
the Secretary of State to support the continuation of human rights
monitoring in Cambodia by the U.N., including monitoring through the
office of the U.N. Center for Human Rights in Phnom Penh and monitoring by
the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General for Human Rights
in Cambodia; (4) urging the Secretary of State to encourage Cambodia’s
other donors and trading partners to raise human rights concerns with
Cambodia; (5) supporting efforts by the US to provide assistance to
Cambodia to broaden democratic civil society, to strengthen the rule of
law and ensure that future elections in Cambodia are free and fair; and
(6) urging that the US raise human rights concerns at the June 1996
meeting of the Donor’s Consultative Meeting for Cambodia and during
consideration of projects in Cambodia to be financed by international
financial institutions.
April 2, 1996
Cambodia
submits application for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
full membership. The current
members of the grouping are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Cambodia currently is in the organization as an observer.
May 9, 1996
The Council of Ministers makes a
decision to reestablish formal diplomatic relations with South Korea.
May 18, 1996
Thun Bun Ly, editor-in-chief of Khmer
Conscience newspaper, is assassinated in central Phnom
Penh.
June 20,
1996
Cambodia and Thailand
sign agreements: on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation; and the
Establishment of the Subcommittee on Finance.
July 14-17,
1996
Second PM Hun Sen visits South Korea.
July
18-23, 1996
Second PM Hun Sent visits China.
July
29, 1996
US Senator Roth
introduces S.RES.285
Aug.
1996
Ieng Sary leads mass defection to the govt. at Pailin. The
breakaway Khmer Rouge faction had named itself the Democratic National
United Movement, head by Ieng Sary.
Aug. 8, 1996
Khmer Rouge radio announces that Ieng Sary had been sentenced to
death for embezzling $16 million for the
organization.
Aug. 21,
1996
King Sihanouk makes
clear that he opposed Cambodia’s bid for Asean full membership. The King argues that the
membership would go against Cambodia’s pledge of neutrality under the
Paris peace agreement of Oct. 1991 and constitution of Sept.
1993.
Aug. 26, 1996
Long Norin, Ieng Sary's
secretary-general, claims that Ieng Sary was ranked No. 6 in the Khmer
Rouge hierarchy not No. 2 as widely believe. Ieng Sary served the Khmer
Rouge regime as deputy prime minister and foreign minister. Norin said
Ieng Sary had nothing to do with the genocidal rule in which an estimated
1.7 millions Cambodia died.
Sept. 9, 1996
Ieng Sary
denies any role in the Cambodian genocide of 1975-79. He instead put the
blame for what he acknowledged were "the killings and massacres" of those
years on Pol Pot and his secret security committee. "I have no regrets
because I had nothing to do with ordering the execution of anyone, or even
suggesting such a thing," Ieng Sary said at a press
conference.
Sept. 15,
1996
RGC provides amnesty
to Ieng Sary, covering his 1979 conviction and the 1994 law.
Sept. 25, 1996
US President signed into law a bill,
H.R. 1642, to extend most-favored-nation (MFN) status to Cambodia.
[Statement by the President]
Sept. 28,
1996
US Senate passed a
resolution S.RES.285 expressing the sense of the Senate that enforcement
of the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act, improvement in Cambodia’s record on
human rights, the environment, narcotics trafficking and the RGC’s conduct
should be among the primary objectives of the US in relations with
Cambodia.
Nov. 19,
1996
Kov Samuth, Hun Sen's brother-in-law, is shot
dead.
OTHER
EVENTS HAPPENED IN 1996
New Discovery at
Angkor Wat. Archeologist Elizabeth Moore, who studied radar images from a
US space shuttle, made the dramatic discovery of a series of previously
unknown ancient mounds and moats, which she believes were built by people
who lived at the site centuries before Angkor was built. The discoveries
may illuminate the early history of the people who produced one of the
world's great architectural treasures, as well as a massive system of
moats, canals, and reservoirs. "Already, the image provides a pretty clear
indication that water management had a very early and probably indigenous
development, as opposed to being an import from India as some had
suggested," Moore said. [Radar Image]
1997
Chronology Of Cambodian History
Abbreviations
on this page
Feb. 8,
1997
Second PM Hun Sen visited Phnom Malai, a former Khmer
Rouge stronghold. He was accompanied by foreign military attaches from the
embassies of the US, Australia, France, South Korea, and representatives
of UNICEF and World Food Program. The delegation was received by Ieng Sary
and several former Khmer Rouge soldiers and their families.
March 3, 1997
Three suspects are arrested in
connection with the killing of Kov Samuth, Hun Sen's brother-in-law. One
of the suspects is Srun Vong Vannak, a member of KNP's steering committee
and also security chief of the party.
The UN General Assembly
adopts a resolution A/RES/51/98 expressing concern about the continuing
problem of impunity in Cambodia, whereby the courts in several areas are
reluctant or unable to charge members of the military, police and other
security forces for serious criminal offences.
March 8,
1997
Cambodia and Thailand pledge to respect each other's
territorial sovereignty, with Phnom Penh guarantees strict suppression of
the smuggling of stolen Thai vehicles and proceeds of robberies, and
Bangkok reiterates its policy of disarming armed intruders and pushing
them back across the border.
March 30, 1997
Grenades are thrown at a rally, leads by former finance minister
Sam Rainsy, in front of National Assembly, killing at least fifteen
people.
April 7,
1997
UN Secretary-General
write letter
to President of UN Security Council concerning
Cambodia.
April 11,
1997
UN Commission on Human
Rights adopts resolution 1997/49, requesting the Secretary General,
through his Special Representative, to examine any request for assistance
in responding to past serious violations of Cambodian and international
law.
April 14,
1997
President of UN
Security Council responds
to UN Secretary-General's letter concerning
Cambodia.
April 16,
1997
US Senate passes a
resolution S.RES.69
expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the March 30, 1997 terrorist
grenade attack.
April 17, 1997
US Rep. Horn
introduces H.RES.121
May 4,
1997
Rocket is launched at TV station in Sihanoukville (Kompong Som),
killing 1 and injured 2. The attack is described as politically
motivated.
May 16,
1997
Long Sarin, FUNCINPEC
second secretary of the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok, visits Khmer Rouge's
stronghold Anlong Veng to meet with Khmer Rouge officials Tep Khunnal and
Pech Bunreth.
May 19,
1997
Prince Ranariddh says
Khieu Samphan intent to form a political party; on the same day, Hun Sen
warns against any political alliance that would permit a Khmer Rouge
return to politics.
May 21,
1997
US House of
Representatives passes a resolution H.RES.121 expressing the sense of the
House concerning the terrorist grenades attack on March 30, 1997.
Khieu Samphan, on
Khmer Rouge radio, pledges his new National Solidarity Party's support for
the Funcinpec-initiated National United Front (NUF) of
parties.
May 23,
1997
Prince Ranariddh tells
reporters that if Khieu Samphan gets a Royal amnesty and wants to join the
NUF, he has no choice by to say yes.
May 25,
1997
Gen. Nhek Bun Chhay,
Funcinpec deputy chief of general staff, secretly goes to Anlong Veng and
meets with mid-level Khmer Rouge officials.
May 30,
1997
UN Secretary-General
write letter
to President of UN Security Council concerning
Cambodia.
June 1,
1997
Nhek Bun Chhay meets
Khieu Samphan at Anlong Veng; and around this time, Prince Ranariddh meets
with Khieu Samphan in an undisclosed location.
June 2,
1997
Nhek Bun Chhay ignites
the controversy by publicly claiming a deal had been struck for Khmer
Rouge leaders Pol Pot, Ta Mok and Son Sen to go into exile, which clear
the way for remaining Khmer Rouge to defect to the
govt..
June 3,
1997
President of UN
Security Council responds
to UN Secretary-General's letter concerning
Cambodia.
June 4,
1997
Nhek Bun Chhay claims
that Pol Pot, Ta Mok and Son Sen have already left Cambodia; they are
granted political asylum in an unspecified country.
June 5,
1997
Hun Sen warns Khieu
Samphan not to return to Phnom Penh because people would kill
him.
June 9,
1997
King Sihanouk, in
Beijing, issues a statement saying that he will never grant amnesties to
Pol Pot and Ta Mok; however, he leave open the prospect of amnesties for
Khieu Samphan, Son Sen and Nuon Chea if both prime ministers
agreed.
June 10,
1997
Son Sen, Khmer Rouge
defense minister, and his wife (Yun Yat) along with about 10 of his family
member are killed by Pol Pot's order.
June 11,
1997
Khieu Samphan, on
Khmer Rouge radio, declares that Son Sen and his wife have been arrested
for running a spy network.
June 12,
1997
The Bangkok Post
reports that Pol Pot, Son Sen and Ta Mok are in Thailand, enroute to exile
in China. The paper cites
Cambodian sources by say the information could not be confirmed. In Beijing, a Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman says, "There is no question of giving him (Pol Pot) or
anybody else from that organization political asylum." In Phnom Penh, Prince Ranariddh
say he has sent military officials to meet with Khieu Samphan, organized
with the help of a friendly country. (Phnom Penh
Post)
June 13,
1997
Phnom Penh officials
claim intelligence reports of fighting in Anlong Veng. Prince Ranariddh announces that
Son Sen, his wife and 10 others were killed on Pol Pot's orders in the
early hours of June 10, and Pol Pot fled the area with Khieu Samphan as
hostage. (Phnom Penh
Post)
June 14,
1997
Nhek Bun Chhay, at a
press conference in Phnom Penh, produces photographs showing the bodies of
Son Sen, his wife and others.
He says Pol Pot and up to 300 loyal fighters has escaped to about
20 km east of Anlong Veng, and Nuon Chea, Ta Mok and Khieu Samphan are
being held hostage by Pol Pot, as well as British deminer Christopher
Howes, kidnapped in March 1996.
Some 1,000 Khmer Rouge troops who had defected to the govt. were in
pursuit of Pol Pot, and that he want the govt. to give them
ammunition. Hun Sen opposes
such assistance, and says he doesn't believe Khieu Samphan or Nuon Chea is
a hostage of Pol Pot. Thai
army chief, Gen. Chetta Thanajaro, denies Pol Pot is in Thailand and urges
news media to take caution in their reporting, saying that many reports
out of Cambodia could be politically motivated. (Phnom Penh
Post)
June 15,
1997
Khmer Rouge's radio
broadcast from Anlong Veng announcing the treason of Pol Pot. [Read
the statement]
June 16,
1997
Prince Ranariddh says
Pol Pot should be caught dead or alive within two days. He also says an
unspecified number of Khmer Rouge guerrillas are ready to formally defect
by June 18 and " if someone does not accept this, I will accept this in my
capacity as First PM and co-Commander-in-Chief." The Prince, in a surprise
revelation, says he met Khieu Samphan and two of his associates three
weeks ago, but refuses to provide details. Hun Sen, in s speech, declares
that negotiations with Khieu Samphan to be illegal. He calls for arrest
and trial of Khmer Rouge leaders and disputes that Khieu Samphan has split
from Pol Pot, and alleges a conspiracy to allow the rebels to enter
politics, "The Khmer Rouge is dead militarily, but someone wants the Khmer
Rouge to survive politically. No way." (Phnom Penh
Post)
June 17,
1997
Khmer Rouge radio
unprecedented denounces its once fear leader, accusing him of committing
acts of treason between June 9-14 and that the matter was resolved on June
14. It pledges the support of Khieu Samphan's govt. and party to the NUF,
and speaks of joining all "national forces" in the struggle against
Vietnam and its "lackey" Hun Sen. Prince Ranariddh says he hopes that Pol
Pot will be taken alive and sent to an international court. Ta Mok had
split from Pol Pot and disappeared. Visiting UN human rights
representative, Thomas Hammarberg, tells a Phnom Penh press conference
that both PMs will likely ask the UN to convene an international tribunal
to try Pol Pot and others. (Phnom Penh
Post)
June 18,
1997
Thai newspaper, The
Nation, reports that Pol Pot had been offered two choices" permanent exile
or "safe have" in Cambodia's north.
Long Sarin of the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok had given this
information to former Thai PM Chatichai Choonhavan. Within hours, the Cambodian
Embassy issues a statement denying the report. Hun Sen delivers an ultimatum to
Prince Ranariddh, "I give you a few day to decide whether to carry on to
work in the coalition govt. or go to work with the govt. of Democratic
Kampuchea led by Khieu Sampha."
In apparent reference to Ranariddh's admission that he met Khieu
Samphan, Hun Sen says, "This is a betrayal that cannot be accepted." US State Department publicly say
that the US "would be gravely concerned if senior Khmer Rouge leaders were
permitted to play a role in Cambodian national politics or permitted to
retain administrative control over areas occupied by Khmer Rouge
defectors." AP reports Nhek Bun Chhay says Pol Pot has surrendered.
(Phnom
Penh Post)
June 19,
1997
Prince Ranariddh say
Pol Pot has not been found. He expresses surprise at Bun Chhay's comments,
saying the general had not informed him of the surrender of Pol Pot. The Prince adds that Pol Pot was
left with only 5-10 loyalists, and the remaining Khmer Rouge are trying to
capture him. Hun Sen tells
reporters, "Pol Pot is the top leader of the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot betrayed
who? Pol Pot surrendered to who? This is a political game by Ta Mok, Khieu
Samphan and Pol Pot and some people in Phnom Penh." Nhek Bun Chhay, who
arrives by helicopter from an unspecified location possibly Anlong Veng,
tells Phnom Penh Post that Pol Pot has not yet surrendered but wants to
defect. (Phnom Penh
Post)
June 20,
1997
Khmer Rouge radio
claims a meeting of 3000 people in Anlong Veng was held this morning,
attended by leadership of the Khmer Rouge provisional govt., and roundly
condemned Pol Pot. (Phnom Penh
Post)
June 21,
1997
Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Prince Ranariddh and Hun
Sen, sent a
letter to UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, requesting UN assistance
for prosecution of those responsible for the genocide and crime against
humanity during the rule of the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to
1979.
Thai PM Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh arrives in Phnom Penh for a one-day visit, scheduled before
the Anlong Veng drama. Prince
Ranariddh tells reports that Pol Pot has been captured, "The source is
me," he says when asked what evidence he has. "One day we will bring you
to see him." He adds, " Hun Sen and I agree that Pol Pot will be
brought…eventually to Phnom Penh" and should face an international trial.
The Prince says Khieu Samphan was with Pol Pot but does not say whether he
will also face trial. Ta Mok's whereabouts, Prince Ranariddh says, "we
have to check further but…to be frank, Pol Pot is the most important
man." Hun Sen tells reports,
"This morning the First PM has informed me Pol Pot and Khieu Samphan have
been arrested." The pair
should be brought to Phnom Penh and sent to an international trial.
(Phnom
Penh Post)
Cambodia and Thailand
sign agreements: (1) cultural and (2) border-crossing between the two
countries.
June 22, 1997
The US and many foreign
officials say their countries had asked Canada to be the key partner in an
extraordinary effort to take Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot out of Cambodia to
face an international tribunal for crimes against humanity, which he
committed during his reign of terror 1975-79.
Hun Sen says he had
received a report that Pol Pot was dead. He also explains his version of
what Prince Ranariddh had said about Pol Polt's capture, "He said I heard
if from someone who heard it from someone else. Now I temporarily believe
that Pol Pot has been arrested and died. I take it as a temporary
belief…" Nhek Bun Chhay
returns from Anlong Veng, telling journalists that he saw Pol Pt, "He is
still alive, but I did not take a photo…I did not ask Pol Pot anything. I
only saw him sitting in his house. He is very old. I think very soon may
be he will given to the govt.." Bun Chhay says he also saw Nuon Chea, who
he said was sicker than Pol Pot, and Ta Mok. The general says Khieu
Samphan plans a press conference in Khmer Rouge held Preah Vihear temple
to announce the end of the Khmer Rouge provisional govt. and declare
support for the Constitution of Cambodia. (Phnom Penh
Post)
June 25,
1997
Prince Ranariddh says
he wants to send one or two journalists to Anlong Veng to take photographs
of Pol Pot.
July 4, 1997
First PM Prince Norodom
Ranariddh departed Phnom Penh for a previously unannounced visit to
France.
July 5-6, 1997
Fighting erupts on the
morning of July 5 when troops loyal to Second Premier Hun Sen attacked
troops loyal to First Premier Prince Norodom. The fighting halted on July
6, when a white flag was raised over Prince Ranariddh's residence and all
his troops were ousted of the capital or captured. [Read more about the
events]
July 10,
1997
Son Sen was killed. The notorious Khmer Rouge Defense
Minister, his wife (Yon Yat) and fourteen of his relatives were killed by
the order of Pol Pot at Anlong Veng.
The ousted First PM Prince
Ranariddh appealed to the international community not to recognize the
"illegal" govt. in Cambodia and freeze any assistance or aid to Cambodia.
ASEAN, at its meeting in Malaysia, vote to postpone indefinitely
Cambodia's entrance into the group. And the US announces its suspension of
more than $30 million in aid to Cambodia for 30 days.
July 11,
1997
US President, Bill Clinton, writes a letter to
congressional leaders regarding fighting in Cambodia.
President of UN Security Council issues statement
concerning situation in Cambodia.
July 22, 1997
Second PM Hun Sen announces the "Open Sky" policy to a group of
investors. The announcement put an end to the Royal Air Cambodge's,
Cambodia's official airline, monopoly on domestic air transportation.
July 23, 1997
ASEAN reaffirmed its decision to
postpone Cambodia's membership indefinitely because of July 5-6 fighting
in Phnom Penh. On the same day, the 30-year-old group formally admits Laos
and Burma; the ceremonies initially were to have Cambodia as
well.
US Rep. Gilman introduces H.RES.195
July
25, 1997
Pol Pot, Khmer Rouge leader who was responsible for
the deaths of more than 1 million of his countrymen, is put on trial by
his former followers at Anlong Veng. After hours of denunciation and
humiliation, the once-feared leader is sentenced to life imprisonment.
July 28, 1997
National Assembly was reopened with
the absence of 14 members.
US House of Representatives passed a resolution H.RES.195
expressing the sense of the House concerning the July 5-6 fighting.
July 30, 1997
US Rep. Lampson introduces H.RES.205
calling for the prosecution of Pol Pot for crime against humanity. US Rep. Bereuter offers H.AMDT.303
an amendment to prohibit the use of any fund to provide direct aid to the
govt. of Cambodia.
July 31, 1997
Premier Hun Sen urged Thailand to help arrest Pol Pot and bring
him before an international tribunal. In an interview on ABC's
"Nightline", the Premier said "I want to send him to an international
court. This is an international problem."
Aug. 3, 1997
More than 1000 people gathered in Phnom Penh for a peace march,
one month after a blood fighting in the capital that ousted first PM
Prince Ranariddh from power. The marchers, mostly monks, nuns and laymen,
were led by the Buddhist patriarch, Maha Ghosananda, who had been
nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Aug. 6, 1997
Ung Huot is elected PM. National Assembly vote, 86-4 with six
abstains, in favor of Foreign Minister Ung Huot as First PM to replace
Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who was ousted from power in July. The Assembly
also votes to strip Prince Ranariddh of his parliamentary immunity from
any criminal prosecution.
Aug. 11, 1997
ASEAN,
after an urgent meeting in Singapore, announced its appointment of
Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and Thai Foreign Minister Prachuab
Chaiyasan to coordinate with newly elected Cambodia First PM Ung Huot and
Prince Ranariddh respectively. The two would follow up on any developments
in the Cambodian crisis and report to ASEAN foreign ministers as a part of
the group's attempt to bring peace and stability to Cambodia.
Aug. 12, 1997
Arrest warrant issued for Prince
Ranariddh. A military prosecutor issues a warrant for the arrest of the
ousted first PM on charges of weapons smuggling. A shipment of weapon was
seized at Kompong Som in May, which Second PM Hun Sen said it was imported
illegally and called for legal action. Prince Ranariddh denied the charged
and pointed out that his name was on the shipping documents, and said he
entitled to import the equipment for his personal security force. The
National Assembly stripped the Prince of his parliamentary immunity on Aug
6.
Aug. 22, 1997
After more than a month of hiding
following the July 5-6 fighting, Pen Sovan - a former PRK premier -
emerges to leave Cambodia. He is accompanied to Pochentong Airport by UN
human rights workers and staff of the Australian and US embassy, including
US ambassador Kenneth Quinn who walks Pen Sovan to the plane.
Aug. 29, 1997
King Sihanouk returns to
Cambodia from Beijing; he went directly to Siem Reap.
Sept. 3,
1997
Vietnam Airlines flight number VN815 crashes near
Pochentong Airport, killing 64 of 66 people on board. The Soviet-made
Tupolev 134B, en route from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, crashed at
about 1:40 p.m. in cloudy weather.
Sept. 9, 1997
Srun Vong Vannak is sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.
Sept. 21, 1997
First PM Ung Huot departs Phnom Penh
for New York to attend UN assembly.
Sept. 22, 1997
Second PM Hun Sen departs Phnom Penh for New York to attend UN
assembly. On the same day,
the Foreign Ministry issues a white-paper
explaining the origins, history, and the aftermath of July 1997
crisis.
Oct. 8, 1997
UN
Secretary-General write letter
to President of UN Security Council concerning Cambodia.
Oct. 9, 1997
Prime Ministers Ung Huot and Hun Sen return
from New York.
Oct. 13, 1997
President of UN Security Council responds
to UN Secretary-General's letter concerning
Cambodia.
Oct. 16, 1997
Pot Pol is interviewed, for the first time in 18 years, by an
American journalist Nate Thayer at the Khmer Rouge's stronghold of Anglong
Veng. Pol Pot who was blamed for the death of an estimated 1.7 million
Cambodians denies the extent of the atrocities and remains unrepentant for
the genocide. He blamed almost all the deaths on Vietnam, saying his party
had to defend themselves. Pol Pot also denies the existence of a notorious
detention center Toul Sleng in Phnom Penh, in which some 16,000 people
were killed there including his top lieutenants who were the victims of
his bloody purge.
Oct. 22, 1997
PM Ung Huot, Hun Sen and ASEAN Troika (Indonesia,
Philippines and Thailand) write letters
to UN Secretary-General concerning situation in Cambodia.
Oct, 24, 1997
Prince Ranariddh write letter
to UN Secretary-General concerning situation in
Cambodia.
Oct. 25, 1997
King Sihanouk departs Siem Reap for Beijing.
Oct. 27,
1997
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, sends a letter
to inform the President of the Security Council regarding the recent
development in Cambodia with attached letters from Mr. Ung Huot, Samdech
Hun Sen, ASEAN Troika, and Prince Ranariddh.
Oct. 28, 1997
The National Assembly adopted law on creation of political
parties. [Full Text]
Oct. 30,
1997
Cambodia and South Korea signed an agreement
establishing full diplomatic relations. The ceremony, in Phnom Penh, was
attended by co-prime ministers, Ung Huot and Hun Sen, and the head of
South Korean mission, Park Kung-Tai.
King Sihanouk, who was a friend of the North Korean communist
leader, Kim Il Sung, dropped his long standing objections to the agreement
last week at the request of premier Hun Sen.
Ieng Sary, who’s in Phnom Penh for talks with PM Hun
Sen, spook to journalists. He
said he did not consider the violent ousting of Prince Ranariddh last July
a coup. He also added that if
fighting between Prince Ranariddh’s supporters and govt. forces reached
Pailin he would support the govt.
President of UN Security Council write letter
to UN Secretary-General concerning the forthcoming election and the
security and safety of returning political leaders.
Nov. 8,
1997
Pailin, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold, formally
placed under the control of the Cambodian govt. The town had been run autonomously
by the former Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister, Ieng Sary, since he defected
last year.
Nov. 24,
1997
Cambodian govt. awarded provisional contracts to five
foreign companies, Australia’s BHP, US-based Conoco, Britain’s Enterprise
Oil, Japan’s Idemitsu and Inpex, to explore for oil in offshore areas also
claimed by Thailand. The
contracts valid only when Cambodia had reached agreement with Thailand on
long disputed maritime boundary.
Nov. 26, 1997
Prince Sisowath Sirirath returns to Cambodia from New York.
UN released a report reveal that the infection rate of HIV/AIDS
was the bleakest in Cambodia among Southeast Asia counties. The surveys
found that one in 20 pregnant woman, one in 16 soldier and policemen, and
one in two sex workers are HIV positive.
Nov. 27, 1997
Sam Rainsy returns to Cambodia for the first time since July
fighting.
Dec. 1, 1997
First advanced team of
United Cambodian Democrat (UCD) returns to Cambodia.
Dec. 3,
1997
Supreme Council of Magistracy is established under
chairmanship of Chea Sim.
Pen Sovann returns to Cambodia from
self-exile in Malaysia.
King Sihanouk returns to Phnom Penh from
Beijing after nine months absent.
Opposition forces loyal to ousted First PM, Prince
Ranariddh, claims that they had captured three districts in the northwest
of Cambodia, and that several hundred of govt. troops defected. The govt. denied the districts had
fallen, but conceded that some of its troops had defected.
Dec. 5,
1997
PM Hun Sen orders cable television providers to stop
broadcasting pornographic films.
Speaking to health officials in Phnom Penh, the premier said sex
films were undermining the govt.’s effort to fight AIDS.
Dec.
6-8, 1997
US Assistant Secretary of State John Shattuck visits
Cambodia.
Dec. 7, 1997
Sam Rainsy leads more than
4000 people in a march for peace in Phnom Penh. The march moves from
Olympic Stadium to the western outskirts of the capital under the watchful
eyes of UN monitors. He had originally planned a longer march but agreed
to respect the authority's permission for a scaled down route.
Dec. 8, 1997
Sam Rainsy meets with PM Hun Sen, for
three hours at the Premier's residence, for the first time since he left
govt. in Oct. 1994.
Dec. 11, 1997
First Advanced Team of United Cambodian Democrat
(UCD) returns to Bangkok.
Sam Rainsy visits Srun Vong Vannak at PJ
prison.
Dec. 12, 1997
UN General Assembly
adopts resolution A/RES/52/135
concerning human rights situation in Cambodia.
Dec. 13,
1997
UCD issues a statement in Bangkok saying the
conditions have not yet created for free and fair elections, which
schedule to be held next year.
The statement said the killing and harassment of opposition members
continued, and urged the US to extend the scope of its
monitoring.
Dec. 14, 1997
Khmer Nation Party holds its national congress
attending by some 5000 people.
Dec. 15,
1997
Govt. forces launch an attack with tanks and
artillery on the town of O’smach, a stronghold of opposition forces loyal
to ousted First PM Prince Ranariddh.
Dec. 16,
1997
Govt. officials raised the prospect that elections
planned to be held in May next year may be delayed. Deputy PM, Sar Kheng, said there
was too little time to prepare for the polling, and suggested putting off
the date to October.
Preparations for the elections were being watch closely by the
international community, which had made continuing aid to Cambodia
dependent on free and fair elections being held.
Dec. 19,
1997
Election Law is adopted by the National
Assembly.
1998
Chronology Of Cambodian History
Abbreviations
on this page
Jan. 5,
1998
King Sihanouk and Queen Monique depart for Beijing.
Jan. 9,
1998
Cambodian authorities proposed changes to the
country’s press law aimed at defining more clearly issues concerning press
freedom and national security.
The new law would ban reporting of classified details on military
operations, criticism of the multi-party system and articles thought to
undermine the national currency.
The information minister, Khieu Khanarith, said the new law would
protect newspapers. The
proposed changes came one day after the govt. closed six opposition
newspapers on charge of defamation.
Jan. 14,
1998
A former Khmer Rouge guerrilla leader, Phon Pheap who
defected to the govt. forces, is killed by police at a checkpoint in
southern Cambodia as he tried to force his way through. Pheap came to prominence last
year, when he appeared at a televised news conference to allege that first
PM Prince Ranariddh was plotting a coup.
Jan. 16, 1998
Sam Rainsy meets with Second PM Hun Sen for the third
time.
Jan. 20,
1998
The American ambassador in Cambodia protested over an
incident in Phnom Penh in which an embassy car was fired on by military
police, wounding one occupants and another was arrested. Cambodia authorities acknowledged
the incident occurred as they were trying to apprehend suspects in a fraud
case.
Jan. 21, 1998
Cambodia National Sustaining
Party (CNSP) formed by Pen Sovann
hold its first party congress.
Jan. 22-25, 1998
Mary
Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, visits Cambodia.
Jan. 22, 1998
The first
group of 39 self-exiles returns to Cambodia.
Jan. 26,
1998
The
National Assembly approves the membership of the National Election
Committee (NEC), which would oversee the elections scheduled for
July.
Jan. 29,
1998
Thailand expressed it hopes to hold separate talks
with Second PM Hun Sen and ousted First PM Prince Ranariddh in an effort
to persuade them to start negotiations on a ceasefire soon. After a meeting with Prince
Ranariddh in Bangkok, Thailand’s foreign minister, Surin Pitsuwan, said
the Thai PM, Chuan Leekpai, hoped to act as mediator between the two
sides.
Jan. 30,
1998
Japan proposes a peace formula to ousted First PM
Prince Ranariddh. Japan’s
ambassador to Thailand, Hiroshi Ota, offered the formula to Prince
Ranariddh who was in Bangkok for talks with Thai PM Chuan Leekpai. Ota also intended to show the plan
to Second PM Hun Sen when he visits Bangkok for talks with Thai
premier. The peace formula
included a cease-fire between the two armies along the northwestern
Cambodian-Thai border, royalist forces to sever ties with the outlawed
Khmer Rouge, and Hun Sen to guarantee the safe return home for Prince
Ranariddh.
Cambodia accuses U.N. special representative for
human rights in Cambodia, Thomas Hammarberg, of obstructing its efforts to
uphold human rights and political freedoms in the country. Mr. Sieng Lapresse, a spokesman
for the Ministry of Information, said the U.N. representative did not
listen to the views of the Cambodian govt.. Earlier, Mr. Hammarberg said he
did not believe free and fair elections could be held in Cambodia at the
moment, and also urged the Cambodian authorities to investigate
politically motivated killings.
Feb. 1, 1998
Former
FM and First PM Ung Huot forms Reastr Niyum Party.
Loy Sim Chheng
forms New Society Party.
Feb. 5,
1998
Acting Head of State, Chea Sim, called for the
resumption of foreign aid, saying that without it Cambodia would face
possible instability and human rights violations. He said only the Cambodian people
would suffer if aid was linked to politics. Many nations had cut off aid
following the fighting last year.
Feb. 6,
1998
Environmental group, Global Witness, says it had
evidence of continued illegal logging carried out by the military. Co-Defense Minister, Tea Banh,
rejected the claim saying that his ministry had received no income from
logging.
Feb. 12,
1998
Ousted First PM Prince Ranariddh expressed his
intention to return home soon in order to prepare for elections due to
take place in July even if he faced being arrested. The Prince had been charged in his
absence with weapons smuggling and colluding with the outlawed Khmer
Rouge.
US Rep. Bereuter introduces H.RES.361
calling for free and impartial election in Cambodia.
Feb. 14, 1998
Khmer New Life Party is formed.
Feb. 17,
1998
Twenty-three more self-exiles return to Cambodia.
Second PM Hun Sen makes an appeal for King Sihanouk to return to
Cambodia.
Feb. 19-20, 1998
Japanese Secretary of
State of Foreign Affairs Masahiko Komura visits Cambodia; he met with
Second PM Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy.
Feb. 20, 1998
Thai
Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra visited Cambodia; he met
with Second PM Hun Sen and invited him to meet with Thai Premier Chuan
Leekpai.
Mekong River Commission moved its headquarters from
Bangkok to Phnom Penh; it will rotate every 5 years between Phnom Penh and
Laos's capital Vientiane.
Feb. 23, 1998
Two widows
file lawsuit against Second PM Hun Sen whom they alleged of ordering his
force to kill their husbands on July 7 near Phnom Baset.
Feb.
27, 1998
Prince Ranariddh and govt. declare cease-fire.
The UN General Assembly adoptes a resolution A/RES/52/135
expressing grave concern about numerous instances of violations of human
rights, including extra-judicial execution, tortures, rape, illegal arrest
and detention, and the violation of human rights committed during the
armed violence in July 1997. The Assembly also concern about the corrupt
practices within Cambodia judicial system and in the prison
administration, and calls on the Royal Govt. of Cambodia to address the
problems urgently.
March 1,
1998
Khmer Rouge rejected a ceasefire between govt. troops
and opposition forces loyal to Prince Ranariddh; describing the truce as a
“deception” set up by Hun Sen to “destroy the resistance forces.” The truce agreement required that
Prince Ranariddh severe all links with the Khmer Rouge who have been
fighting alongside his troops since he was ousted from power last
year.
March 3, 1998
The first nation-wide census since 1962 (population
5,740,115) began; the preliminary figures released on Aug 25 indicate the
Kingdom's population is at 11,426,223 as of March 3.
March 4,
1998
The military court convicts in absentia and sentences
Prince Ranariddh to 5-year prison term for weapons smuggling.
Gen.
Kim Sang (FUNCINPEC) is shot dead.
March 10, 1998
Khmer Nation Party (KNP) head by Mr. Sam Rainsy changed its
name to Sam Rainsy Party (SRP).
March 11,
1998
Son Sann returns to Cambodia from France; he left
Phnom Penh on April 12, 1997.
National Assembly began debating a draft law, which
would lead to the formation of the Constitutional Council, the supreme
body charged with guaranteeing the rule of law. The council would have power to
strike down laws if it deemed illegal and, most crucially, settle disputes
relating to the election of MPs.
March 14, 1998
Son
Sann party held its congress; Son Soubert is elected as president of the
party.
King Sihanouk advises Prince Ranariddh to remain in
exile until he received pardon from the King. Prince Ranariddh, who announced
his intention to return home, had already been convicted on a weapon
smuggling charge.
Cambodia’s anti-drugs police chief, Gen. Heng Pov,
went into hiding with his family citing the fear for his life. He’s seeking temporary sanctuary
in a Western country because, he said, his anti-drugs crackdown had made
him the target of death threats.
Last week, the general had a narrow escape when military police
open fire around his headquarters and his nearby home.
March 17,
1998
Military court in Phnom Penh opened a second trial of
Prince Ranariddh. The Prince and three of his aids were charged with
endangering national security and colluding with the outlawed Khmer Rouge.
One of the aids, Chau Sambath, was confirmed dead.
Cambodia made an appeal to foreign donors to help
finance the general election to be held in July. Deputy PM Sar Kheng said the
election was essential to Cambodia’s future, and warned that there could
be a return to civil war if there were not enough funds to organize the
polling. Cambodia needed
about 30 million dollars to pay for the polling, by had obtained only a
fraction of the amount to date.
US House of
Representatives passed a resolution H.RES.361
calling upon the RGC to restore democratic governance in Cambodia.
March 18,
1998
The court found Prince Ranariddh guilty of conspiring
to overthrow the govt. and sentenced, in absentia, to 30 years prison
term. In addition, the Prince was ordered to pay millions of dollars for
the damage, caused by the July 5-6 fighting. His three co-defendants were
sentenced to 20 years in prison each.
March 19, 1998
Princess Boppha Devi sent a letter from Bangkok to her father,
King Sihanouk, in Beijing to ask for amnesty for Prince Ranariddh. In reply, the King said he would
do so if Prince Ranariddh recognizes the sentence and with the approval in
writing from the two Prime Ministers, Ung Huot and Hun Sen.
King Sihanouk, in a statement issued in Beijing,
stated the Japanese peace plan for Cambodia was doomed to fail. The King said the only outcome of
the peace plan had been to make Prince Ranarridh a double criminal. In Phnom Penh, Justice Minister,
Chem Snuguon, said that even if granted a pardon, Prince Ranariddh must
still pay the damages or face arrest if he returns home.
March
20, 1998
The two Prime Ministers, First PM Ung Huot and Second
PM Hun Sen, replied in letter to King Sihanouk with dissatisfaction to
Ranariddh who does not admit the court's verdict.
March 21,
1998
Second PM Hun Sen sent another letter to King Sihanouk
request for total amnesty for Prince Ranariddh, including the court's
order on compensation.
King Sihanouk granted total amnesty to
Prince Ranariddh after receiving a written request from Second PM Hun Sen.
The King earlier said he would not grant amnesty to his son without a
written request for govt. leaders.
March 22,
1998
Khmer Rouge radio accused Vietnam of conspiring to
kill former first prime minister, Prince Ranariddh, and Japan of
collaborating with Vietnam to destroy Cambodia. The radio claimed 200 Vietnamese
terrorists were ready to assassinate Prince Ranariddh upon his return to
Phnom Penh and that the Japan’s peace plan was actually a plot to destroy
Cambodian nation and people.
March 24-26, 1998
Princess Diana's younger brother Earl Charles Spencer visits
Cambodia.
March 25, 1998
Prince Ranariddh's advance
team, which comprise of Tol Lah, Prince Sirirath and Veng Serei Vuth)
arrived Phnom Penh from Bangkok.
March 26, 1998
Khmer Rouge soldiers in Anlong Veng mutinied and defected to
govt.. Its leaders, Khieu
Samphan and Ta Mok, left the stronghold two days earlier.
March 28,
1998
Govt. troops took Anlong Veng, Khmer Rouge’s
stronghold. The village was
virtually deserted after most of the 10,000 civilians fled to safety near
the Thai border.
March 29, 1998
Cambodia and Thailand sign agreement on Tourism
Cooperation between the two countries.
March 30, 1998
Prince Ranariddh returns to Cambodia for the first time since
he was ousted from power last year and pardoned by the King on two
convictions in March.
Cambodian govt. asks Thailand to deny a request by
two Khmer Rouge leaders, Ta Mok and Khieu Samphan, for asylum for
themselves and some 3000 followers.
April 1, 1998
Demonstration is staged against Prince Ranariddh in
front of Le Royale Hotel, where the Prince stays.
Military
helicopter crash at Preah Vihear temple.
April 2, 1998
Pol Pot is interviewed by Khmer journalist Pin
Somkhon in Anlong Veng.
April 3, 1998
Prince
Ranariddh departs for Bangkok after 5 days stay in Phnom Penh.
April 6, 1998
Govt. takes complete control of Khmer
Rouge's stronghold Anlong Veng.
April 11, 1998
King
Sihanouk returns to Siem Reap from Beijing.
April 13, 1998
Journalists are flown to Anlong Veng for the first time.
April 15, 1998
Pol Pot died. The architect of the
murderous Khmer Rouge regime, which was responsible for the deaths of more
than 1 million of his countrymen, died at the age of 71 of an apparent
heart attack. [Pol Pot's
body]
April 16, 1998
US President Bill Clinton
issued a statement on the death of Pol Pot.
April 18, 1998
Pol Pot's body is cremated. Watched by a small group of newsmen,
the tyrant body was set ablaze with some old clothes, a car tire, rattan
chairs and tree branches. There were no prayers, no speeches, and not even
a word from those who witnessed the cremation.
April
19, 1998
The Friends of Cambodia meet in Bangkok.
ASEAN troika meets King Sihanouk in Siem Reap.
CPP holds
its extra-ordinary congress; Second PM Hun Sen would be nominated as new
Premier if the party wins the upcoming election.
April 22-24,
1998
Prince Ranariddh flew to Siem Reap from Bangkok to meet
his father, King Sihanouk.
April 30, 1998
Excerpt
from US Department of State daily press briefing on UN tribunal to try
Khmer Rouge leaders.
May 2, 1998
Second PM Hun Sen
meets King Sihanouk in Siem Reap.
May 3,
1998
Tens of thousands of Cambodians are continuing to
flee into Thailand as fighting goes on between govt. forces and the
remaining Khmer Rouges. The
govt. said it was on the verge of wiping out the Khmer Rouge and that
there were only a few hardliners left.
May 4, 1998
Prince Ranariddh returned to Phnom Penh for the second time since
July coup to prepare for election.
May 5,
1998
PM Hun Sen and Prince Ranariddh spoke to each other
by telephone for the first time since July 5-6, 1997 fighting.
May 6, 1998
Cambodia and Thailand sign treaty on extradition
(pending ratification from the Thai side) and MOU on the cooperation in
narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals
control.
May 7, 1998
Thai Foreign Minister Surin
Pitsuwan said his country was ready to discuss with Cambodia concerning
the disputed maritime boundary. Cambodia had opposed to the Thai-Vietnam
agreement on the delineation of the maritime boundary signed last year,
which Cambodia claims it infringes on Cambodia waters. However, Surin said
Cambodia should talk with Vietnam first because Cambodia and Vietnam had
signed an agreement in 1982 on a so-called "working arrangement"
boundary.
May 8,
1998
Cambodian govt. successfully reclaimed legal
ownership of gold worth 120 million dollars, which had been held in
Switzerland for forty years.
The ruling by the Swiss-based Bank of International Settlements
follows a four-years campaign to secure ownership. The gold was once part of
Cambodia’s foreign reserves, but records of ownership were lost during the
Khmer Rouge regime. Ousted
co-premier Prince Ranariddh had already asked the bank to freeze the
assets.
May 11, 1998
Govt. troops capture the last
position of Ta Mok, Sagham Pass.
May 13, 1998
Pro-Prince Ranariddh Gen. Khan Savoeun leads a 5-member team
to negotiate with govt. for cease-fire.
May 15, 1998
Cease-fire talk suspended because govt. side objects to the
present of Long Sarin, a diplomat, in Khan Savoeun's team.
Prince
Ranariddh departs for Bangkok with his negotiation team.
May
18, 1998
Second PM Hun Sen rejected opposition demand for the
postponement of the scheduled July election. The opposition alliance, the
National United Front, said it would boycott the elections unless the
govt. fulfils a number of conditions, including the stop of intimidation
of candidates and oppositions access to media.
Nationwide registration started on May 18 and ended
on June 15; 92% of eligible voters or about 4.7 million people were
registered.
May 23, 1998
Constitutional Council,
Cambodia top legal body, is formed (King signs decree in Siem Reap).
June 5, 1998
Integration Ceremony is held at Anlong
Veng for 3563 former Khmer Rouge soldiers.
June 8, 1998
PM Hun Sen meets King Sihanouk in Siem
Reap.
Koh Santeepheap Editor-in-Chief Thong Uy Pang is shot
and injured.
June 11, 1998
Five Khmer Rouge leaders
defected to government: (1) Chuan Choeun, special advisor for health; (2)
Chan Yuran, deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs; (3) Mak Ben,
Minister of Finance; (4) In Sopheap, Minister of Immigration; and (5) Kor
Bun Heng, Minister of Labor.
June 12, 1998
Thirty-nine parties are officially admitted by NEC for July 26
elections.
June 15, 1998
Constitution Council meets for the first time with
seven of its members.
June 20, 1998
Five Khmer Rouge
defectors, who defected on June 11, came to Phnom Penh.
June
22, 1998
Thailand issued arrests warrant for Theng Boonma,
Cambodian business tycoon, for faking document in order to obtain Thai ID
card and passport.
June 25, 1998
Election campaign
begins nation-wide.
July 6, 1998
Genade explodes near Hun Sen Park, killing one woman
and injuring five.
July 26, 1998
General Election
begins nationwide. Despite some problems at polling stations and a Khmer
Rough attack in which 11 people are killed, balloting goes on smoothly.
July 29, 1998
Fourteen parties claim the election
was rigged by CPP with irregularities and fraud.
July 30,
1998
Second PM Hun Sen meets King Sihanouk in Siem Reap on
election process.
July 31, 1998
UN Secretary General creates the Group of Experts to
assess the feasibility of bringing Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.
Aug. 1, 1998
Preah Vihear temple is opened for
tourist.
Nuon Paet, former Khmer Rouge commander who was charged
for order to kill three western tourists in 1994, is arrested.
Aug. 4, 1998
National Election Committee (NEC)
announces preliminary result of the July 26 election showing CPP with
41.2% of the votes or 64 seats in the 122-member National Assembly,
FUNCINPEC with 31.5% or 43 seats, and Sam Rainsy Party with 14.2% or 15
seats.
Aug. 12, 1998
Sam Rainsy meets King Sihanouk
in Siam Reap.
Aug. 14, 1998
Prince Ranariddh
requests amnesty for Prince Chakrapong, Sin Song, Nhiek Bun Chhay, Serey
Kosal and Prince Sirivudh.
Aug. 20, 1998
US
Department of State issues a statement on a grenade attack outside the
Cambodia Interior Ministry.
Aug. 23, 1998
Opposition starts their protest in front of
National Assembly, demanding Second PM Hun Sen to step down from power and
a new election.
Aug. 30, 1998
Protesters destroy
the Friendship Monument near the National Assembly.
Aug. 31,
1998
Constitutional Council rejects all opposition complaints
on poll irregularities and fraud. The Council said it had done a thorough
investigation of opposition complaints and decided to uphold an earlier
decision by the NEC to reject their grievances due to a lack of evidence.
Sept. 1, 1998
National Election Commission (NEC)
announces official result of July election: CPP with 2.03 million votes or
64, FUNCINPEC with 1.55 millions or 43, and Sam Rainsy Party with 699,665
votes or 15 seats. CPP won short of the two-thirds majority needed to
govern alone and must work with at least of the two opposition
parties.
FUNCINPEC issues communiqué
appealing for reconsideration of the Constitutional Council's
decision.
Sept. 2, 1998
King Sihanouk offered to
host talks with leaders of main political parties in an effort to break a
deadlock over the outcome of July general election, which oppositions
rejected.
Sept. 5, 1998
Siem Reap Informal Meeting,
between leaders of main political parties, was held under the chairmanship
of King Sihanouk to solve election conflict and govt. formation.
Govt. issued a strong warning to opposition parties, saying they
were inciting racial violence and anarchy. The warning came after mobs
beat to death at least four ethnic Vietnamese on the streets of Phnom Penh
on March 3-4. The violence erupted following rumors that Vietnamese had
been poisoning food and water.
Sept. 7, 1998
Two
grenades explored inside Second PM Hun Sen's resident compound in Phnom
Penh; Premier Hun Sen was not home at the time and no one is injured. The
Premier blamed opposition leaders for the explosion and orders the arrest
of opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who took refuge in the office of the UN
secretary-general's representative in Cambodiana Hotel after the orders
was issued. Rainsy's supporters, who gathered in front of the Hotel, were
broke up by military police, killing one and wounding several others.
Sept. 8, 1998
Police break up a two-week protest in
front of National Assembly. Using fire truck hoses and electric cattle
rods, polices beat and flush out hundreds of protesters from their
sprawling camp of bamboo and plastic shelters.
Sept. 11,
1998
US Rep. Rohrabachur introduces H.RES.533
expressing sense of the House regarding the culpability of Hun Sen for war
crime, crime against humanity, and genocide in
Cambodia.
Sept. 15, 1998
Opposition protest stop.
Sept. 16, 1998
Prince Ranariddh and Sam Rainsy meet King Sihanouk in Siem Reap.
Sept. 17, 1998
Sam Rainsy is free from United
Nations protection and returns home.
Sept. 22, 1998
The three parties leaders meet in Siem Reap under chairmanship
of King Sihanouk in order to convene the opening session of new assembly.
PM Hun Sen signs letter welcome back Cham Prasith to
the ministry of commerce. Mr.
Prasith resigned from CPP and MP post on Aug. 16, 1998.
Sept.
24, 1998
One of four B-40 rockets blast in Siem Reap,
attempting to assassinate Second PM Hun Sen; the blast killed one boy and
injured three.
New National Assembly is sworn in front of Angkor
Wat; 121 MPs attended.
Second PM Hun Sen requests amnesty for Srun
Vong Vannak; King Sihanouk grants as requested. He also lifts travel ban of
opposition.
Sept. 30, 1998
Srun Vong Vannak is
freed from PJ prison.
Oct. 5, 1998
King Sihanouk
returns to Phnom Penh from Siem Reap after seven months absence.
Oct. 6, 1998
Chea Sim and Hun Sen meet with King Sihanouk in the
Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.
Oct. 9, 1998
Representatives of the three political parties meet for the third
time but still no agreement.
Oct. 10,
1998
US House of Representatives engross a resolution H.RES.533
expressing the sense of the House that (1) the US should establish a
collection of information that can be supplied to an appropriate
international judicial tribunal for use as evidence to support a possible
indictment and trial of Second PM Hun Sen for violations of international
humanitarian law after 1978.
Oct. 11, 1998
Opposition
proposed summit of three parties' leaders outside Cambodia.
Oct.
15, 1998
US Senator Helm introduces S.RES.309
Oct. 19, 1998
UN secretary-general informs the Security Council by letter
about the successful returning of political leaders who had left Cambodia
following the July events. [Response
letter]
Oct. 23, 1998
Japanese Foreign State
Secretary Nobuta Machimura visits Cambodia.
Oct. 24, 1998
Machimura meets with Premier Hun Sen, who offers two post options
for Prince Ranariddh: Supreme advisor to the govt. or Co-president of the
National Assembly.
Oct. 26-28, 1998
International
Forum on Demining and Victim Assistance toward "Zero Mines Victim Program"
is held in Phnom Penh; fifty countries attend.
Nov. 2-4,
1998
King Sihanouk and Queen Monique attend Water Festival;
nearly three million people come to see the event; 313 boats took part in
the boat race.
Nov. 6, 1998
PM Hun Sen attends his own boat race at Neak
Leung.
Nov. 7, 1998
King Sihanouk reveals his desire to chair a second
summit in Royal Palace; the King ensures safety for Prince Ranariddh and
Sam Rainsy.
Nov. 9, 1998
King Sihanouk commemorates 45th anniversary of
Independence Day.
Nov. 12, 1998
CCP and FUNCINPEC
begin talks at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh chaired by King Sihanouk.
The parties hammered out a coalition govt. agreement on Nov 14, ending
more than three months of stalemate over the outcome of a disputed July
general election.
Nov. 13, 1998
King signs a decree
granting amnesty to Nhiek Bun Chhay, Sin Son, Prince Chakrapong, Prince
Sirivudh, and Serei Kosal.
CCP and FUNCINPEC issue a joint communiqué
on the principles of co-operation between the two parties.
UN
secretary-general informs the Security Council by letter regarding his
proposal to extend another six-month period of the Office of his Personal
Representative in Cambodia. [Reply
Letter]
Nov. 14, 1998
The first
members of a special UN team arrives in Cambodia to study the possibility
of bringing to trial Khmer Rouge leaders held responsible for the deaths
of an estimated 1.7 million people. The team was appointed by UN secretary
general Kofi Annan following a request from the Cambodian govt. in June
97.
King Sihanouk departed Phnom Penh for Beijing for further
medical treatment.
Nov. 17, 1998
UN Security Council letter
to UN Secretary-General.
Nov. 19, 1998
Working group of CPP and FUNCINPEC meet.
Nov. 23,
1998
CPP and FUNCINPEC sign an agreement on forming a
coalition govt.
Nov. 24, 1998
Sam Rainsy returns to
Cambodia from Paris; he left the country on Sept. 25.
Nov. 25,
1998
Prince Ranariddh is elected as president of the National
Assembly, with the vote of 105 in favor, 7 against, 1 abstention and 2
invalid.
King Sihanouk signs a royal decree to appoint Hun Sen as
Prime Minister.
Dec. 1, 1998
National Assembly
confirms PM Hun Sen and his coalition govt. in a confidence vote, 99-13.
Ung Huot transfers his Foreign Minister post to Hor Namhong.
Dec. 2, 1998
Prince Sisowath Sirirath assumes the
post of Co-Defense Minister.
Dec. 4, 1998
Khmer
Rouge military leaders Khem Ngon, Dol Sareun, Iem Phan and Meas Muth
defect to the govt. at Preah Vihear.
US signs an agreement to resume its aid to
Cambodia.
3000 tons of toxic waste imported from Taiwan is
dumped about 10 km from Sihanoukville (Kompong Som) town.
Dec.
7, 1998
Cambodia regains her UN seat after an absence of more
than a year due to political turmoil.
Dec. 15-16, 1998
Cambodia is welcomed to joint ASEAN as the 10th member of the
organization; full membership will be granted after Cambodia form the
Senate.
Dec. 19-20, 1998
Demonstrations against
toxic wastes broke out in Sihanoukville; one protester was killed.
Dec. 21, 1998
An estimated 50,000 people flee from Sihanoukville
(Kampong Som) in panic from fear of toxic waste dumped more than two weeks
ago. The exodus left 4 dead and 13 injured in car crashes as they fled in
heavy rain.
Khan Saveun is appointed as Deputy Chief of General
Staff.
Dec. 22, 1998
National Assembly meets to
reshuffle MPs who hold dual posts; 30 MPs are removed and replaced.
Dec. 23, 1998
Some 600
military personnel began gathering and packing toxic wastes.
Dec. 25, 1998
Khieu Samphan and Noun Chea defeat to
the government; both men talk to PM Hun Sen by telephone. [Messages of Samphan, Chea’s
surrender and Hun Sen’s respond]
Former UN secretary-general
Boutros Boutros Ghali visits Cambodia.
Dec. 29, 1998
Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea and Ieng Sary along with their families
come to Phnom Penh and meet with PM Hun Sen.
King Sihanouk refuses
to grant amnesty for the two Khmer Rouge leaders, Khieu Samphan and Nuon
Chea.
Dec. 31, 1998
Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea go
to Sihanoukville for "relaxation".
1999
Chronology Of Cambodian History
Abbreviations
on this page
Jan.
1, 1999
PM Hun Sen, responds to the criticism, denies that he
thinks of pardoning Khieu Samphan and Noun Chea but support the trial of
them.
Jan. 2-3, 1999
Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea visit Angkor Wat and returned to
Pailin.
Jan. 4, 1999
King Norodom Sihanouk said that he would renounce his
royal immunity to appear before any tribunal set up to judge the Khmer
Rouge. "As I've said and written several times, I am ready to appear in
front of a tribunal in charge of judging the Khmer Rouge and their real or
supposed accomplices," the King said.
Jan. 6,
1999
PM Hun Sen ordered a crackdown of unauthorized
cutting, transporting and processing of timber. He called for "the
toughest and most urgent measures" to deal with the illegal logging.
According to the British environmental group (Global Witness), all
commercially valuable timber will be extracted from Cambodia within five
years if logging continues unchecked.
Jan. 11, 1999
Workers strike over pay and conditions. More than 1000 garment
workers, who work for Malaysia's PCCS Ltd., went on strike to demand
better overtime pay and working conditions. Workers complained that their
overtime pay had been cut and factory where they work was too hot and
poorly ventilated.
Jan. 14, 1999
Ministers deny
approving toxic waste dump. Cambodian ministers denied a report that the
govt. approved the dumping of 3000 tone of mercury-laced waste from
Taiwan. The English-language Cambodia Daily newspaper reported that the
cabinet approved the dumping for a payment of $3 million to $6 million.
The paper's anonymous source said an import application was received late
1998, but PM Hun Sen and senior members of his Cambodian People's Party
had not been told the waste was toxic. According to the paper source, the
payment went towards funding CPP's election campaign.
Jan. 15,
1999
Cambodia to reduce armed forces. PM Hun Sen said that
his govt. would cut the size of the military and police forces. The
Premier said he would demobilize more than 70,000 personnel from the
military and police during his govt.'s five-year term. According to the
govt., Cambodia now has 148,000 military personnel and 60,000 police
officers. The govt. hopes to provide $1,200 to every demobilized person to
help him or her return to civilian life.
Son Sann Party merges
with FUNCINPEC.
Jan. 18, 1999
Govt. canceled the
contract of forest concession with three investments companies. [Full
Text]
Jan. 20, 1999
Prince Sirivudh returns home.
Former Foreign Minister Prince Norodom Sirivudh, who went into exile in
1995 after being accused of involvement in a plot to assassinate second PM
Hun Sen, returned to Cambodia. The Prince was convicted and sentenced in
absentia to a 10 years prison term in Feb 1996. He was granted a royal
pardon in late 1998 as part of a coalition deal between CCP and FUNCINPEC.
Cambodia and US reach new trade agreement. The two countries have
reached agreement on levels of Cambodian garment exports to the US Under
the three-year agreement, the US has imposed quotas on 12 categories of
Cambodia's exporting garments including blouses, shirts and cotton
sweaters. Previously the US imposed no restrictions on Cambodian garment
imports with the exception of a quota on cotton and man-made fiber gloves
and mittens.
Jan. 23, 1999
King Sihanouk returned
to Cambodia from Beijing after two months of medical treatment there. The
76 year-old King suffers from a variety of ailments including cancer of
the colon.
Jan. 27, 1999
Most Cambodians wanted
trial of Khmer Rouge. The Institute of Statistics and Research on
Cambodia, a private polling group, said 80 percent of Cambodians want
leaders of the Khmer Rouge be prosecuted for crimes committed during their
reign of horror 1975-1979.
Jan. 29, 1999
Cabinet
members approve to cut their salary by 70 percent in respond to teachers'
strike demanding for higher salary. Govt. also wanted members of
parliament to cut their pay. Average teacher monthly salary was around $20
comparing to MP of more than $1000 and most senior govt. officials of
between $500 to $1000.
Feb. 3, 1999
Ground breaking
ceremony of Mekong Bridge in Kompong Cham; Premier Hun Sen attends the
ceremony.
Feb. 4-6, 1999
PM Hun Sen leads a
delegation to Malaysia.
Feb. 9, 1999
PM Hun Sen
leads a delegation to China from Feb. 9-12.
Feb. 12, 1999
Govt. incorporates the last remnants of the Khmer
Rouge into the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
Feb. 15, 1999
Three charged over toxic waste. Cambodia Daily newspaper reported
that three govt. officials have been charged over the toxic waste. Two
customs officials and a port inspector were accused of causing damage to
life, property and the environment. All three were released on
bail.
Feb. 18, 1999
The UN Group of Experts publish its report “The
Report of the Group of Experts for Cambodia Pursuant to General Assembly
Resolution 52/125” recommending the creation of an international tribunal
and truth commission to judge the crime of the Khmer Rouge
period.
Feb. 23-28, 1999
PM Hun Sen leaded a
delegation to Japan for Tokyo Meeting.
Feb. 25, 1999
Cambodia appeals for continued aid. PM Hun Sen made a plea for
international aid donors to keep up their assistance, promising funds
would be used to develop the country and not end up in the wrong hands.
King seeks justice for dispossessed. King Sihanouk appealed for
the authorities to give justice to poor farmers who have been unfairly
thrown off their land. Legal aid workers say recent months have seen a
rash of cases of villagers being forced off their land by local
authorities including military officers.
Formosa Plastic signs an
agreement to take back toxic waste dump in Sihanoukville.
March
4, 1999
National Assembly passes a law to set up a new upper
house of parliament - Senate. The Senate will have 61 members, two will be
appointed by the King and the rest by the three parties with seats in
parliament on a proportional basis. CCP will appoint 31 members, FUNCINPEC
21, and Sam Rainsy Party 7.
March 5, 1999
Louise Arbour, UN chief war crime prosecutor, says an
international tribunal probably best forum to try surviving Khmer Rouge
leaders.
March 6, 1999
Ta Mok, the one leg Khmer
Rouge military chief nicknamed the butcher, is arrested near Anlong Veng
and taken to Phnom Penh on the same day by helicopter and detained at
military prison. On the same day, US States Department expresses support
for the arrest of Ta Mok.
March 7, 1999
Gen. Nhiek
Bun Chhai returns to Phnom Penh from Bangkok.
Govt. says To Mok will be tried in a military court
under Cambodian law.
March 8, 1999
Foreign Minister
Hor Namhong flew to New York to meet Kofi Annon on the Khmer Rouge
issues.
UN General Assembly adopts resolution A/RES/53/145
concerning human rights situation in Cambodia.
March 11,
1999
King Sihanouk signs a decree appointing Chea Sim as
president of the newly established upper house of parliament or Senate.
March 13, 1999
Prince Norodom Chakrapong returns
home after six years in exile.
March 15-17, 1999
Premier Hun Sen visits Indonesia and signs agreement on investment
protection.
March 16, 1999
Villagers protest over
lost land. Villagers from two provinces gathered outside the National
Assembly to complain that their land had been taken over by the military.
March 17, 1999
Cambodia's courts are too corrupt
and unprofessional to try former Khmer Rouge leaders. "Domestic trials
organized under Cambodia law are not feasible and should not be supported
financially by the UN," said a report by a UN three-member panel released.
March 19, 1999
China opposes Khmer Rouge tribunal.
China said that it was firmly opposed to the establishment of an
international tribunal to try Khmer Rouge leaders.
March 22, 1999
Var Kim Hong, Cambodia's representative, leads a
delegation to Vietnam to discuss border issues between the two
countries.
March 25, 1999
Senate starts its first
session at Chamkarmon and sworn in at the Palace.
April 2,
1999
Toxic wastes are shipped out of Cambodia.
April 3,
1999
Two French citizens of Cambodian origin, Antonya
Tioulong and Herve Son, filed a lawsuit in French court seeking the
extradition of four former Khmer Rouge leaders, Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea,
Ieng Sary and Ta Mok, to be tried in Paris for crime against humanity and
illegal confinement.
April 6, 19999
Bar Association of Cambodia sends attorney Benson
Samay to be Ta Mok's lawyer.
April 8, 1999
National Assembly, for the first time, question
Co-Interior Ministers on security and social order.
April 28, 1999
Far Eastern Economic Review reveals Kang Kek
Ieu, former Khmer Rouge chief of Tuol Sleng, also known as Duch. At least 14,000 people were killed in the
prison.
National Assembly adopts law on banning land
mines.
April 30, 1999
Cambodia formally joins ASEAN as its tenth
member.
May 5, 1999
Duch is quoted as
saying that Nuon Chea ordered him to kill the foreigners at Tuol Sleng and
“burn their bodies with tires to leave no bones.”
PM Hun Sen takes part
in the destruction of about 4,000 confiscated guns as part of his
government's drive to rid the country of illegal weapons and improve
security in the country.
May 8,
1999
About 2000 people take
part in the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day at Angkor Wat, including
Queen Monineath, PM Hun Sen, and NA President Prince
Ranariddh.
May 9, 1999
Duch is charged with
murder and membership in an outlawed group under the 1994 law banning the
Khmer Rouge.
May 11,
1999
PM Hun Sen condemns
NATO for attacking Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia.
May 13,
1999
About 200 Chinese
protest at US Embassy in Phnom Penh, demanding US apology, investigation
and punish those responsible for the attack on Chinese embassy in
Yugoslavia.
May 26,
1999
Ta Mok says Pol Pot was
murdered.
May 28,
1999
PM Hun Sen attends his
son, Hun Maneth, graduation ceremony at West Point - the US prestigious
military academy.
July 1,
1999
Some 100 students hold
a rally outside Thai embassy in Phnom Penh protesting the alleged Thai
encroachment of Cambodian territory.
July 2, 1999
UN General Assembly
adopts resolution A/RES/53/230
concerning the financing and liquidation of the
UNTAC.
July 3,
1999
PM Hun Sen urges Thailand
to help resolve a dispute over territory in the Gulf of Thailand.
June 7,
1999
Nuon Paet is sentenced to
life imprisonment; he is convicted on six counts of murdering, terrorism,
kidnapping, robbery, destruction of state and private
property.
June 9,
1999
Le Kha Phieu, Secretary
General of Vietnamese Communist Party, pays a 2-days official visit at the
invitation of King Sihanouk.
A group of students protest the visit by burning
tires.
July 14,
1999
Cambodia’s minister of culture and fine arts,
Princess Norodom Bupphadevi, said Cambodia was ready to share the cost of
repatriating 912 Khmer artifacts recently seized by Thai authorities from
antique dealers in Bangkok and Ayutthaya.
June 15, 1999
Court in Sihanoukville convicts tree custom officers,
a Cambodian human rights staff, two Taiwanese businessmen and a Cambodian
translator on charges relating to the illegal dumping of toxic waste
imported from Taiwan.
June 22, 1999
Thai Princess Mahachakri Srindhorn visits Banteay
Chhmar and Angkor Thom.
June 23, 1999
Robert Jones, US deputy assistant to secretary of
defense for POW and MIA, visits Cambodia.
June 24, 1999
King Sihanouk departs Phnom Penh for
Beijing.
June 30, 1999
US Senator John Kerry proposes S.AMDT.1168
an amendment to restrict US aid to Cambodia.
July 1, 1999
About 100 students demonstrate against border
encroachments by Cambodia's neighbors.
Nguon Nhil is elected as 2nd Vice
President of National Assembly to replace Chem Sguon, who died of liver
cancer in early June.
July 6, 1999
Piseth Peaklika is critically shot near Orusei Market
in Phnom Penh.
July 8, 1999
Two Cambodian human rights (LICADHO) staffs stand
trial in Sihanoukville court on charge of inciting violence protest
against the dumping of toxic waste.
July 16, 1999
US gives $3.4 million to Cambodian human rights and
pro-democracy groups.
July 20, 1999
PM Hun Sen defends his government's handling of
border disputes, asking protesters for patience. He adds that he could not recover
parts of Cambodia long lost to Thailand and Vietnam but the protestors
want to get them back they are welcomed to try.
Senate President Chea Sim leads a senatorial
delegation for a 5-days visit to Vietnam.
July 29, 1999
US Rep. Rohrabacher offers H.AMDT.371 an
amendment to eliminate any funding for assistance to the RGC.
July 30, 1999
Ta Mok's lawyer, Benson Samay, says he expects the
trial to begin by late August; and that if it does not happen, he would
insist that his client is released as soon as his six-months pre-trial
detention period is up. On
the same day, PM Hun Sen says that the trial of Khmer Rouge leader could
embarrass Thailand, which long supported the rebel group.
Aug.
11, 1999
National Assembly votes 94-12 in favor of extending
the pre-trial detention period from previously six months up to three
years for any suspects charged with genocide, war crimes or crime against
humanity. The opposition, Sam Rainsy Party, fiercely criticized the law,
fearing it could be used to jail political opponents without trial.
FM Hor Namhong rejected a UN plan for war crime trial, which
require foreign judges to hold a majority on a joint tribunal with
Cambodian jurists, as a threat to Cambodian's
sovereignty.
Aug. 13, 1999
Govt. says it wants to
maintain overall control of a UN-backed international-style Khmer Rouge
genocide tribunal. Minister Sok An says the tribunal will take place in a
Cambodian’s court, but the participation of foreign judges and legal
experts will be accepted.
Aug. 19,
1999
225 illegal Chinese
immigrants are arrested in Phnom Penh.
Aug. 25,
1999
UN legal team arrives in
Phnom Penh for talks on Khmer Rouge tribunal. The team is led by Ralph
Zacklin, UN assistant Secretary-General.
Aug. 28,
1999
King Sihanouk and Queen
Monineath return home after two months stay in
China.
Sept. 1,
1999
PM Hun Sen departs for
Canada, Cuba and New York.
Sept. 7,
1999
Ta Mok is charged with
crime of genocide. He is
charged under the 1979 law, which analysts believe is a move aimed at
ensuring the legality of his continued detention.
Sept. 8,
1999
PM Hun Sen arrives in
Cuba for a five-days visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two
counties.
Sept. 10,
19999
Duch is charged with
crime of genocide under the 1979 law.
Sept. 11,
1999
King Sihanouk reveals on
TV that his health become weaker and weaker.
Sept. 17,
1999
PM Hun Sen meets UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York; the Khmer Rouge tribunal is
discussed. The PM is in New
York to attend the 54th UN General
Assembly.
Sept. 23,
1999
217 illegal Chinese
immigrants are deported back to China.
Sept. 24,
1999
Cambodia and Japan sign
an agreement, under which Japan provides $39.4 million in loan to Cambodia
for upgrading port facilities.
Oct. 6,
1999
Lon Phon, Sam Rainsy
Party MP, is abducted by 4 gunmen, who demand ransom of
$400,000.
Oct. 9,
1999
Lon Phon is released by
paying $140,000.
226 more illegal Chinese
immigrants are arrested by police in Phnom Penh.
Oct. 13,
1999
PM Hun Sen's cabinet
denies the PM's involvement in the love affairs with Piseth Peaklika. The denial come in responding to a
French magazine L'Expresse article issued about a week
earlier.
Oct. 17,
1999
Queen Noor of Jordan
visits Cambodia.
Oct. 19,
1999
PM Hun Sen departs for
Laos to attend a meeting of Indochinese leaders.
Nov. 23,
1999
CPP and FUNCINPEC leaders
mark 1-year anniversary of their coalition govt. at Le Royale Hotel in
Phnom Penh.
Dec. 3,
1999
PM Hun Sen orders the
re-arrest of 66 prisoners, who were irregularly released by the Phnom Penh
Court.
Dec. 24,
1999
Sok Yeun, Sam Rainsy
Party Battambang activist, is arrested by Thai police in Thailand. Yeun was accused by the Cambodian
authority of plotting to assassinate PM Hun Sen in Siem Reap on Sept. 24,
1998.
Dec. 30,
1999
About 100,000 people
attend the Festival Angkor 2000 at Angkor Wat.
Dec. 31,
1999
A sculpture is
inaugurated near Japanese bridge in Phnom Penh. The sculpture is made from about
4,000 confiscated weapons.
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