Cambodia
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Country of SE Asia which is bordered by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and the Gulf of Siam (South China Sea). In ancient times, Cambodia was the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished until C15 and was noted for its capital of Angkor, the ruins of which remain. Although it retained its monarchy, Cambodia became a French protectorate in 1863 and was incorporated into Indo-China in 1887. It was occupied by the Japanese in WW2 but French control was restored after the war. In 1946, Cambodia became an associated state within the French Union. Independence was gained in 1954. The king was Norodom Sihanouk, who had been elected to the throne in 1941. Sihanouk abdicated in 1955 so that he could become an elected leader under the new constitution. His father Norodom Suramarit was king until his death in 1960 when Sihanouk again became head of state but with the title of Prince. Sihanouk adhered to a neutral policy during the Vietnam War. In 1970 he was deposed by a right wing military coup led by Lon Nol. The country was renamed Khmer Republic. Sihanouk regained power in April 1975 with the help of the communist Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot. In 1976, Pol Pot ousted Sihanouk and imposed an extremist regime which slaughtered some 2.5 million people (refer: Kampuchea). A graphic account of life under Pol Pot is given by Dr Haing S Ngor in Surviving The Killing Fields, which has also been made into a famous film. The Pol Pot regime was overthrown by Vietnamese troops in January 1979. Cambodia, now called Kampuchea, was then run by a pro-Vietnamese puppet regime. But while this regime was in power, the civil war was bound to continue. Realising this, Mikhail Gorbachev prompted the Vietnamese to withdraw in 1989. The country reverted to its old name of Cambodia but talks between the various factions soon broke down and the civil war continued into the 1990s. A UN-sponsored peace agreement was signed on 23 October 1991 which enabled Sihanouk to return as head of state. The UN organised elections in 1993 but the prospects for Cambodia remain fragile to say the least. Having previously used stamps of Indo-China, Cambodia began its own issues in 1951 whilst still a member of the French Union. Cambodia issues ceased in 1971 after the country was renamed Khmer Republic and then Kampuchea, but began again when the traditional name was readopted. All Cambodia stamps bear the inscription CAMBODGE. |
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