Category: Cambodia travel facts

In 2001, after significant delays, the Cambodian government established a tribunal aimed at investigating former Khmer Rouge leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In 2007, five prominent figures from the regime were arrested, charged, and detained while awaiting trial. Notably, Ta Mok, known as “The Butcher,” had passed away in 2006, just before […]

The July 2013 elections marked a pivotal moment in Cambodia’s political landscape, recognized as the fifth and most contentious electoral event in the country’s recent history. The results revealed a significant shift against Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), which managed to secure a narrow victory with 68 seats. In contrast, the Cambodian National […]

The elections held in 2003 were recognized as the most successful in Cambodia’s history up to that point. While the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) emerged victorious, the opposition parties, including the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) – the closest representation of a liberal party in the country – and FUNCINPEC, garnered significant representation. In October 2004, […]

Following its outlawing in 1994, the Khmer Rouge began experiencing significant defections to the Cambodian government almost immediately. Despite this, the group maintained control over the northern and northwestern regions of the country, where its leaders remained hidden and accumulated considerable wealth through illegal logging and gem mining. Their guerrilla forces persisted in launching sporadic […]

The elections held in July 1993 witnessed an impressive turnout of nearly ninety percent, despite the atmosphere of intimidation and political violence that marred the process. The FUNCINPEC party, led by Prince Ranariddh, the son of King Sihanouk, secured a majority. However, the interim government, dominated by former Khmer Rouge battalion commander Hun Sen, refused […]

The hope for peace in Cambodia after thirteen years of war seemed promising following the agreements reached at the Paris conference. The main objective was to establish an interim coalition government known as the Supreme National Council, which would oversee United Nations-supervised elections. However, the Khmer Rouge, supported by Thailand, had other plans and continued […]

Land mines are designed to maim rather than kill, yet more than a quarter of Cambodians injured by these explosives succumb to shock and blood loss before reaching medical facilities. Those who survive face devastating consequences; over 40,000 Cambodians have lost limbs due to land-mine injuries. The financial burden of treatment often forces families to […]

Vietnam’s intention was never to maintain a permanent occupation of Cambodia. However, by the late 1980s, a significant decrease in aid from the USSR to the People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) made the occupation increasingly unsustainable for Vietnam. By September 1989, Vietnamese forces had completely withdrawn, marking the end of a decade-long military presence in […]

The Vietnamese era in Cambodia, lasting a decade, remains a topic of significant debate, with some viewing the Vietnamese as liberators and others as occupiers. Regardless of perspective, it is universally acknowledged that their intervention saved countless Cambodian lives. Upon their arrival in 1979, the Vietnamese encountered a nation with its infrastructure in ruins, and […]

Pol Pot, originally named Saloth Sar, was born in 1928 in Prek Sbaur, near Kompong Thom, into a family of prosperous farmers. His older brother, Loth Suong, described him as a sweet-natured child. However, the transformation of Pol Pot from an innocent boy to a notorious mass murderer remains a complex enigma. At the age […]