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 attacks, including kidnappings and murders of both Cambodians and foreigners, which hindered access to many areas of Cambodia and deterred potential tourists and investors.

The Khmer Rouge’s decline accelerated in 1996 when Ieng Sary, formerly known as Brother Number Three, defected to the government after securing a deal that granted him immunity from prosecution. His defection, along with that of approximately 2,000 troops, left a last bastion of rebellion led by Ta Mok and Pol Pot isolated in the northern region around Anlong Veng and Preah Vihear. An internal power struggle culminated in July 1997 when Pol Pot was tried by a tribunal of his peers for the murder of fellow Khmer Rouge leader Son Sen. He was subsequently placed under house arrest, where he remained until his death from heart failure nine months later.

By late 1998, Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, known as Brother Number Two, surrendered to authorities. In the following year, Anlong Veng was effectively returned to the jurisdiction of Cambodia. Ta Mok was apprehended in March 1999 while attempting to cross into Thailand, and in May of that same year, Kang Kek Leu, better known as Duch, the infamous commandant of the Toul Sleng torture prison, was located and arrested. This series of events marked the definitive end of the Khmer Rouge’s influence in Cambodia, paving the way for the country’s recovery and reconstruction.