This chronology, put together by the editorial staff of Ka-set and based on history books and data collected in the media, will serve as a rough guide. Any remarks about this page should be sent to the editorial team by e-mail:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
For a detailed chronology of the history of the Khmer Rouge and the trials of former Khmer Rouge cadres, please visit the page [The Khmer Rouge Trial] actualiser le lien en anglais

Cambodia becomes indianised with the increasing contact with merchants from India.

Chenla. The country is surrounded by many rivalling kingdoms, thus hindering any attempts for an internal process of unification.

Unification of the Khmer kingdom, inaugurated by Jayavarman II. The Angkorian grandeur is then brought to its peak by the following kings and epitomised by the numerous temples built and left to go down in History.

Desertion of Angkor and deterioration of the Khmer kingdom after the waging of many wars around the succession to the throne. The various candidates to the throne are led to make alliances sometimes with the neighbouring Siam and sometimes with Annam, who both, in exchange for their support, require transfers of territories.

The Protectorate of France puts an end to the double suzerainty exerted by the Siamese and the Vietnamese, thus stopping division within the country. What is left then from the great empire of Angkor is a territory of about 38,500mi². The following 90 years are marked by the transformation of the French Protectorate into effective colonisation as part of Indochina.

Following military action launched by France, Siam renders three Cambodian provinces: Battambang, Siem Reap and Sisophon, an area which amounts altogether to 11,500mi² .

Jules Brévié, Governor-General of French Indochina, sets the limits to the respective zones of administration in the islands of the Gulf of Siam between Cambodia and Cochinchina. The “Brévié line” was from then on to be considered as the official delimitation between the territorial waters of Cambodia and those of Vietnam.

Death of King Sisowath Monivong. Norodom Sihanouk, then aged 18, is chosen by the representatives of Vichy France as the official successor to the throne.

Following a “royal crusade” launched by Sihanouk in order to gain independence, France negotiates the transfer of all the elements of its sovereignty. This allows Cambodia to fully proclaim its independence.

The Geneva Accord puts a definite end to French colonisation in Indochina.

Norodom Sihanouk renounces to the throne, thus being replaced by his father Norodom Suramarit. He creates his own political party, the Sangkum Reastr Niyum, which wins all the seats in the National Assembly and results in him being elected Prime Minister.

Death of Norodom Suramarit. Norodom Sihanouk refuses to succeed to the throne and declares himself Head of State.

The expression “Khmer Rouge” is coined by Norodom Sihanouk to designate communists.

Breaking-off of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and the United States. Washington accuses Cambodia of sheltering Viet Cong sanctuaries. As a consequence, the American army is given full permission to take military action in Cambodia and wipe out Viet Cong base areas.

General de Gaulle's speech in Phnom Penh, urging the United States to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.

While on a state visit in USSR, Norodom Sihanouk is deposed and replaced by general Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak. This leads Sihanouk to call for resistance from Peking. He creates a government-in-exile to which he appoints several communists. The “National United Front of Kampuchea” (Funk) starts gathering in the field all the elements that represent an opposition force to Lon Nol, who then asks for the support of America, Thailand and South Vietnam. The Vietnam War spills over to Cambodia and in October 1970, monarchy is eventually overthrown and gives way to the Khmer Republic.

In the field, communists have grown into being the dominating element within the Funk, which they hold the reins of.

The Khmer Rouge forces storm into Phnom Penh and capture the capital city. The Democratic Kampuchea regime is established, led by Saloth Sar, also known as Pol Pot.

Breaking-off of diplomatic relations between Democratic Kampuchea and Vietnam after two years  riddled with growing severe border incidents.

Near Snoul, on a piece of land controlled by the Vietnamese army, several hundreds of Cambodians express their hostility to Pol Pot's regime by creating the National United Front for the Salvation of Kampuchea (Funsk).

Following a massive intervention on the part of the Vietnamese army after a year of constant border clashes, the Khmer Rouge regime eventually falls. All in all, it lasted 3 years, 8 months and 20 days, and claimed the lives of at least 1.7 million people. The Popular Republic of Kampuchea is proclaimed by Funsk leaders and Cambodia is officially controlled by the regulatory authorities of Vietnam.

At the instigation of the United States, China, Europe and the country-members of the ASEAN, the General Assembly of the United Nations confirms the condemnation of the Vietnamese intervention by the Security Council. As a consequence, two decisions are taken, which remained valid for ten years:
Firstly, the Khmer Rouge are acknowledged as the only legitimate UN representatives of Cambodia, and secondly, an embargo forbids any systematic assistance to development towards Cambodia. The same alliance helped the re-formation of the Khmer Rouge army, used to fight against the Vietnamese occupation.

Revision of the Constitution of the Popular Republic of Kampuchea, resulting in the proclamation of the State of Cambodia.

Withdrawal of the remainder of the Vietnamese expeditionary force conscripts.

The Peace Agreements are signed in Paris and any detailed reference to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge is banned from the legal documents. The legitimacy of Cambodia is embodied by the Supreme National Council, presided by Norodom Sihanouk and where the four signatory factions sit.

Setting up of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). Organisation of the first legislative elections in May 1993, supervised by UNTAC.

A new Constitution is adopted and Sihanouk is enthroned as King of Cambodia. This leads to the creation of a two-headed government: Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen.

The Khmer Rouge are officially declared as “Outlaws” by the government. The latter asks the UN for technical assistance for the prosecution of the cadres of Democratic Kampuchea.

Following serious disagreements upon the way Khmer Rouge should be considered in the country, fighting emerges between the armed forces of Hun Sen and other troops, obtained by Prince Ranariddh. The fighting ends with the dismissal of Prince Ranariddh from his position as Prime Minister.

Death of Pol Pot.

Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) wins 41,42% of the votes at the legislative elections, followed by Prince Ranariddh's Funcinpec (31,7%). Both parties agree on forming a coalition government, presided by Hun Sen. This new functioning is made necessary by the Constitution, which makes provision for the investiture of a government, requiring a two-third vote of all National Assembly MPs.

Most of the former Khmer Rouge soldiers rally to the government. Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea are welcomed with arms wide open by Hun Sen in the name of national reconciliation.

Cambodia becomes a member of the ASEAN.

The Embassy of Thailand in Phnom Penh and many matters at stake regarding Thailand are violently targeted. Political unrest emerges after a female artist from the neighbouring kingdom allegedly claimed that Angkor belonged to Thailand.

The government and the United nations reach an agreement concerning the establishment of a tribunal for the prosecution of Khmer Rouge cadres.

The CPP wins the legislative elections once again but it is only after a year-long internal crisis within the institutions that a new government of coalition is created between the CPP and the Funcinpec.

Cambodia becomes the 148th country-member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Assassination of Chea Vichea, a key figure of Cambodia's Free Trade Union of Workers, who was affiliated to the Sam Rainsy Party. His assassination happened in broad daylight in the streets of Phnom Penh.

King Norodom Sihamoni, son of Norodom Sihanouk and his spouse Monineath, is enthroned after his father's abdication on October 7th.

The parliamentary immunity of three MPs for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, among whom the leader himself, is revoked. Sam Rainsy leaves the country straight away and goes into self-exile.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Vietnamese counterpart sign in Hanoi the much controversial Supplementary Convention to the 1985 Treaty over borders. This text puts an end to the never-ending disputes between the two countries.

Leader of the opposition Sam Rainsy is tried in absentia and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in relation to two complaints of defamation lodged against him by the Funcinpec (National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia) and Prime Minister Hun Sen.

At Prime Minister's Hun Sen's request, Sam Rainsy is granted a Royal Pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni.

Sam Rainsy returns to Cambodia after a year-long exile following the revocation of his parliamentary immunity.

Cambodian and foreign magistrates are designated to sit in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia  (ECCC) and take the oath at the Royal Palace. This sacrament marks the beginning of the legal proceedings, the goal of which is to prosecute the former Khmer Rouge cadres of Democratic Kampuchea as well as those who are guilty of the most serious crimes committed between 1975 and 1979.

Death of Ta Mok at the age of 81. He was the former Commander in Chief of the Khmer Rouge Army of Democratic Kampuchea and had been nicknamed “The Butcher”. Since his arrest in March 1999, he had been remanded in custody and was awaiting trial before the Extraordinary Chambers.

Duch, the former Khmer Rouge cadre in charge of the “S21” detention centre, jailed since April 1999, is indicted on charges of war crimes by the ECCC. He is the first out of the five suspects listed by the co-prosecutors of the international tribunal to be indicted.

MPs pass a law concerning the creation of a stock exchange which should open before 2009 with the support of the government of South Korea.

It is Nuon Chea's turn, known as “Brother Number 2”, to be considered as the ideologist of the Pol Pot regime and to be consequently charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, following his arrest at his home in Pailin.

Ieng Sary, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Democratic Kampuchea, and his wife, Ieng Thirith, the former Minister of Social Affairs, are arrested at their home in Phnom Penh and indicted by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).

Khieu Samphan, the former President of Democratic Kampuchea, is the fifth Khmer Rouge cadre to be arrested and transferred to the ECCC.

TO KNOW MORE
- David P. Chandler, A History of Cambodia, Boulder, Westview Press, 1992
- Raoul M. Jennar, Les clés du Cambodge, Maisonneuve & Larose, 1995

This chronology, put together by the editorial staff of Ka-set and based on history books and data collected in the media, will serve as a rough guide. Any remarks about this page should be sent to the editorial team by e-mail:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it