Cambodia has a long history dating back to early kingdoms and the powerful Angkor Empire between the 9th-15th centuries. It then experienced domination by Thailand and Vietnam before becoming a French protectorate in 1863. After gaining independence in 1953 under King Sihanouk, Cambodia endured war and the brutal Khmer Rouge regime from 1970-1979. Since the 1990s it has held elections and joined international organizations while still facing issues of human rights and political disputes.

2. CAMBODIA
 We have a more imposing early history and
tragic present.
 Population was assessed at 13.8 million in
2003. It’s GDP per capita is US$266.

3. EARLY HISTORY AND THE EMPIRE OF
ANGKOR
 Early Chinese records mention trade
with a society on the lower Mekong
which they term “Funan”.
 Indian Hindu society
 Chinese mention two other early
societies: water Chenla and land
Chenda.
 The consolidation of Khmer society
known as Angkor ruled by
Jayavarman II (802-850).

4. EARLY HISTORY AND THE EMPIRE OF
ANGKOR (cont.)
 Two great kings-Suryavarman II
and Jayavarman VII.
 13th century, Theravada Buddhism
won general allegiance.
 In the 1440s, the Khmer ruling
class abandoned the Angkor
region.

5. CAMBODIA 15TH -18TH
 In 1593, the Thai king Narasuen
attacked Cambodia as part of his
strategy to reaffirm the power of
Ayudhya.
 European accounts of Cambodia in
the late 16th and 17th suggest a
cosmopolitan trading life involving
Chinese, Japanese, Malay, Arab,
and other traders.

6. CAMBODIA 15TH -18TH (cont.)
 But from the mid 17th, Cambodia
became increasingly isolated from
the sea, caught in the pincer
movement of Thai and Vietnamese
expansionism.
 18th ended Thai dominant.
 The Thai general Taksin and the
Thai ruler Rama I, imposed their
authority firmly over Cambodia.

7. CAMBODIA 15TH -18TH (cont.)
 Thai-Vietnamese rivalry was still
climax.
 1810s, 1830s, Vietnamese troops
repelled the Thais.
 1834, in the reign of Ang Mei,
Vietnamese language, law, costumes
and hairstyles insisted upon.
 Five years of fighting, finally in
1845, Ang Duong was crown under
the a agreement of the Thai and
Vietnamese

8. COLONIAL ERA, 1863-1940
 The Mekong as a mighty trade
route
 King Norodom signed the treaty of
protectorate in August 1863
 1884, the French forced Norodom
 Norodom’s death in 1904.
 In 1921, the population was about
2.5 million and the main crop was
rice

9. COLONIAL ERA, 1863-1940
 Small Chinese timber and pepper
industries, rubber plantation using
Vietnamese labours.
 Minor exports included maize,
kapok, and dried fish.
 Two rail ways. The port of Saigon
dominated this riverine trade.
 Under the French rule, Chinese and
Vietnamese entrepreneurs dominated
over trade and money-lending.

10. CAMBODIA IN WW II
 Buddhist Institute, Sisovath High
School, and NagaraVatta
newspaper.
 The French raised the status and
salaries of Cambodians
 In March 1945, the Japanese seized
control the government.
 In April 1945, Sihanouk declared
Cambodia independent.

11. TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE 1945-1953
 After the Japanese surrender, the French
returned authority in Cambodia.
 They opened discussionwithSihanouk for
limited self-government.
 Elections for the National Assembly,
formed political parties.
 Khmer Issarak: Son GnocThanh’s group,
Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party
founded in 1951.
 In January 1953, Sihanouk started the
“crusade for independence.”

12. CAMBODIA UNDER SIHANOUK 1953-70
 In March 1955, Sihanouk
abdicated and established his own
political party,
SangkumReastrNiyum, unaligned.
 Hundreds of dissidents disappeared
during his period.
 Cambodia was in peace, expansion
education,

13. CAMBODIA UNDER SIHANOUK 1953-70
(cont.)
 In 1963, he rejected US aid caused
the national income to reduce
significantly.
 1966, Sihanouk handed over the
power.
 1967-68, revolt in Samlot.
 In March 1970, National Assembly
withdrew confidence in Sihanouk
as head of state.

14. CAMBODIA UNDER SIHANOUK 1953-70
(cont.)
 The main force behind was
Sihanouk’s cousin and deputy
minister SisowathSiriMatak,
Sihanouk’s prime minister went
along the move.

15. WAR AND REVOLUTION, 1970-1975
 Engage in guerilla warfare in the
jungles against our enemies.
 Lon Nol government, backed the
US, proved tragically no skills.
 US bomb of the countryside to
slow down the coming of the
Khmer Rouge to Phnom Penh.
 US Congress ended the bombing of
Cambodia.

16. DEMOCRATIC KAMPUCHEA:
KHMER ROUGE 1975-1979
 All Cambodian were to become farmers
under the direction of Angkar.
 Market, private trade, money, religions,
books, were abolished.
 Starting “Year Zero,” “Super Great Leap
Forward.”
 Saw many people as enemies
 Estimated 500,000 Cambodians died
from 1970-75, and during the KR was
about 2 million.
 Conflict with Vietnam

17. CAMBODIA, 1993 ELECTION AND THE
ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA
 While the coalition government
was formed in September, the
Assembly recognized Sihanouk as
Cambodia’s king in the same
month.

18. CAMBODIA IN THE 21 CENTUREY
 There was a power struggle in 1997,
and Sihanouk called for
reconciliation and then elections hold
in July 1998.
 CPP won the elections, but not two-
thirds majority.
 Opposition leaders Ranariddh and
Sam Rainsy dismissed the result.
However, Ranariddh agreed to join
with CPP.

19. CAMBODIA IN THE 21 CENTUREY
 General election in July 2003, it took
a year to form a new government led
by Hun Sen.
 Talking about Khmer Rouge
 Human rights abuses
 In 2002, Cambodia hosted ASEAN
Summit, 2003 joined World Trade
Organization, 2004 Sihamoni
announced to be next king.
 Foreign aid donors,

21. THANKS