Khmer Republic Flag (1970-1975)
We used to hear about war in Cambodia in the past 50 years. Actually, we will also know about the change of regimes in Cambodian History during the war time. Khmer Republic was established by LON Nol and his ministers to combat the Northern Vietnamese invasion army inside Cambodia (Known as Viet Cong). Viet Cong used Khmer territory to fight the United States and South Vietnam government as the influence of communism-democracy war.
During President of Cambodia, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, went abroad, there was an insurgency inside Cambodia between communism (Khmer Rouge and Viet Cong) towards the governments and Gen. Col. LON Nol decided to lead a coup to ousted communism from Cambodia. However, the forces of communism spread really fast due to China and Vietnam support with the fame of Prince Norodom Sihanouk at that time as he was in China. The situation became really worst from year to year and at last the force of Khmer Republic stopped with the hope for negotiation with Khmer Rouge while USA left Cambodia and South Vietnam behind as they made treaty with China already to support Norther Vietnam. Khmer Republic failed to protect its regime and at last Phnom Penh was completely controlled by Khmer Rouge who lacked of leadership and only followed the communism with imagination, but not reality of Cambodia.
The fall of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975 was the shame of the world superpower to leave Khmer people behind without any help. Khmer Rouge started to kill million of people who worked for the previous government and among Khmer Rouge army was Vietnamese and Chinese army who was really angry on Khmer Republic. They took this opportunity to kill those of Khmer Republic in the name of Khmer Rouge. More than 3 million people were killed during the Khmer Rouge and only those who hid their privacy well was survivor from it. It is really historical lessons for Cambodian or Khmer to view the world as helpless, you must be independent on themselves to survive in this world. Don't ever expect others to protect you, but you must protect yourself first.
By: Steung Khiev
