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Cambodia profile

Cambodia country profile 4 September 2015

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Heir to the ancient Khmer Empire, modern-day Cambodia is benefiting from two decades of relative

stability, having endured civil war and the murderous rule of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.

Painful memories still endure of the radical communist Khmer Rouge's time in power under the leadership

of Pol Pot between 1975 and 1978, when two million people died in the regime's brutal pursuit of a rural

utopia.

The economy is dominated by garment-making, but tourism is expanding, and Cambodia hopes to tap into

offshore oil and gas reserves and draw in overseas investment to replace aid.

Corruption is deep-rooted and Cambodia is still one of the world's poorest countries, with most of the

workforce still employed in subsistence farming.

See more country profiles - Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

FACTS

Kingdom of Cambodia Capital: Phnom Penh

Population 14.5 million (UN, 2012)

Currency Riel

Area 181,035 sq km (69,898 sq miles)

Major language Khmer

Major religion Buddhism

Life expectancy 62 years (men), 65 years (women) (UN)

UN, World Bank

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LEADERS

Head of state: King Norodom Sihamoni

King Sihamoni - a trained ballet dancer - was sworn in as monarch on 29 October 2004, after his father,

the widely venerated and long-serving King Sihanouk, abdicated because of poor health.

Image

copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Cambodia's kings once enjoyed a semi-divine status; today, the monarch's role is mainly ceremonial.

Prime minister: Hun Sen

Image copyrightAFP

Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving prime ministers, has been in power in various coalitions since

1985.

A former communist and - briefly - a member of the Khmer Rouge - he was last reappointed by parliament

in September 2013 for a further five-year term, in the face of mass demonstrations and opposition

allegations of fraud in the July elections.

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Since seizing power from his then co-prime minister, Prince Ranariddh, brother of the then king, Sihanouk,

in 1997, critics believe Hun Sen has become increasingly authoritarian, using a mixture of electoral fraud,

corruption and intimidation to maintain quasi-dictatorial rule.

ANCIENT CAMBODIA

Cambodia has a rich and fascinating history. The first humans in Cambodia were Stone Age hunters and gatherers. However farming was introduced into Cambodia about 2,300 BC. The first farmers in Cambodia used stone tools but from about 1,500 BC the Cambodians used tools and weapons made from bronze. By about 500 BC they had learned to use iron.

The first civilization in the area arose about 150 AD in the Mekong River delta in South Vietnam. This civilization was known to the Chinese who called it Fu-nan.

While Fu-nan was trading with the Chinese Cambodian society grew more sophisticated. Settlements grew larger. So did kingdoms. By the beginning of the 7th century AD all of Cambodia was highly civilized.

At first Cambodia was divided into rival states. However at the beginning of the 9th century a king named Jayavarman II founded the Khmer Empire in Cambodia.

THE KHMER EMPIRE IN CAMBODIA

Like all early civilizations the Khmer Empire was an overwhelmingly agricultural society, Although there were many craftsmen the great majority of the people were farmers. Their staple diet was rice.

The Khmers were animists. They believed that spirits inhabited natural phenomena such as the earth and trees. Later Indian religions (Hinduism and Buddhism) were introduced but they co-existed with traditional beliefs. The rich and powerful built fine temples (the only stone buildings in Cambodia). They were richly decorated with fine stone carvings. The most famous temple is Angkor Wat which was built in the early 12th century.

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For Cambodia was prosperous and powerful. Then about 1000 AD King Jayavarman V was killed. Civil war followed until Suryavarman I founded another dynasty. By 1011 he was in control of Cambodia. However his dynasty only lasted until 1080 when it was replaced by another.

In 1177 a people called the Chams from Champa (on the coast of Vietnam) invaded Cambodia. However King Jayavarman VII managed to drive them out by 1183 and between 1203 and 1220 he was able to force the Chams to submit to him. Nevertheless by the mid-13th century the Khmer kingdom was in decline.

In 1431 the Thais captured the Cambodian capital, Angkor. Afterwards it was abandoned and new capital was founded at Phnom Phen. By the mid-16th century Angkor was overgrown by the jungle and it was accidentally rediscovered by a Cambodian king.

CAMBODIA 1500-1800

During the 16th century Cambodian power continued to decline. At the end of the century Cambodia fell under Thai suzerainty (loose control). In 1594 the Thais captured the capital. After that they dominated the region.

From the middle of the 17th century the power of Vietnam grew. In the early 17th century the Cambodians controlled parts of what is now South Vietnam. They held a port called Prey Nokor. (Later it was renamed Saigon). In the late 17th century Prey Nokor fell under Vietnamese rule.

During the 18th century Cambodia found itself squeezed between two powerful neighbors, Thailand and Vietnam. The Thais invaded Cambodia several times in the 18th century and in 1772 they destroyed Phnom Phen. In the last years of the 18th century the Vietnamese also invaded Cambodia. The Cambodian king was forced to look to the Thais for protection. In return Thailand took north-west Cambodia.

CAMBODIA IN THE 19th CENTURY

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In the early 19th century King Chan (1806-1834) turned to the Vietnamese for protection from the Thais! The Thais were annoyed by this policy and when a rebellion occurred in south Vietnam in 1833 they took advantage by invading Cambodia. However the Vietnamese king crushed the rebellion and the Thai army retreated.

As a result the Vietnamese emperor strengthened his control over Cambodia. When Cambodian King Chan died in 1834 one of his daughters was installed as Queen and Vietnamese people settled in Cambodia. The Vietnamese regarded the Cambodians as 'barbarians' an tried to 'civilize' them by teaching them Vietnamese customs.

Resentment at Vietnamese influence led to a rebellion in 1840-1841. The Thais invaded again to re-assert their control of Cambodia.

However in the 1850s French missionaries arrived in Cambodia. The Cambodian king turned to the French to protect him from both the Thais and the Vietnamese. So in 1863 Cambodia became a French protectorate.

CAMBODIA IN THE 20th CENTURY

Under French rule some economic development took place in Cambodia. Roads and railways were built and in the 1920s a rubber industry grew up. However the Cambodians were forced to pay heavy taxes and from the 1930s Cambodian nationalism grew.

Then in 1941 Cambodia was occupied by the Japanese. However at first they allowed French officials to remain in their posts but in March 1945 as the Japanese were losing the war they desperately tried to curry favor with the Cambodians. They arrested French officials and declared Cambodia independent. However when the Japanese surrendered the French took over again. They arrived in October 1945.

This time the French did allow the Cambodians to have political parties and a constitution. By a treaty of 1949 Cambodia was made semi-independent. Then in 1952 King Sihanouk dismissed the

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government and took personal control of the country. Events then moved swiftly. On 9 November 1953 the French finally allowed Cambodia to become fully independent and in 1955 Sihanouk abdicated in favor of his father and elections were held.

Sihanouk formed his own political movement. From 1955-1970 he dominated politics in Cambodia so much so that it is sometimes called the 'Sihanouk era'. In 1960, when his father died, he named himself 'Chief of State'. Sihanouk called his movement 'Buddhist Socialism'. However it was not really socialist at all.

Sihanouk's reign began to crumble in 1968 when the communists began a civil war. In 1970 Sihanouk left the country. While he was away the National Assembly voted to remove him as chief of state. Cambodia was renamed the Khmer Republic.

However the communists slowly made headway. The Americans bombed Cambodia to try and stop the communists. Nevertheless they captured Phnom Phen on 17 April 1975.

THE KHMER ROUGE IN CAMBODIA

In 1975 a horrific and tragic era of Cambodian history began in the reign of the Khmer Rouge. They were led by Pol Pot (or Saloth Sar) also known as 'Brother Number One'. How many people were killed by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge is not known for certain but it was probably at least 1.5 million and it may have been as many as 3 million. Pol Pot declared that history would begin again in Cambodia. The first year of revolution was now the first year of history.

In 1975 Cambodia was a mainly agricultural country. Pol Pot decided it should be completely agricultural. This meant all the people from the towns and cities were forced to move to the countryside. Pol Pot also decided that agricultural output should double in 4 years (a totally unrealistic target). Private property was banned and collective farms were formed. They were supposed to grow 3 tonnes of rice per hectare (again a completely unrealistic target). People were made to work very long hours to try and grow

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the extra rice. They were given insufficient food and many fell ill and died from a combination of exhaustion and malnutrition.

That was not all. Religion was banned in Cambodia (people caught practicing Buddhism were executed). Family relationships were banned (on the grounds that parents exploited their children). Furthermore the smallest infringement of the rules resulted in execution. Although they were half starved people caught foraging for food were executed. People were also executed for being lazy. Needless to say anyone who complained was executed.

Furthermore the Khmer Rouge murdered intellectuals. Soon people who could speak a foreign language or who wore glasses were executed. This nightmarish situation was only ended by a war with Vietnam. The Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in December 1978 and quickly prevailed. Unfortunately Pol Pot escaped and he did not die until 1998.

More about tyrants

Pol Pot's soldiers fled to Thailand and they were welcomed by the Thai's who feared a Vietnamese invasion. The Khmer Rouge continued a guerrilla war against the Vietnamese. However the Vietnamese forces withdrew from Cambodia in 1989.

Afterwards negotiations began among several different parties. The result was the Paris Peace Accords of 1991. Communism was abandoned in Cambodia and a provisional government ruled until 1993 when elections were held and a constitution was framed. Sihanouk was made a constitutional monarch.

However the Khmer Rouge refused to take part in the elections and they continued their guerrilla war. Fortunately in 1996 Pol Pot's second in command Ieng Sary defected in 1996. Many Khmer Rouge troops followed him. Pol Pot himself died in 1998 and peace returned to Cambodia.

In 1999 Cambodia joined ASEAN.

CAMBODIA IN THE 21st CENTURY

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In 2004 King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated. His son became King Norodom Sihamoni in his place.

Today Cambodia is still a poor country but there is every reason to be optimistic about its future. In the early years of the 21st Century the Cambodian economy grew rapidly. Today the economy of Cambodia is growing strongly. The textiles industry in Cambodia is booming so is tourism. Cambodia is growing more and more prosperous.

In 2005 oil was discovered in the sea off Cambodia and it holds great promise for the future. Today the population of Cambodia is 15.7 million.

http://www.localhistories.org/cambodia.html

Overview

Cambodia is benefiting from two decades of relative stability, having endured civil war and the murderous rule of the Khmer Rouge.

As it attempts to end its dependence on foreign aid, the country's economic potential and natural resources are drawing foreign investment - especially from China and neighbouring Vietnam.

Garment-making is the biggest industry, employing around half a million people and accounting for 80% of exports. Tourism is expanding, and Cambodia hopes to tap into offshore oil and gas reserves.

However, corruption is deep-rooted and Cambodia is still one of the world's poorest countries, with around one third of people living on less than one dollar per day.

Most of the workforce is employed in subsistence farming. The Mekong River provides fertile, irrigated fields for rice production. The government in 2012 approved the controversial Sesan 2 dam project to boost hydroelectric power on the river.

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Angkor Wat's 12th Century temples show

Hindu-Buddhist influence in Khmer Empire-era Cambodia

Of late, land concessions and forced evictions have sparked social unrest. Many thousands of people have been displaced as the government has granted land to companies who are keen to exploit resources such as rubber, sugar and minerals. Confrontations between locals and the authorities are commonplace.

Meanwhile, years of widespread illegal logging have led to a rapid decline in Cambodia's forest cover. International watchdog Global Witness says top officials are involved in the trade.

The powerful Khmer Empire once included parts of present-day Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The imposing temple complex at Angkor, built between the ninth and 13th centuries by Khmer kings, is a UN heritage site and a big draw for visitors.

Legacy of conflict

The fate of Cambodia shocked the world when the radical communist Khmer Rouge under their leader Pol Pot seized power in 1975 after years of guerrilla warfare.

An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died during the next three years, many from exhaustion or starvation. Others were tortured and executed.

Today, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world and relies heavily on aid. Foreign donors have urged the government to clamp down on pervasive corruption.

Cambodia is burdened with the legacy of decades of conflict; unexploded munitions - thought to number in the millions - continue to kill and maim civilians, despite an ongoing de-mining drive.

Only now is the country beginning to put the mechanism in place to bring those responsible for the "killing fields" to justice. Cambodia and the UN have agreed to set up a tribunal to try the surviving leaders of the genocide years.

The tribunal held its first public hearing - a bail request by one of the defendants - in November 2007.

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The first trial - of former prison warder Kaing Guek Eav, or Comrade Duch - started in 2009 and reached a guilty verdict in July 2010. The trial of three most senior suriving Khmer Rouge, including that of Pol Pot's right-hand man, Nuon Chea, or "Brother Number Two", started in November 2011.

Angkor Wat's 12th Century temples show

Hindu-Buddhist influence in Khmer Empire-era Cambodia

In pursuit of a rural utopia, the Khmer Rouge abolished money and private property and ordered city dwellers into the countryside to cultivate the fields.

The effects can still be seen today, with around 70% of Cambodia's workforce employed in subsistence farming.

The Mekong River provides fertile, irrigated fields for rice production.

Exports of clothing generate most of Cambodia's foreign exchange and tourism is also important.

The imposing temple complex at Angkor, built between the ninth and 13th centuries by Khmer kings, is a UN heritage site and a big draw for visitors.

Well over half of Cambodia is forested, but illegal logging is robbing the country of millions of dollars of badly-needed revenue.

International watchdog Global Witness claims top officials are involved in the trade. The environment is also suffering, with topsoil erosion and flooding becoming prevalent.

The spread of HIV/Aids is another threat; however, public health campaigns have reduced the rate of infection.

Full name: Kingdom of Cambodia Population: 14.5 million (UN, 2012) Capital and largest city: Phnom Penh Area: 181,035 sq km (69,898 sq miles) Major language: Khmer Major religion: Buddhism Life expectancy: 62 years (men), 65 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 riel = 100 sen

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Main exports: Clothing, timber, rubber GNI per capita: US $830 (World Bank, 2011) Internet domain: .kh International dialling code: +855

Head of state: King Norodom Sihamoni The son of former king Norodom Sihanouk, King Sihamoni was sworn in as

monarch on 29 October 2004. The former king abdicated because of poor health.

Born in 1953, he studied in Czechoslovakia. He left Cambodia for France after the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979. He is a trained classical ballet dancer.

Cambodia's kings once enjoyed a semi-divine status; today, the monarch's role is mainly ceremonial.

Leaders

Cambodia's veteran premier Hun Sen

Prime minister: Hun Sen Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving prime ministers, has been in

power in various coalitions since 1985. He was re-elected by parliament in July 2004 after nearly a year of political

stalemate. His Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won general elections in 2003, but without enough seats for it to rule alone.

It finally struck a deal with the royalist Funcinpec party, which at the time was led by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, in June 2004.

Hun Sen is no stranger to controversy. He seized power from his then co-prime minister, Prince Ranariddh, in 1997. More recently, some Western countries have said his rule has become increasingly authoritarian.

Born in 1952, Hun Sen joined the Communist Party in the late 1960s and, for a time, was a member of the Khmer Rouge. He has denied accusations that he was once a top official within the movement, saying he was only an ordinary soldier.

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During the Pol Pot regime in the late 1970s he joined anti-Khmer Rouge forces based in Vietnam.

Media

Many Cambodian newspapers and private broadcasters depend on support from political parties. Prime Minister Hun Sen and his allies control several outlets.

In early 2010, Reporters Without Borders said several journalists were in prison or facing criminal charges over their work, despite an earlier pledge from the prime minister that journalists would not be jailed because of their output.

Imprisonment can be imposed for "spreading false information or insulting public officials", Freedom House reports.

There are no restrictions on satellite receivers and radio stations from neighbouring countries can be heard.

BBC World Service broadcasts via BBC 100 FM in Phnom Penh and BBC 99.25 FM in Siem Reap. Radio France Internationale and Radio Australia are available in the capital.

By December 2011 there were 449,000 internet users (InternetWorldStats). Access is largely limited to the main towns and cities.

There are no reports of widespread filtering of content. "Individuals and groups could engage in the peaceful expression of views via the internet," the US State Department noted in 2010.

Press

Reaksmei Kampuchea (Light of Cambodia) - pro-government daily Kaoh Santepheap - pro-government daily Cambodia Daily - English-language Phnom Penh Post - English-language

Television

National Television of Cambodia (TVK) - state broadcaster TV3 - commercial, jointly-run by Phnom Penh Municipality TV5 - private CTN - private Bayon TV - private CTV9 - private

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Apsara TV - commercial

Radio

National Radio of Cambodia - state broadcaster Radio FM 103 - commercial, jointly-run by Phnom Penh Municipality Radio FM 97 - commercial, operated by Apsara Radio and TV Radio FM 95 - commercial, operated by Bayon Radio and TV

A chronology of key events 1863 - Cambodia becomes a protectorate of France. French colonial rule lasts

for 90 years.

Norodom Sihamouk abdicated in

1955 1941 - Prince Norodom Sihanouk becomes king. Cambodia is occupied by

Japan during World War II. 1945 - The Japanese occupation ends. 1946 - France re-imposes its protectorate. A new constitution permits

Cambodians to form political parties. Communist guerrillas begin an armed campaign against the French.

Independence 1953 - Cambodia wins its independence from France. Under King Sihanouk, it

becomes the Kingdom of Cambodia. 1955 - Sihanouk abdicates to pursue a political career. His father becomes

king and Sihanouk becomes prime minister. 1960 - Sihanouk's father dies. Sihanouk becomes head of state. 1965 - Sihanouk breaks off relations with the US and allows North

Vietnamese guerrillas to set up bases in Cambodia in pursuance of their campaign against the US-backed government in South Vietnam.

1969 - The US begins a secret bombing campaign against North Vietnamese forces on Cambodian soil.

1970 - Prime Minister Lon Nol overthrows Sihanouk in coup. He proclaims the Khmer Republic and sends the army to fight the North Vietnamese in Cambodia. Sihanouk - in exile in China - forms a guerrilla movement. Over next few years the Cambodian army loses territory against the North Vietnamese and communist Khmer Rouge guerrillas

Cambodia Year Zero

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Khmer Rouge forces entered

Phnom Penh in 1975 after a months-long seige 1975 - Lon Nol is overthrown as the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot occupy

Phnom Penh. Sihanouk briefly becomes head of state, the country is re-named Kampuchea.

All city dwellers are forcibly moved to the countryside to become agricultural workers. Money becomes worthless, basic freedoms are curtailed and religion is banned. The Khmer Rouge coin the phrase "Year Zero".

Hundreds of thousands of the educated middle-classes are tortured and executed in special centres. Others starve, or die from disease or exhaustion. The total death toll during the next three years is estimated to be at least 1.7 million.

1976 - The country is re-named Democratic Kampuchea. Sihanouk resigns, Khieu Samphan becomes head of state, Pol Pot is prime minister.

1977 - Fighting breaks out with Vietnam.

Up to two million people were killed, or died of exhaustion and starvation,

during four years of Khmer Rouge rule 1978 - Vietnamese forces invade in a lightning assault. 1979 January - The Vietnamese take Phnom Penh. Pol Pot and Khmer

Rouge forces flee to the border region with Thailand. The People's Republic of Kampuchea is established. Many elements of life before the Khmer Rouge take-over are re-established.

1981 - The pro-Vietnamese Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party wins the elections to the National Assembly. The international community refuses to recognise the new government. The government-in-exile, which includes the Khmer Rouge and Sihanouk, retains its seat at the United Nations.

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1985 - Hun Sen becomes prime minister. Cambodia is plagued by guerrilla warfare. Hundreds of thousands become refugees.

1989 - Vietnamese troops withdraw. Hun Sen tries to attract foreign investment by abandoning socialism. The country is re-named the State of Cambodia. Buddhism is re-established as the state religion.

An uneasy peace

The monarchy, with Norodom

Sihanouk as king, was restored in 1993 1991 - A peace agreement is signed in Paris. A UN transitional authority

shares power temporarily with representatives of the various factions in Cambodia. Sihanouk becomes head of state.

1993 - General election sees the royalist Funcinpec party win the most seats followed by Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP). A three-party coalition is formed with Funcinpec's Prince Norodom Ranariddh as prime minister and Hun Sen as deputy prime minister. The monarchy is restored, Sihanouk becomes king again. The country is re-named the Kingdom of Cambodia. The government-in-exile loses its seat at the UN.

1994 - Thousands of Khmer Rouge guerrillas surrender in government amnesty.

1996 - Deputy leader of Khmer Rouge Ieng Sary forms a new party and is granted amnesty by Sihanouk.

Coup 1997 - Hun Sen mounts a coup against the prime minister, Prince Ranariddh,

and replaces him with Ung Huot. The coup attracts international condemnation. The Khmer Rouge put Pol Pot on trial and sentence him to life imprisonment.

1998 - Prince Ranariddh is tried in his absence and found guilty of arms smuggling, but is then pardoned by the king. Pol Pot dies in his jungle hideout. Elections in July are won by Hun Sen's CPP, amid allegations of harassment. A coalition is formed between the CPP and Funcinpec. Hun Sen becomes prime minister, Ranariddh is president of the National Assembly.

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Pol Pot died in 1998 in his jungle

hideout 2001 - A law setting up a tribunal to bring genocide charges against Khmer

Rouge leaders is passed. International donors, encouraged by reform efforts, pledge $560 million in aid. US-based Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) members convicted of 2000 attack in Phnom Penh. Group pledges to continue campaign to overthrow Hun Sen. First bridge across the Mekong River opens, linking east and west Cambodia.

2002 First multi-party local elections; ruling Cambodian People's Party wins in all but 23 out of 1,620 communes. Ranariddh's half-brother Prince Norodom Chakrapong sets up his own Norodom Chakrapong Khmer Soul Party.

2003 Serious diplomatic upset with Thailand over comments attributed to a Thai TV star that the Angkor Wat temple complex was stolen from Thailand. Angry crowds attack the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party wins general elections but fails to secure sufficient majority to govern alone.

Hun Sen re-elected 2004 After nearly a year of political deadlock, Prime Minister Hun Sen is re-

elected after CPP strikes a deal with the royalist Funcinpec party. Parliament ratifies kingdom's entry into World Trade Organisation (WTO). King Sihanouk abdicates and is succeeded by his son Norodom Sihamoni.

The leader of the main opposition

Sam Rainsy Party lives in exile 2005 Opposition leader Sam Rainsy goes abroad after parliament strips him

of immunity from prosecution, leaving him open to defamation charges brought by the ruling coalition. Tribunal to try Khmer Rouge leaders gets green light from UN after years of debate about funding. Rainsy is convicted in absentia of defaming Hun Sen and is sentenced to nine months in prison

2006 Rainsy receives a royal pardon and returns home. Parliament votes to abolish prison terms for defamation. Ta Mok, one of the top leaders of the

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Khmer Rouge regime, dies aged 80. Funcinpec party, a junior partner in the ruling coalition, drops Prince Norodom Ranariddh as its leader.

Khmer Rouge trials 2007 Ranariddh is sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison for selling the

Funcinpec party's headquarters - a charge he denies. UN-backed tribunals begin questioning Khmer Rouge suspects about allegations of genocide. Most senior surviving Khmer Rouge member, Nuon Chea - "Brother Number Two" - is arrested and charged with crimes against humanity.

2008 US court convicts CFF leader Chhun Yasith of masterminding 2000

attack in Phnom Penh. Hun Sen's ruling CPP claims victory in parliamentary

elections criticised by EU monitors. Cambodia and Thailand move troops to

disputed land near Preah Vihear temple after decision to list it as UN World

Heritage Site fans nationalist sentiment on both sides. Two Cambodian

soldiers die in an exchange of fire with Thai troops in the disputed area.

New spat with Thailand

2009 - Former Khmer Rouge leader Kaing Guek Eav known as Duch goes on

trial on charges of presiding over the murder and torture of thousands of people as head of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison camp.

Parliament again strips opposition leader Sam Rainsy of immunity. He is charged but fails to appear in court.

Another row with Thailand, after Cambodia refuses to extradite ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and appoints him as an economic adviser instead.

2010 - Comrade Duch is found guilty of crimes against humanity and given 35-year prison sentence.

Diplomatic ties with Thailand resumed after Cambodian government announces resignation of Thaksin Shinawatra.

Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy is sentenced in absentia to 10 years in jail after being found guilty of manipulating a map to suggest Cambodia is losing land to Vietnam.

Cambodians regard their ancient

temples as a key part of their identity 2011 - Tensions rise as Cambodia charges two Thai citizens with spying after

they were arrested for crossing the disputed border. Respective forces exchange fire across the border. Hun Sen calls for UN peacekeepers.

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Three most senior surviving Khmer Rouge members, including leader Pol Pot's right-hand man, "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, go on trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Cambodia and Thailand agree to withdraw troops from disputed area. 2012 February - Duch loses appeal against conviction at UN-backed tribunal

and has sentence increased to life. 2012 March - A second judge quits the tribunal. Swiss Judge Laurent Kasper-

Ansermet says going because his Cambodian counterpart, You Bunleng, had thwarted attempts to investigate some former members of the Khmer Rouge regime.

2012 April - Outspoken environmental activist Chut Wutty is shot dead in a confrontation with police while travelling in a threatened forest region in the south-west.

2012 May - Government suspends the granting of land for development by private companies in a bid to curb evictions and illegal logging.

Border tension eases 2012 July - Cambodia and Thailand withdraw their troops from a disputed

border area near the Preah Vihear temple in line with a ruling by the International Court of Justice which aims to halt outbreaks of armed conflict in recent years.

2012 October - Former king, Norodom Sihanouk, dies of a heart attack. He was 89.

2012 November - Government approves the controversial Lower Sesan 2 hydroelectric dam project on a tributary of the Mekong.

2013 February - Tens of thousands of people turn out in Phnom Penh for the cremation of the former king, Norodom Sihanouk.

2013 March - Former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary dies while awaiting trial for genocide, leaving only Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan among prominent Khmer Rouge figures still alive and under arrest by the UN-backed tribunal.

2013 June - Parliament passes a bill making it illegal to deny that atrocities were committed by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s

2013 July - Opposition leader Sam Rainsy returns from exile. Parliamentary elections. Ruling party of premier Hun Sen claims victory,

opposition alleges widespread irregularities. 2013 September - Mass protests in Phnom Penh over contested election

results. Parliament approves new five-year term for Hun Sen. Opposition boycotts opening of parliament.

014 January - Riot police clear a two-week opposition protest camp held in Phnom Penh as part of a long-running campaign launched against the government after the disputed 2013 election.

2014 July - More than 150,000 Cambodian workers return home from neighbouring Thailand after rumours circulate that the new military junta there will crack down on illegal migrants.

Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) agrees to end its year-long boycott of parliament as part of an agreement

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with Prime Minister Hun Sen to break the deadlock over the disputed 2013 parliamentary election.

2014 August - A UN-backed court in Cambodia sentences two senior Khmer Rouge leaders to life in prison for their role in the terror that swept the country in the 1970s. The two, second-in-command Nuon Chea, and the former head of state Khieu Samphan, are the first top Khmer Rouge figures to be jailed.

2015 January - Prime Minister Hun Sen marks thirty years in power.

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Five faces of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge

Despite the deaths of at least 1.7 million people under their brutal regime, only five top leaders of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge have ever been charged. The U.N.-backed tribunal was formed decades after the end of their reign, and several years after the death of feared Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, in 1998. Only three of the defendants below have faced trial; one died before proceedings could commence and the other was found to be unfit for trial.

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Nuon Chea, 'Brother No. 2'

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Born: July 7, 1926

Known as "Brother Number Two," Nuon Chea was considered Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's right hand man. He held a number of positions during the regime's rule, including a short stint as acting prime minister. After the regime fell, he sought refuge in the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin, before police swooped in 2007 to take the then frail 82 year old into custody.

Allegations: Charges of crimes against humanity refer to the forced evacuation of some two million people from Phnom Penh in 1975, and the alleged execution of members of the previous regime. A second trial will hear evidence of genocide, forced marriages and rape, and the persecution of Buddhists.

Sources: ECCC; Cambodia Tribunal Monitor

Images courtesy: Getty Images; Documentation Center of Cambodia

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Khieu Samphan, 'Brother No. 4'

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Born: July 28, 1931

As the former head of state for the Khmer Rouge, Khieu Samphan, also known as "Brother Number Four," occupied a number of key roles as the government tortured, starved and killed its people. After the regime's fall he succeeded Pol Pot as the head of the movement and became its public face as it sought international credibility. He was arrested in 2007 and, like Nuon Chea, faces a second trial for other crimes including genocide. During his trial, Khieu Samphan expressed some remorse, but claimed he was merely a figurehead and was not aware of the full extent of the atrocities.

Allegations: Some of the charges against Khieu Samphan relate to the mass killings of ethnic Cham Muslims and Vietnamese. He's also being accused of the enslavement of people in work sites where many died from malnutrition and illness.

Sources: ECCC; Cambodia Tribunal Monitor

Images courtesy: Getty Images; Documentation Center of Cambodia

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Kaing Guek Eav

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Born: February 15, 1945

The war criminal better known as "Comrade Duch" headed the Santebal, a special branch of the Khmer Rouge tasked with internal security. He and his supporters also set up prisons, including the notorious torture center of the Tuol Sleng S-21 prison where more than 14,000 people died. Millions watched live broadcasts across the country in 2010 when "Comrade Duch" was found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to 35 years in prison. He pleaded guilty but said he was only following orders.

Sources: ECCC; Cambodia Tribunal Monitor

Images courtesy: AFP/Getty Images; Documentation Center of Cambodia

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Ieng Sary, 'Brother No. 3'

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Born: October 24,1925

The husband of Ieng Thirith, Ieng Sary -- also known as "Brother Number Four" -- is thought to have joined the Khmer Rouge in 1963, six years after returning with his new wife from Paris. During the civil war, he was alleged to have been a special envoy for the National United Front of Kampuchea. When the Khmer Rouge took control in 1975, he became Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs. He fled to Thailand when the regime fell in 1979, but continued to exert control within the government, and transferred his role in foreign affairs to Khieu Samphan.

Allegations: Ieng Sary was accused of crimes against humanity, genocide, and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which include torture and unlawful confinement of a civilian. King Norodom Sihanouk granted Ieng Sary a royal pardon in 1996, in exchange for leaving the Khmer Rouge. ECCC proceedings against him were dropped on March 14, 2013, the day he died.

Sources: ECCC; Cambodia Tribunal Monitor

Images courtesy: AFP/Getty Images; Documentation Center of Cambodia

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