Cambodia is located between Thailand and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. There currently are more than 14 million people that reside in Cambodia. Of the 14 million people 93% of the population is Theravada Buddhism (claims to be the closest to early Buddhism), however animistic spirit worship, Chinese ancestor worship, and Hindu symbology are mixed into their beliefs. 2% of the community is Christian and the remaining is Hindu and Islamic.
In 802 AD a man named Jayavarman II came to Cambodia and declared himself god-king. This was the founding of the Angkor Kingdom of Cambodia for the Khmer people. The Khmer fought many wars with their neighbors, the Cham, the Thai, and the Vietnamese. They gained and lost territory based on how powerful their king was. In 1431 the Khmer people were invaded by the Thai and the Angkor Kingdom was overtaken. The Cambodian kings then moved the capital to Phnom Penh. Cambodia suffered much attack so they sought outside help to from the French.
The French came into the country in 1864 and began to take control of the Cambodian government. In 1941 the French crowned Norodom Sihanouk king of Cambodia. A few years later during World War II the Japanese took control of Cambodia. After the war was over the French returned to try and take the government back but met resistance from the Cambodians. In 1954 Cambodia officially gained its freedom from France.
In the 1960’s, the American war with Vietnam began to escalate. At the same time the Cambodian communist movement began to grow under the leadership of Pol Pot. Vietnamese communist troops began to travel through Cambodia to get deeper into South Vietnam. America began to bomb these troops but killed more Cambodian farmers than Vietnamese troops. Cambodia cut off relations with America.
At this point open civil war began between the government and Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. Many people began to join the Khmer Rouge because they were unhappy with the American bombings and the new government that had taken place with the assistance of America. After America lost the Vietnam War the Khmer communist rouge took control of the government and seized the capital of Phnom Penh in April of 1975. Everyone was forced into farming communes in the countryside and the King was placed under house arrest in his palace.
Once the Khmer Rouge was in control of the country, they began to kill anyone associated with the government or their military. They killed educated people, teachers and doctors because they thought they had been corrupted by Western thinking. In addition they killed religious people such as Buddhist monks, and over 90% of the Christians. Conditions were hard and people had to work long days in the fields and got as little as one cup of rice which led to starvation and disease. By the end of the Khmer Rouge rule, as many as
TWO MILLION people died (nearly one-third of the population). By January 7th of 1979, Vietnamese troops took control of Phnom Penh and the government of Cambodia.
After numerous bombardments from freedom fighters, Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese the United Nations came into the country in 1990. The UN tried to have all the groups sign a treaty but the Khmer Rouge backed out and fighting continued. In 1993 the UN held elections in the country and the royalist party won the lection. Fighting remained back and forth between parties but in 1997 Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge died of natural causes. During 1998 the Khmer Rouge officially disbanded as a political and military force and ended its fighting against the Cambodian government. 1999 was the first year of peace since 1969.
The Country is currently held by a monarchial system under King Norodom Sihamoni.
