Since the US is not an important arms supplier to Cambodia, it is a pointless policy that coincides with the US-led boycott of China's Winter Olympics, another "paper tiger" which reflects more weakness than strength and is a way of appearing to do something when in fact it is nothing. On Nov 12, 2021, the Biden administration announced an arms embargo against Cambodia due to allegations of growing Chinese military influence and China's "refurbishment" of the Ream Naval Base. The World Bank says Cambodia has the most open foreign direct investment regime in Asean while Thailand has the most restrictive. Under Hun Sen, Cambodia established a stock market. It is one of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) which is historically (though less so recently) pro-Western and a political bloc that China is not part of. Hun Sen is part of an emerging democracy that is free-market capitalist. His son, who he has recently endorsed as his successor, is a graduate of the US Military Academy West Point. He is a genius and a perfect ally for Washington. In 1992, significantly, the United States ended its economic embargo of Cambodia and, in 1994, opened the US mission in Phnom Penh.įrom 1997 to the present time, Hun Sen has been the prime minister of Cambodia. In my opinion, the UNTAC was a successful transition to elections and kept the peace. In 1992-1993, the country was under the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). In 1991, the warring factions agreed to a ceasefire. After that, Cambodia entered into civil war. At 26, he was the youngest foreign minister in the world. He now ranks as the longest serving, having been in power for 36 years. At the age of 33, he was the youngest prime minister in the world. In the Cambodian-Vietnam War of 1979, Vietnam ousted the Khmer Rouge from power. In 1975-1979, the United States condemned Pol Pot's Democratic Kampuchea. Recently, the Biden administration has demanded repayment of this loan. Washington made a loan of US$278 million (9.3 billion baht) to the Lon Nol government, which it is now claiming has doubled to be $500 million.
Sihanouk wanted to be neutral during the Vietnam War.įrom 1970-1975, the United States supported the coup against Sihanouk, who fled to Beijing and later supported the Khmer Rouge, and the Lon Nol government (Khmer Republic). In May 1965, Cambodia broke diplomatic relations with the United States. The Sihanouk and Sisowath families are two of the eligible royal families in Cambodia. After World War II, the United States provided economic support to Cambodia.įrom 1960-1970, the late Norodom Sihanouk was prime minister. In 1955, he abandoned the throne to his father and was the head of government for 15 years in the "Sihanouk Era". None of this was or is inevitable and reflects a misunderstanding of Cambodian politics.Ĭambodia gained independence in 1953 under Norodom Sihanouk. The post-World War II Cambodian government was first a French-centric colony, then in a US-centric period, then in a China-centric period, then in a Vietnam-centric period, and now arguably reverting back to a China-centric period. This includes Kissinger's secret bombings of suspected communist bases and supply lines in Cambodia starting in 1969. It is based on misapplying the Afghanistan paradigm to an incomparable situation.Īn independent and democratic country, Cambodia has been used as a pawn in Cold War politics. The Biden administration's recent sanctions on Cambodia must be viewed in this historical context.
While critics said Mr Biden's recent Afghanistan policy was ad hoc and not well thought out, it is the same as his approach to Cambodia in the 1970s and is essentially unchanged.
Sirik Matak Sisowath, the former Cambodian prime minister who refused to leave and who was killed by the Khmer Rouge days later, famously remarked: "I have only committed the mistake of believing in you. On April 25, 1975, the United States exited Cambodia. What is less known is that at the time then-freshman Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware supported the evacuation of Vietnam and Cambodia. Barack Obama greets Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen before the 4th Asean-US leaders' meeting in Phnom Penh in this photo. (Photo: Reuters)Īs is widely known, in 1975, the United States abandoned Cambodia's Lon Nol government and the Khmer Rouge took power.