SUMMARY

Cambodia has experienced significant violence since its independence from France in 1953. The country has seen a longstanding struggle over governmental power involving civil war, foreign intervention, and ideological conflict during the second half of the 20th century. Among several armed groups involved were the Khmer Rouge (KR). During the KR regime, which came to power in 1975, an estimated 1.5-3 million people were executed or died of starvation, forced labor, and disease. After the KR regime fell in 1979, the result of an ousting with significant involvement of Vietnam, the conflict over government continued, and violence persisted throughout the 1990s. Cambodia has also been engaged in border conflicts with both Thailand and Vietnam.

Since 1989, Cambodia has experienced the interstate, intrastate and one-sided categories of organized violence, as defined by UCDP.

2025

In 2025, Cambodia experienced a resumption of organized violence, with fatalities reaching over 170, breaking the trend present since 1999. The uptick in violence was driven by the interstate conflict between the Cambodian government and the government of Thailand, a conflict that resurged during the second half of 2025. The clashes occurred along the Cambodian-Thai border, with two primary episodes of violence in July and December respectively. Peace talks between the two states took place after both conflict episodes.The first round of talks resulted in a peace agreement, the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, signed in October. This was, however, broken in December when clashes once more broke out along the border. The fighting was halted when the countries agreed to a ceasefire on the 27th of December.

1989-2024

1989-1999, ongoing violence

Since 1989, Cambodia has experienced fluctuating levels of violence. During 1989-1998 violence was present throughout, with most years reaching several hundreds of fatalities. This stemmed from both state-based conflicts and one-sided violence.

The initial years of unrest followed a period of internal conflict over governmental power, involving several armed groups, such as the Khmer Rouge, KPNLF (Khmer People’s National Liberation Front), and the FUNCINPEC (National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia). These groups formed an anti-government alliance called the CGDK. There was also significant foreign involvement with support to the alliance, from China among others, as well as to the government, primarily by Vietnam. A peace agreement was eventually signed in 1991, commonly referred to as the Paris Agreement. This was signed by all groups in the anti-government alliance and the Cambodian government. Despite the Paris Agreement violence persisted for several years, a trend primarily driven by the continued armed struggle of the Khmer Rouge. The dyad between them and the Cambodian government resulted in a majority of the fatalities recorded in the 1990s. Aside from the fighting against the government, the KR also engaged in violence against civilians, as they deliberately targeted civilians as part of their guerilla warfare. The violence eventually subsided in 1998 with the death of their leader Pol Pot and the surrender of senior Khmer Rouge members.

Another contributor to organized violence in the second half of the 1990s was the clashes, and alleged coup, in 1997. Following the Paris Agreement in 1991, previous rebel organizations turned into political parties, with the exception of the Khmer Rouge, and participated in the 1993 elections. The FUNCINPEC became the largest party while the CCP, previously called the KNUFNS who had been in power since the Khmer Rouge regime was overthrown, became the second largest. Although they initially ruled as a coalition, tensions between the parties grew. In 1997, clashes broke out between forces loyal to the respective party leaders. Prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh of the FUNCINPEC, was ousted by the CCP leader Hun Sen and forces loyal to him. Ranariddh loyalists continued to fight the new government, but the conflict eventually ended as an agreement was reached in 1998.

1999-

The following years, violence became largely absent with most years having no recorded deaths. During the period of 1999-2024 the highest number of fatalities recorded in a year occurred in 2011, connected to the border conflict with Thailand. As the cause of that conflict remained unsolved, tension persisted and unrest in the border region resulted in a few fatalities during this period.

Pre-1989 conflicts

Cambodia became formally independent from France on 9 November 1953, when political power was transferred to King Sihanouk, but the last French troops only left the country after the Geneva Conference in April–July 1954. In 1946–53, an armed struggle for independence was led by the united front Khmer Issarak, which was dominated by left-wing groups and cooperated with Vietnamese and Laotian forces.

Both left and right wing opposition against Sihanouk’s rule grew in the mid-1960s and the “Khmer Rouge” (Red Khmer) initiated an armed struggle in 1967. After a coup against Sihanouk in 1970 he joined forces with the Khmer Rouge against the new government. The spread of the Vietnam War into Cambodian territory in 1970-73 increased rebel recruitment and the alliance FUNK seized power in April 1975. The “alliance” broke down as Khmer Rouge took power and started border conflicts with Vietnam and Thailand while organizing a totalitarian regime in Cambodia. It is estimated that some 1,5-3 million people were executed or starved to death during the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge government. The group continued to target civilians in opposition, especially focusing on ethnic Vietnamese. With support from Vietnamese troops, a new communist government was installed in 1979 and the Khmer Rouge, Sihanouk, and another opposition group soon formed a new alliance, FUNCINPEC. The conflict temporarily ended with a 1991 UN-sponsored peace agreement which was followed by UN-administered elections. The implementation of the agreement was difficult and the Khmer Rouge remained active until the last political leaders surrendered in late 1998.