Un Intervention in Cambodia

UN Intervention in Cambodia

A report by: Sources:

Erika Dimaguila and * www.editors.sipri.se/pubs/Cambodia

Godieman Aranas of AB Pol. Sci. I-A * www.ippnw.org

* www.iexplore.com

* www.wikipedia.org

* www.un.org

Overview

The Khmer Rouge, the extremist Communist organization that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, brought about the deaths of about 1.7 million people due to execution, starvation and forced labor. In 1978, Vietnam invaded the country to stop the organization from doing raids across the border. After a series of warfare between Vietnam and the Khmer Rouge, the Khmers were overthrown and a Vietnamese-controlled government ruled Cambodia. Being in a state of semi-chaos throughout the 1980’s, it was not only until 1992 that through the efforts of the UN, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was put up to implement a peace settlement. Although the UN peace-keeping was only partly successful, it stabilized the country to a certain degree.

The Intervention

The Paris Peace Accords of October 1991, a comprehensive peace settlement headed by the UNTAC, aimed to restore peace and civil government in Cambodia which was already ruined by decades of civil war and neglect. It planned to hold free and fair elections leading to a new constitution and to 'kick-start' the rehabilitation of the country. The agreement also sought for the withdrawal and non-return of foreign forces; the implementation of the cease-fire, the cessation of external military assistance to all the factions; the re-grouping, cantonment, disarmament, and demobilization of armed forces; and the release of all prisoners of war and civilian internees. Unfortunately, not all of these tasks were attained.

The UNTAC mission had its flaws. Due to weaknesses in planning, preparation, and training, lack of cooperation from the Cambodian parties or from the international community,