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IS404 Mid Term Conflict Resolution Process of the Intractable Conflict in Cambodia From 1979 to 1998

Jan 07, 2024, 7 min read

IS404 Mid Term Conflict Resolution Process of the Intractable Conflict in Cambodia From 1979 to 1998

1. Who were involved in the conflict (from 1979 to 1993 and from 1993 to 1998)? 1

1.1. 1979-1989: Vietnamese Rule

  • Vietnam: supported KUFNS fighting under Heng Samrin and Hun Sen
    • Vietnam established PRK as government after victory
  • PRK: Cambodian communists dissatisfied with Khmer Rouge, took over control of Cambodia with support of Vietnam
  • 1979: Son San formed KPNLF
    • dissolved when CGDK was created
  • 1981: Sihanouk formed FUNCINPIC
    • dissolved when CGDK was created
  • <1 Million Vietnamese in Cambodia → anti-Vietnamese sentiment
  • 1986: Vietnam claimed to have begun withdrawing, but continued to strengthen PRK and it’s military force
  • PRK government vs. CGDK (1979-1991)
  • Opposition to Vietnam
    • Khmer Rouge: Vietnamese forces were better than Heng Samrin’s forces: chased Khmer Rouge into the jungles
    • KPNLAF: anti-vietnamese, anti-PRK & anti-communists fighting Khmer Rouge after 1975—including Lon Nol-era soldiers
      • pledged loyalty to former Prime Minister Son Sann & Sihanouk
    • CDGK: was a coalition government of exile composed of 3 political parties
      • FUNCINPIC: Sihanouk
      • PDK: Khmer Rouge
      • KPNLF: The internationally recognized government of Cambodia
      • Actions: 1985: Vietnam destroyed FUNCINPIC & KPNLF leaving Khmer Rouge in power militarily
        • 1991 the CGDK renamed itself the National Government of Cambodia. It was dissolved in 1993.

1.2. 1993-1998: Election Conflict 2

  • 1993 election parties
    • CPP: pro-Vietnamese, anti-Khmer Rouge, led by Hun Sen
    • FUNCINPIC: anti-communist, royalist party led by Sihanouk’s son, Prince Norodom Ranariddh
    • BLDP: religiously conservative, anti-communsit, formerly KPLNF led by Son Sann
  • FUNCINPIC won 1993 election
    • merged with CPP to govern, but split into 8 different factions before 1998 election
    • BLDP also divided
    • There were other parties

2. What are the sources of conflict whereby the disputants used to reframe their position?

  • Maybe opposition domestic parties form together to fight a common enemy (Vietnam) such as in the CDGK?

    • Non-Communist cooperate with Khmer Rouge to defeat outside power

    • The enemy of my enemy is my friend

    • Therefore Source of Conflict that reframes disputants’ position is External Threat

    💡 CDGK: was a coalition government of exile composed of 3 political parties against Vietnam 3

    • FUNCINPIC: Sihanouk
    • PDK: Khmer Rouge
    • KPNLF: The internationally recognized government of Cambodia
    • Actions: 1985: Vietnam destroyed FUNCINPIC & KPNLF leaving Khmer Rouge in power militarily

      • 1991 the CGDK renamed itself the National Government of Cambodia. It was dissolved in 1993.

3. How did all conflict parties reach conflict settlement by ratifying the Paris Peace Accord on 23rd October 1991?

  • 1989: Paris Peace Accord signed between the 4 parties
    • China pressured Khmer Rouge to join the deal
    • ‘2 non-communists’ also agreed to join the deal
  • August 28, 1990: a comprehensive settlement was signed with the goal of
    • a verified withdrawal of the remaining Vietnamese occupation troops
    • the prevention of the return to power of the Khmer Rouge
    • genuine self-determination for the Cambodian people
  • The Agreements on a Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodia Conflict were signed in Paris on 23 October 1991: was a culmination of a three year ne
    • UNTAC: established to implement the agreement

4. Explain conflict regulation process administered by UNTAC

  • Under the plan, the United Nations would eventually control five key ministries - Defense, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Public Security and Information. 4
    • It would also verify a cease-fire, supervise disarmament, organize elections and insure that all Vietnamese forces withdraw from Cambodia.
    • Conflict Regulation/Management
    • UNTAC: established to implement the agreement [1]
      • was granted a comprehensive mandate to supervise any and all “administrative agencies, bodies and offices which could directly influence the outcome of elections” will be placed under direct United Nations supervision or control. (framework)
      • The “Perm-Five” agreement provided for the largest United Nations role in a sovereign nation’s electoral process and daily governance ever attempted
  • What could be seen as remarkable achievement done by the UNTAC’s administration?
    • united a divided country full of opposition parties to create a stable official government
    • 89.56% of the eligible voter population (amounting to 4,267,192 voters)
      • due to Information and Education component of the UNTAC: campaigning educating about democracy and election, and security of the ‘secret ballot’
    • voter turnout in 1998 elections stood at 93.7%
  • What were problematic difficulties for UNTAC’s operation?

    • UN tried to help, but didn’t end up with full democratization

      • Coups and conflict happen after, election didn’t let the winner govern

    • Khmer Rouge boycotted the 1993 election, due to ‘unfair environment’, and wreaked havoc while UNTAC is operating the election

    • CPP attaked FUNCINPIC & BLDP as well 2

    • ineffective disarmament process conducted by UNTAC, who had defective weapons themselves 2

    • After FUNCINPIC won, CPP threatened coup ⇒ negotiation for 2 prime ministers (Rannarith, Hun Sen) and a king (Sihanouk)

    • After 1998 election, opposition to the winning CPP called the election fraudulent due to the power-sharing framework 2

      ⇒ FUNCINPIC + CPP Coalition government with Hun Sen as PM and Ranariddh as president of National Assembly

5. What were the core problems that triggered recurring violent conflicts after the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers?

  • Corruption, illegitimate government

6. Analyze Win-Win Policy: what were contributing factors or conditions that could help local actors transform the conflict successfully?

  • Before this: CPP with Hun Sen as 2nd PM had so much control and was destabilizing ⇒ 1997 battle in Phnom Penh ⇒ Ranariddh fleeing to Thailand ⇒ Hun Sen took power with criticism from int’ community, but promised to conduct free & fair election

  • 1998 when Khmer Rouge joined the election

  • Concession: A party may agree to an unsatisfactory offer from an adversary, but they’d rather have the quickest way to contain, regulate, and end the conflict asap. 5

    • The unsatisfactory offer might be better in the long-run for possible future reward. (quicker economic recovery…)

    💡 Ex: 1997: Khmer Rouge was accepted in Cambodia’s election to stop fighting.

  • Election framework:

    • National Election Committee (NEC) was responsible over everything
      • they were supposed to be ‘independent & neutral’ but was biased to CPP
      • lack of xp, only 6 months to prepare, easily manipulated with political party

7. What is the implication of your study? What remain to be done for promoting

positive (durable) peace in Cambodia?

Info

  • Vietnamese control Cambodia from 1979 and started withdrawing from 1986 to 1989 6
  • Following the withdrawal of the Vietnamese troops in 1989, the Cambodian government entered into negotiations with the political opposition (based abroad; the Khmer Rouge continued to fight until 1998).
    • The negotiations led to a constitutional change, the reintroduction of multiparty democracy, the stationing of UN peacekeeping forces in Cambodia. The monarchy was restored. 6
    • Treaty facilitated by UN in 1991; democratic general election in 1993
  • In 1997, a coup d’état was attempted by Hun Sen that threatened the general election that was to be held in 1998; intermittent violence occurs, along with suppression of parties that oppose Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) government.
  • UN tried to help, but didn’t end up with full democratization
  • What happened before the coup for that to happen?

Explain and analyze conflict resolution process of the intractable conflict in Cambodia from 1979 to 1998

References

Footnotes

  1. Civil War Cambodia (1970-1975 and 1979-1991) by Omnilogos ↩

  2. (PDF) Case Analysis of the Cambodian Elections of 1993 and 1998 (researchgate.net) ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. Cambodia - Vietnamese Occupation - 1979-1989 (globalsecurity.org) ↩

  4. U.N. Plan on Cambodia Reported - The New York Times (nytimes.com) ↩

  5. Chapter 2 Managing Intractable Conflict ↩

  6. History of Cambodia, 1979-1993 ↩ ↩2

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