CAMBODIA

TREXCY MAY PIO

KHRISHA CASSANDRA TANGLIBEN
SHANNE ANDREA TANGLIBEN
• Cambodia has a parliamentary democracy with constitutional monarch type of government.
• Politics of Cambodia takes place in the framework of constitutional monarchy.
Prime Minister- Head of the government
Monarch- Head of the state
• 1993 Constitution provided the separation of the powers of the government
Council of Ministers- Executive branch
-includes the Prime Minister and all the ministries
Parliament- Legislative branch
-made up of the National Assembly and the Senate
Supreme Court- Judiciary branch
-vested in the Supreme Court, the Appeals Court and the
municipal/provincial courts
BEFORE
COLONIALISM
 KINGDOM
OF FUNAN
65-580 AD
⚬Funan is the 1ˢᵗ kingdom in Southeast Asia. Headed by King Fan Shiman
⚬For practical purposes, Funan is the beginning of Southeast Asia's political history.
⚬ Maritime trade and a well developed farming system played an important role in the
Funan economy.
⚬ Funan had close commercial ties with India and was a base for Brahman traders who
have brought Hindu culture to Southeast Asia.
⚬ In early 3rd century, the Kingdom conquered Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar
and a part of Malaysia after King Fan Shiman reached his power peak.
CHENLA
550- 802 AD
⚬ In order to gain freedom from Funan ownership, King Strutavarman built the
Kingdom of Chenla.
⚬ Chenla won independence in 60 years and conquered the whole of Funan, adhering
to its kingdom while absorbing its people and culture.
⚬ Chenla's court split up the Kingdom into rival northern and southern halves. (Land
and Water).
⚬ The Sailendra dynasty in Java has tried to exert control over water Chenla territory
on an active basis.
⚬ Weakened from both internal and external conflicts and were taken over by the
Javanese.
⚬ Jayavarman, the Second, seized power and turned the region into a Khmer Empire
after the Javanese were forced to invade.
KHMER
EMPIRE
802-1431 CE
⚬ Founded by Jayavarman II .
⚬Seceded from the kingdom of Chenla.
⚬The Khmer Empire was ruled by an absolute monarchy.
⚬First organize state in Southeast Asia.
⚬The Khmer Empire collapsed because of the great Thai migration.
COLONIAL ERA OF
CAMBODIA
1863-1953
COLONIAL ERA OF CAMBODIA (1863-1953)

⚬French believed that Cambodia were a gateway to China.

⚬Norodom’s surprise and displeasure on protection of French.
⚬NEGATIVE ASPECTS of the colonial period;
⚬French failed to educate Cambodian people
⚬Flaw in the colonial system was the judiciary
⚬POSITIVE ASPECTS;
⚬Cambodia survived to become an independent state
⚬In 1975, Khmer Rouge spokesman declared that “2000” years of Cambodia
history had ended.
 After
Colonialism
 Formation of a Constitutional Monarchy

In the aftermath of independence, Cambodia

was established as a constitutional monarchy
under the rule of King Norodom Sihanouk.
Sihanouk played a significant role in the
formation of the country's political structure in
the initial years. King Norodum
Sihanouk
 Cambodia wins its independence from France.
1953 Under King Sihanouk, it becomes the Kingdom of
Cambodia.

Sihanouk abdicates to pursue a political career.

1955 His father becomes king and Sihanouk becomes
prime minister.

TIMELINE
King Norodom Sihanouk
1960
Sihanouk's father dies. Sihanouk
becomes head of state.

Sihanouk breaks off relations with the US and allows North

Vietnamese guerrillas to set up bases in Cambodia in pursuance of
1965 their campaign against the US-backed government in South
Vietnam.
 1969
The US begins a secret bombing
campaign against North
Vietnamese forces on Cambodian
soil.
 1970
Prime Minister Lon Nol overthrows Sihanouk in coup. He
proclaims the Khmer Republic and sends the army to fight the
North Vietnamese in Cambodia. Sihanouk - in exile in China -
forms a guerrilla movement. Over next few years the Cambodian
army loses territory against the North Vietnamese and communist
Khmer Rouge guerrillas
Cambodia Year Zero
⚬1975 - Lon Nol is overthrown as the Khmer Rouge led by Pol
Pot occupies Phnom Penh. Sihanouk briefly becomes head of
state, the country is renamed Kampuchea.

⚬1976 - The country is renamed Democratic Kampuchea.

Sihanouk resigned, Khieu Samphan became head of state, and
Pand ol Pot became prime minister.

⚬1977 - Fighting breaks out in Vietnam.

 ⚬1979 January - The Vietnamese take Phnom Penh. Pol
Pot and Khmer Rouge forces flee to the border region
with Thailand.
⚬1981 - The pro-Vietnamese Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party
wins parliamentary elections. The international community refuses to
recognise the new government.

⚬1985 - Hun Sen becomes prime minister. Cambodia is

plagued by guerrilla warfare. Hundreds of thousands
become refugees.
⚬1989 - Vietnamese troops withdraw. Hun Sen tries to attract foreign
investment by abandoning socialism. The country is re-named the
State of Cambodia. Buddhism is re-established as the state religion.
 An uneasy peace
⚬1991 - A peace agreement is signed in Paris. A UN transitional authority shares power
temporarily with representatives of the various factions in Cambodia. Sihanouk
becomes head of state.

⚬1993 - General election sees the royalist Funcinpec party win the most seats
followed by Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

⚬1994 - Thousands of Khmer Rouge guerrillas surrender in government amnesty.

⚬1996 - Deputy leader of Khmer Rouge Ieng Sary forms a new party and is granted
amnesty by Sihanouk.
Current Prime Minister

Hun Manet, the Prime Minister

of Cambodia since August 2023,
succeeding his father, Hun Sen
King of Cambodia

Norodom Sihamoni, the

King of Cambodia since
2004 till’ the present time.
Thank you!